plunge into the new

2013 is off to a brave and busy beginning, full of stories, students, and creatures with white fur.

Charlesbridge donated a stack of books for the Natural Resources Council of Maine's Polar Dip and Dash on the last day of 2012. Sunny but cold, it was a glorious day to sign books about climate change for the top ten kid winners.

There was a great crowd, including a polar bear looking a bit out of his element, a fitting metaphor for the whole deal.

 

Wait, what's the bride doing here? Oh, it's Beth Dimond, Public Affairs Coordinator for the NRCM, who decided to take the plunge with her entire wedding party before taking the plunge at the altar.

Talk about prenups!

She was kind enough to take this photo of me awaiting the dipping action. Notice I am not in MY bathing suit.

Great spectator event, truly. Here the crowd gathers, those in clothing feeling smart, and those dipping bracing for the water.

 

The event itself is, of course, brief. Wedding dippers in the foreground below:

 

I sponsored my neighborhood polar bear family, Jeanne Gulnick and her husband Mark Green (both professors at St. Joseph's College) and their brave kids, Jonah and Lilah. I shiver just looking at them. Bravo for raising money to combat climate change.

A couple of days later, I encountered more brave kids at King Middle School. I was one of 9 guest artists visiting for their annual World Culture kick-off, an expedition involving making art inspired by a French or Spanish artist. Students begin by interviewing local artists about how culture influences their work, and other pertinent details about being an artist. I always bring pastels, since materials are a major aspect of my approach.

This student made a fast and furious drawing, unafraid to get green dust all over.

Wow, sweet rewards for artists.... Holy Donuts!

I also showed students my current Sketchbook Project, in which I'm drawing my favorite shops around Portland. My own superhero/donut dunker modeled for me. Look, up in the sky!

Over the weekend, I finally saw a performance of the Peaks Island Puppets. I felt like a kid again, totally transported.  My neighbor Stephanie Eliot shines with exuberance and David Handwerker is

sly and silly. Julie Goell made all the puppets and props, and wrote the comical telling of Solomon and Ashmedai. I brought home the materials to make my own. Cool.

I headed back into another school on Monday, Casco Bay High, to help kick-off their week-long intensive on self-publishing. Shared selections from my zine collection and lugged my vintage typewriter.

Meanwhile, I'm sketching away. Everything seems to be a source of inspiration. 

Stopped in at Longfellow Books to see the latest window installation, this one by Gaella Materne, awesome illustration senior at Maine College of Art. She recreated in 3 dimensions the book cover of my neighbor Eleanor Morse's new book, White Dog Fell from the Sky.

Eleanor also posed for me for my sketchbook.

Eleanor will be reading and signing this Friday at Longfellow Books at 6:30. I'll be one of the first in what will be a long line for this amazing book. Come join me!

making merry

I'm getting back to my Sketchbook Project today. Yes, I really am.

I showed this sketch done a month ago to my colleague, Anne Dennison, at Maine College of Art.
I'd put her adorable niece into my Sketchbook Project 2013, eating a cookie from Katie Made Bakery. My theme this year is favorite shopfronts around Portland.

It gave her the idea to commission me to do a portrait as a gift for her sister.  So I did, in pastel.
Kyler is one very, very cute girl; hope I have captured even an ounce of that. Thanks, Anne!

It was my last "to do" before beginning the whirl of making merry.

Out came the vintage table cloth from my mother and just in time for some new snow.

In a flurry of flour and cookie cutters, I made sugary stars for neighbors.

We put some holiday props on the door.

It was a quiet but magical Christmas day, full of surprise gifts and fuller bellies.

 A clear and calm Boxing Day brought this pair of curious boxers to the island.

 

Gloves off, everyone.

 Nothing like a beach stroll to work up an appetite. We enjoyed pie with some Doctor.

 

Daisy drew this festive Dalek for our guests.

 And we gifted this bold poster by MECA student Miles Cook:

With a good dose of the Doctor, we were ready for the oncoming storm.

What a brilliant day to make tracks. Or, some new lines in my Sketchbook Project.

Happy New Year! May 2013 bring peace, good health, and more merry making for all.

a yarnish tale

We had our first snow the other night. Time to pull the woolly sweaters out of the trunk. I did the above sketch in early rounds for Cast On Cast Off by Leslie Ann Bestor, which Publisher's Weekly  just named one of the top lifestyle books of the year! Noting that "clear presentation distinguishes this reference guide that should be on the shelves of knitters who want to develop their craft and their own style" I am thrilled.

My first sketches were too narrative, and eventually my illustrations play a suggestive role, indicating a knitwear piece at the beginning of each section that is organized by specific stitches with detailed photography. I worked with the super stylin' Mary Velgos, who directed me through an elegant simplification for final art.

I wanted my figures to be doing something, rather than fashion poses. Marty became the salty fisherman reference for the section on Stretchy Cast Ons, modeling a Channel Island sweater.
That's my Grampy Hogan's hand-carved buoy from Nova Scotia.

First sketch round:

The illustrations became black and white with a single color that connected to each section.

My daughter posed with her signature mismatched knee socks.

First round sketch:

Final illustration:

Each illustration was merged over a page from an oatmeal paper sketchbook I have. Storey wanted 
a hands-on reference guide, small and portable for the knitter on the move. Here's a spread from the book:

So if you're ready to knit yourself some elegant beginnings and endings, this is a must-have.

Speaking of sketchbooks, I have cool news. The Art House Coop chose my sketchbook out of 22,000 to go on a mobile tour with 999 others! Curated by Colossal, this small batch is heading to the mid-west to spread the love of sketching in a custom-made library trailer. If you can't check out the tour, you can see my sketchbook here.

The Sketchbook Project has been a fun catalyst for seed ideas and just having fun. I've started my 2013 Sketchbook with this drawing of a favorite spot in Portland, Bresca.

Anybody curious about my fetching model?

Oh, more good news bits: A Warmer World received a great recommendation from Library Media Collection! Let's hope climate change is an acceptable topic now. Here it is:

For the record, I don't use acrylics. I work in pastel. Thanks to the librarian reviewers! I think I'll go throw on a sweater and get back to drawing.

Stay warm, peeps!

Sketchbook Project at SPACE Gallery

Hooray! The Sketchbook Project was back in town, at SPACE Gallery in Portland, Maine.
We were so eager to hold our own sketchbook once again, like a long lost friend.

The Milan-based collective Carnovsky provided a stunning backdrop, with a wallpaper display titled RGB, which paired well with my fresh Tattly tattoo.

We had our eyes peeled for all things sketchy, and just stare at this Caronvsky bit long enough to be hypnotized: you....WILL....sketch...

 

It had no effect on this viewer.

 Every book checked out gets multiple views though, with viewers sharing.

 This one was a favorite with our crowd, filed under the theme Time Travel.

I fell in love with this sketchbook by Rachel Sofian, filled with graceful graphite drawings of animals collaged into the pages. Who can resist this sloth?

Given the heat, I searched by theme for something else cool: It's Winter Where You Are, and found a lovely book by Rhonda Anderson. This snowy owl charmed me.

In fact, I found another owl but sadly did not write down the artist.

Here's the owl that begins my treehouse book:

Thanks to Prismacolor, there was a drawing table where anyone could send off a quick sketch to a random destination. Drew my compadre, the curious Kirsten.

 

We left quite satiated, but returned for another round a day later, to reunite one last time with our sketchbooks. We met one of the founders of the project, Steven Peterman and his wife, Sara. It's come a long way since 2006.

By the way, Happy 10 Year Birthday to SPACE!!!

You can see Marty's book here, and Daisy's here. Mine is apparently not digitized into the library yet.

Our cohort in sketching, Judy Labrasca, stopped in to admire our books as well.

 

We found even more to like. 

Incredibly fresh line work in this book by Bernadette Moke. Positively electric.

 

I searched Italy and found this elegance by Flavia Dell 'Anna.

You really can go around the world, turning pages.

These two were fun.

On the right, a Heroes and Villains by Min Hyung with line dissolving into abstraction.

The time flies by when you're entranced in a drawn world. It was time for the staff to close up the library, so what else could we do?

Yup, sign up for the 2013, with free sleeping bags for our little treasures yet to be drawn!