happy new year

 

I'm very fond of the Chinese New Year. As a former resident of San Francisco, I relate to all the Asian wisdom and ritual around new beginnings. And, it's nice to have another fresh start, since the calendar new year seems to come too close behind the holidays for a truly clean slate.

However, I am NOT fond of snakes. In fact, I am totally phobic! I repurposed my illustration of a snake from Nest, Nook & Cranny by Susan Blackaby for a New Year's card for my SF neighbor, Frank Ching. I guess the snake is all about transforming with ease, so I will embrace my fears, shriek some, and carry on.

The week began with a Maine meet-up of area members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I knew I was in the right place when this door handle greeted me at the entrance to Bull Feeney's in Portland.

It was a lively gathering of writers and illustrators hearty enough to brave the enormous snowbanks.

On Tuesday I made a presentation at the Curtis Library in Brunswick, alongside author Robin Hansen, telling our yarnish tales of making Ice Harbor Mittens. 

If you can judge a library by it's art collection, the Curtis is chock full. Found this cool creation hanging:

From there, we ventured to the Peary-MacMillen Artic Museum at Bowdoin College nearby, where an inspiring exhibit of Inuit art from the collection of Rabbi Harry Sky blew me away.

Several sculptures are carved from whale bone, such as this voluptuous polar bear.

The show is nearly over. So glad I caught a look in time! They have a cool family event planned for February 23, with toy and puppet-making at 10 AM. Maybe I can disguise myself as a musk ox.

Valentine's Day proved incredibly SWEET. I brought my MECA class to visit the studio of award-winning author/illustrator Kevin Hawkes, who graciously shared his college portfolio, works in progress, and boundless humor.

Here's a sketch he refers to while keeping a character's markings consistent in the final illustrations for a current project.

He showed us several personal paintings, such as this one of a former Peaks Island neighbor hauling in his boat.

I met Kevin when we first moved to Peaks Island and always marveled at his prolific capacity to do amazing work amidst a bustling family. The Hawkes clan left for the mainland many years ago, but his influence has carried me far and wide. Now I'm illustrating children's books, too, and proud to be mentored by him. Here we are with my latest, Here Come the Humpbacks!

Thanks, Kevin, for sharing your professional wisdom with us!

The day only got sweeter, when I met my cupid, Marty, for lunch at the Blue Spoon. Intimate and delicious, this place never disappoints. I wisely skipped dessert, because I was later surprised with an amazing plate of treats crafted by Marty. Who knew he was such a pastry chef?

I hope you're all off to an auspicious new year. We head to Boston today for new scenes, visits, some art, and more great food.

Happy trails!

a Brit, 3 bears, and a book group

Some folks think being an artist is like a fairy tale. On certain days, I might agree. Like Wednesday, when I encountered a Brit, three bears, and a book group.

For starters, I met fellow children's book illustrator, Hazel Mitchell, for a chatty lunch at the Liberal Cup in Hallowell, Maine.

Never mind pie, face time with another artist is a really big treat! Hazel hails from Yorkshire, England, but finds the rolling fields of Detroit, Maine much to her liking. Thanks, Hazel, for making the trek! She documented my prize: a carved bear by Dan Burns, a surprise win in the Hubbard Free Library raffle.

I wore my red pants for the occasion.

On my way to another library, I lolligagged like Little Red at the nearby Maine State Museum, where I found Baby Bear out front.

There's a haunting exhibit there now about Malaga Island, a sorry chapter in Maine history.

I enjoyed the various installations evoking At Home in Maine. Could Grandma be waiting for Little Red in this kitchen?

There's an extensive exhibit, Back to Nature, where I encountered a very big Papa Bear.

A quote by Rachel Carson, naturalist and author of Silent Spring, hung in the air:
"In nature nothing exists alone."

That concept is also behind A Warmer World by Caroline Arnold, in which she describes animals' shifting habitats due to climate change. This poster hit the nail on that head. Many species are moving into cooler places all over the globe.

The museum was a great warm-up for my visit to the South China Library, where I met once again with their inspired book group for kids. I brought a few objects for display, several of which were used as reference in illustrating Nest, Nook & Cranny, and A Warmer World.

Each member gets to pick a book and the activity for that book. Thanks, Sedona, for choosing Nest, Nook, & Cranny and for bringing the clay and hay to make little nests!

I brought sketches, the original art for this book jacket, and some drawing supplies.

Love this young artist's squid!

And look, here's my illustration from the book, a hive and Mama Bear.

 

Thanks to South China Library for a fun evening! A sweet time all around.

My next outing will be on Great Diamond Island this Saturday night at 7 PM, the final lecture of the series at Fort McKinley. I'll tell more tales about the life of an illustrator, three miles out to sea.

animal power

 I keep my eyes peeled at all times and a camera in my back pocket. I never know when my image bank will come in handy. I just finished a piece for the 2013 Lunar Calendar, illustrating a poem by Sarah Fuhro that mentions a heron. I found this shot, recently taken during our trip to London, at the Serpentine in Hyde Park. What a handsome fellow.

And here's a sighting on Peaks Island just last week:

I made this drawing, using a bit of collage, and incorporating a feather found on the beach.

Another bit of paper moon found it's way into a card made for my friend, Susan, who makes an appearance in Seven Days of Daisy (on Saturday, of course!)

This little pink turtle came from one of my illustrations in Nest, Nook & Cranny.

Susan spends the winter in Florida, right where loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay eggs. I rely on her for my wisdom about turtles. She sent this photo of turtle prints left on the beach.

She let me know April was a good month for this spread in A Warmer World:

And look who I met on a walk on my island last week!

When I have a rare sighting like this, I wonder. And look at Medicine Cards to see if there's some animal power needing my attention.

According to that book, turtles are the oldest symbol of Mother Earth, and the message is: honor your creative source, and be grounded.

The heron, on the other hand, is about self-reflection, reflecting your spirit's inner goal.

Susan celebrated her birthday last night with a bonfire in her yard, beneath a teepee made from a fallen birch.

Sparks flew up towards the stars, with wishes for good health, grounding, and finding that inner goal.

May the animal powers be with us all, if we notice.

warming up

It warms me no end to see another illustration of mine in Maine Magazine.

This one's all about the health benefits of sweat. I'm also pleased to share the pages with my MECA student, Spenser Macleod. He did an illustration for the poetry page. No sweat, Spenser. Cool.

For awhile, it didn't seem very wintery, but then, brrrrrrr, we had a good cold snap. I posted this cardinal on Facebook in honor of National Bird Day.

 

The very next day Mr. Cardinal was in the branches during a long-awaited snow blast. Was my art the draw?

A friend gave me some paperwhite bulbs. Not being much of a gardener, I went head over heels with the immediate gratification.

I drew her this in return.

It has since gotten even more glorious.

Over the mantel is the cover art for Nest, Nook, and Cranny, which I just learned from author Susan Blackaby has won the 2011 Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American poetry. Bravo! You can read the entire essay here, but this is my favorite quote:

"This year's winner, Susan Blackaby's Nest, Nook & Cranny, illustrated by Jamie Hogan, is not only a fine collection of poetry, but also succeeds as a book to be grasped and looked at. It somehow makes graceful the dreaded "informative nature poem" collection, transcending the genre of didactic animal books by its severe attention to poetic form, and Hogan's pastels and charcoal pencil drawings, given depth by the visible texture of her Canson paper, decorate without overwhelming the delicate verses."

I'll take that as a compliment!

Meanwhile, I still have whales on the brain. Yet with all my whale spotting, I only just noticed that there is a whale on MY DOOR.

A friend gave us these numbers nearly 20 years ago as a house warming gift: 2 thistle, 6 whale, 5 barnacle. And the whale is a humpback, too. Rather cosmic.

I am surrounded by all the right references, when I take a good look. These are just the tankers I need for my current illustration. Spied them from the ferry.

This illustration is about how humpbacks travel through shipping lanes. Really? I like thinking they are out in Casco Bay, singing their songs.

Back to both the drawing board and the classroom at Maine College of Art. Besides doing 9 more illustrations for Here Come the Humpbacks, I will have 7 new students in Illustration 2.

That, too, is sweet!