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El Rito, NM...right before Christmas

2009-12-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Although I love San Francisco, there is something about New Mexico that makes its nickname: Land of Enchantment, resonate deeply with me.

I was lucky enough to have a research project that absolutely, positively required an in-person trip to Sante Fe. And I am lucky indeed to have a dear friend and artist, Susan Guevara, to stay with.

Susan arranged a visit to the El Rito Elementary school, where I visited with the kindergarten and 1st grade.

1st thing was to present Ms. Mary with her own Miss Bindergarten to help celebrate Christmas. Next I read When Lucy Goes Out Walking aloud and drew an illustrated story with the students. Then we just hung out, decorated their classroom tree and made funny faces.

The day ended with a walk in the snow. It was light, fluffy and just right for dancing around in.

Ogden, Utah...again

2009-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

Treehouse Children's Museum has created a new exhibit incorporating a mural I painted for them last winter. Old MacDonald's Woodshop is attached to the big red barn. In the barn is a milkable cow and animatronic sheep and rooster.

Miss Bindergarten and I visited Ogden in November and met 1000s of schoolchildren in area schools. I had a chance to see the new exhibit and take some shots of Miss B exploring the entire museum.

My gracious hosts, Lynne and Michael Goodwin, took me on some fun excursions. One to a Navajo Rug Show in Park City. I was thrilled to buy this Eye Dazzler pattern rug made by weaver Sandy Benale, a 12 year old, 6th grader.

We had a brief visit with Franz, the Park City bear and checked out the skiing possibilities. Not happening yet!

Later we drove out into the Great Salt Lake to Antelope Island. The bison were grazing in the late afternoon light and the Wasatch Range was glowing purple.

Better Business Cards

2009-03-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

The wonderfully talented Bob Barner turned me on to the best business card product I've found. They are not the least expensive but, as a promotional vehicle, they couldn't suit my purposes better. I buy Moo Cards, printed in London, England: http://www.moo.com/

What I love about the regular size and the mini cards is that an artist can upload from 50 to 100 different images so you are carrying around a miniature portfolio at all times.

I just ordered my latest batch of 200 regular size cards. I uploaded 50 images and will get 4 of each design. Here is a small sample of the details I chose from I Call My Grandma Nana and I Call My Grandpa Papa.

Boston

2009-03-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

Although I have never lived there long, Boston has been an important city in my life. I am always being drawn back and this year is no exception.

I was born in Boston Lying-In Hospital, established in 1832 as one of America’s first maternity hospitals.
I lived as a baby in Cambridge before my parents moved to Middlebury, VT.
One summer I lived on Craigie Street in Cambridge and another summer I lived in Marblehead. Both times my dad was teaching summer sessions at Harvard or Columbia. I remember going weekly to buy vegetables, meat and flowers at Fanueil Hall Marketplace, before it was all gussied up. It was gritty back then.
As the largest US city within a day's drive, a day trip to Boston was an occasional treat when I was a teenager. My mom and I would get our hair cut and have lunch on Newbury Street.
I have walked with my boys on the Freedom Trail, ridden the Ducks, the swans and cheered for the Sox at Fenway Park.
My long time agent and mentor lives on West Newton Street, my best old friend lives in Brookline and now my husband is living for the 2008-09 school year in Cambridge. He was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and is taking a year off from the struggling San Francisco Chronicle to refresh and recharge.
Although I chose to stay in SF for various reasons, I visited him recently and experienced a taste of life in Boston and Cambridge in February.
Sabin and I rode the T, mostly the Green and Red lines, visited the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science and the Peabody Museum. We ate at Emma's Pizza, and at the homes of friends. We watched The Wrestler, the Oscars and Slumdog Millionaire. We had fun!

Michigan in November

2008-11-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

That doesn't sound like a recipe for beauty, but it is.

What a pleasant surprise it was for this homesick Vermonter to catch the last of the fall color on my recent visit to Grand Rapids.

I was the guest of two school principals, Sue and Rich Miller in their farmhouse in Ada.
They live with Tucker, the biggest, handsomest border collie you've ever seen.

I had some free time before and after my visits to their respective elementary schools: K.E.C. Oakleigh and Palmer, so I took full advantage of the winter sun and snowlight.

I Call My Grandpa Papa

2008-10-29T15:06:00.001-07:00

“My Dedushka is amazing, He can make things disappear. And once he found a quarter-- Right here in my ear!”

“Ojii-San is tall and strong.
He lifts me way up high
So I can see the whole parade
As it goes marching by!”

“My Opa took me camping
And the part I loved the most
Was eating the marshmallows
He taught me how to toast”

“Nonno takes me to his barbershop.
We sit in two big chairs,
And a nice man named Rosario
Cuts off all our hairs.”

I have just finished 2 new books for Tricycle Press. This one is called
I Call My Grandpa Papa

They are about the different names chosen by grandfathers from different world cultures and from here in the United States. They are illustrated with a collage technique I used for the 1st time here.

I Call My Grandma Nana

2008-10-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

My Lola has a million blocks,
And wooden tracks and cranes.
We build a town--and all around
I get to drive my trains.”

“Abuelita is my Grandma,
She’s teaching me to sew.
The doll we’re making looks like me:
Blue dress, black braid, white bow!”

I have just finished 2 new books for Tricycle Press. This one is called
I Call My Grandma Nana.

They are about the different names chosen by grandmothers from different world cultures and from here in the United States. They are illustrated with a collage technique I used for the 1st time here.

Happy Halloween 2008

2008-10-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I created this card using the new collage technique I used in my 2 new books for Tricycle Press. See my next post for samples!

The Appalachian Trail was right next door

2008-07-24T03:36:00.001-07:00

To get in shape for the Proper Walk I needed lots of exercise.

Luckily the Appalachian Trail, which runs for 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine, passed right by Hollins.

I discovered a trailhead and met many interesting people who were doing the entire route in one summer.

Hollins University is a beautiful place

2008-07-24T03:15:00.000-07:00

My particular corner may not be beautiful--my cottage was spartan but plenty roomy.
But the campus, which was only a short walk away, was rolling and lush and dotted with graceful brick and white wood buildings.

The school's motto, inscibed on a plaque on the chapel, is Levavi Oculos--roughly translated into lift up thine eyes to the hills.

The hills are the Appalachian Mountain range, range upon range, all running SW to NE on either side of campus.

Carvin Creek flows out of Carvin Reservoir and through campus.

Tinker Creek runs from Tinker Mountain and is the setting for A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, a Hollins alum. If you read it, my favorite essay is Present.

Sante Fe to Hollins University in Roanoke, VA

2008-07-24T02:57:00.000-07:00

After a day spent visiting Santuario de Chimayo with Susan, Lucy and I got back on Rt. 40, headed for points East.

Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and on into Virginia. We arrived on June 16th and moved into the cottage in the far upper right corner.

San Francisco to Roanoke

2008-06-18T08:43:00.001-07:00

San Francisco, CA to Roanoke, VA.
Roanoke, VA to Leicester, VT.
Leicester, VT to Nairobi, Kenya.
Proper Walk 2008 The Great Rift Valley, Kenya

My traveling summer of 2008 began on June 10th.

The 1st leg headed south through the Great Central valley of California on Rt. 5 and picked up 40 east in Bakersfield. Along the way fields of roses were in bloom in Wasco and Joshua Trees were blossoming on the Tehachapi Pass.

1st leg: crossing the US took 6 days. Five days of driving and one day spent visiting Susan Guevara in Sante Fe.

SF to Sante Fe in photos

Costa Rica is alive

2008-03-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard a troupe of Mantled Howler Monkeys hooting in the dusk? The sound is startling and a little scary at first but in only a week in Costa Rica I not only grew used to it, I began to find it comforting.
Comforting in the sense that Costa Rica is a place where primates other than ourselves live in the wild and appear to thrive. The monkey troupes are sometimes as small as 3-4 individuals and sometimes have dozens of members. The group at Playa Lancosta was at least 30 adult monkeys with a dozen infants clinging to the backs of their mothers. Their prehensile tails were marvelous 5th limbs, always wrapped around a branch as an extra anchor.

Cesar Chavez High

2008-02-23T23:48:00.000-08:00

It is a rare treat for me to be invited to speak to high school students. My books would seem to place me squarely in front of the kindergarten/1st grade audience, but I love the older students. On Friday, February 22, I was lucky enough to visit three art classes at Cesar Chavez HS in Stockton, CA.
After presenting a slide show about my work, I demonstrated how to draw a face. I discussed symetry, proportion, some anatomy and light source/shading techniques. The students had only rudimentary tools but were game and did some extraordinary quick sketches.
Then Anthony asked if I would draw his portrait and soon after that I was happily transforming Victor into a bear in football shoulder pads!

These are the books that we built

2008-02-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed at how children will dive right into a project and make it their own. The group that came to my Saturday morning art workshop at Treehouse Museum walked in rarin' to go. We made simple, 8-page versions of one of my new books: The Pen That Pa Built by David Edwards. They used model magic clay to make a baby, some felt for the blankets and the sheep's pasture, yarn, wool fiber, construction paper, markers, glue and LOTS of imagination.

Old MacDonald lives at Treehouse

2008-02-17T06:59:00.001-08:00

I finished my Old MacDonald had a woodshop mural at 8 PM on Saturday, February 16.
Without the help of Michael Goodwin, "Mr Boss" and master of detail, I'd never have made my deadline.
I appreciate the opportunity to be part of an exemplary museum for children, run by an amazing crew of talents. THANK YOU, Lynne & Michael!

Here, Spencer Cobabe, director of early childhood education, reads Old Mac aloud to a Treehouse crowd.

Working just like Abraham Lincoln

2008-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

Every day this week I worked with 3rd and 5th graders on short, 8-page books. We concentrated on character development, continuity and forward momentum.
We were in the middle of the lesson when the lights went out at Dee Elementary School in Ogden, Utah. Dee's cafeteria had no windows so out came the camping lanterns and flashlights and the class of 80 3rd graders, their teachers and I carried right on with our project. It was Valentine's Day and Abraham Lincoln's birthday, so we worked just like Abe did, by lantern light.

Old MacDonald Went to Utah-EIEIO

2008-02-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Utah on February 11th and visited Lomond View Elementary School on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon I began painting the mural which will eventiually form one wall of a new exhibit being built at Treehouse Museum in Ogden Utah. It will be a small replica of the shop from the book Old MacDonald had a Woodshop by Lisa Schulman.
Treehouse's resident construction genies, Dave and Steve, built the wall and set it up in the main atrium, right next to the giant map of Utah.
I laid out a few perspective lines with blue tape and started painting. I roughed in the background and added the figures before I knocked off at 7:30. I will return to the mural tomorrow afternnon and see how far I get. I need to finish by Friday night or Saturday.

Fat Tuesday at St Anthony's

2008-02-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 5th was truly a super day.

It was the 101st day of school at St Anthony IC.
It was the final day of Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday.)
It was Super Tuesday. the 1st California presidential primary I've ever voted in that has actually been important.
And it was a glorious, sunny spring day.

I was invited to visit St Anthony Immaculate Conception K-8 Elementary School in my own Bernal Heights. I walked from my house and prancing along beside me came my border collie, Lucy.

We arrived at school and were greeted at the door by Christopher,Teacher Danny Ballesteros, and Sister Monahan, the Principal. We gathered in Mr Ballersteros' classroom and--after Lucy was lovingly patted by everyone, I read a Miss Bindergarten book aloud and drew a story with the kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders.

The Kindergartners presented me with a book of their drawings of themselves as animals.

It was a SUPER DAY!

Three Necessary Elements

2008-01-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

On January 22nd and 23rd I visited St Helena Primary School in the damp, overcast but still beautiful Napa Valley. My mission was to meet with every 1st grade class and be present when they all took three necessary elements:
1. A plain sheet of paper
2. Some sort of drawing tool
3. Their imaginations
Because 1st graders are natural artistic geniuses, my main goal was to get them started and then stand out of their way.

In a picture book there are a just a few firm rules, a few of them are:
1.The main character should remain recognizable from page to page.
2. Time should appear to pass in a logical way.
3. The story momentum should move forward.

They began with 2 sheets of paper, folded and stapled. That made a simple 8 page book: a cover, 3 interior spreads and a last page. They used pre-cut shapes to represent a character that remained consistent through the book. Some 1st graders understood the concept
completely and filled their books, while others struggled with the 1st spread.
It IS a complicated task and I was thrilled to see how many 1st graders already understood so much about story telling.

Thank you, Lisa Montelli, 1st grade teachers and the whole St Helena Primary School community for welcoming me and allowing me the privilege of 2 whole days in your midst.

A Miniature Miss Bindergarten

2008-01-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Sally Lonn wrote to me and sent these
photos. I think this is the most
adorable "Doll House" I've ever seen!
Thank you, Sally!
"About two years ago I wrote to you about creating Miss Bindergarten in miniature. I worked in the scale one inch equals one foot. I found a fabulous doll artist, Annie Willis from Surrey, England who captured Miss B. and her parrot just perfectly. I exhibited this scene at the Seattle Dollhouse September show:
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniaturescommunity/ig/
Seattle-Fall-Show-2007/1-12-Scale-Miss-Bindergarten.htm
and won a second place prize.
The room box spent time in the Kindergarten class I was subbing in for a month and the next several weeks at the Dollhouse Cottage in Kirkland, Washington. It was a huge hit with the children where I was teaching and other classes came for a visit too. Teachers are asking me to take it to their classrooms next September, which I hope to do. I hope you will feel that I was true to your illustrations. I added some details that reflect my own classroom of 13 years.

Behind the teacher desk is a whole cabinet of supplies, paste bottle, pencils, markers, crayons, and scissors, ready for use. In this day and age I couldn't forget a computer. I made many of the furniture pieces. On the tables are real puzzles, books and alphabet cards. By the door is a hamster in his cage. I don't know how much detail you can see but I hope you enjoy looking."

Farewell Cocoa

2008-01-01T15:59:00.001-08:00

Along with the new babies, 2007 brought losses.
On Christmas day in the morning, one of the princesses of Bernal Hill left us for the Happy Hunting Ground.
Cocoa Jenks was quite a girl and she will be sorely missed by her mom and dad, Leslie and Nigel, as well as all her many friends.

Good Dog, Cocoa!

Brand New Year

2007-12-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

"The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year has roots in ancient Greece.

Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Early Christians tried to stop the tradition of using a baby to symbolize the new year, but its popularity as a symbol of rebirth outlasted the church's attempts to change the tradition.

Using an image of a baby with a New Years banner was brought to early America by the Germans.

The myth associated with him is that he is a baby at the beginning of his year, but Baby New Year quickly grows up until he is an elderly bearded man like Father Time at the end of his year. At this point, he hands over his duties to the next Baby New Year."

During 2007 many new babies entered the world and I was lucky enough to meet a few of them. Here, in the order I met them are:

****** Sam ***** Tessa ***** Satchmo ***** Lucy ***** 2 black lambs

Happy New Year!

The (temporary) Pen That Pa Built

2007-12-27T22:25:00.001-08:00

For several months last year I lived part time back 1838. I researched one of my new books, The Pen That Pa Built by David Edwards, http://windyhillbooks.blogspot.com
by twice visiting Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts (www.osv.org) and taking many photos of how a colonial family lived and worked. I painted the pen and the sheep in every season. One of my favorite images is of the pen and sheep in typical New England December weather.

This Christmas Eve, while spending a few days over Christmas at The Sea Ranch on the Northern California coast, I saw a different kind of sheep pen built. This one only lasts a couple of days each time it is erected. It is much bigger than the one in the book.

It has to be.

It has to contain about 500 adult sheep and goats, as well as an uncounted number of lambs. This hard working herd are 4-legged lawn mowers whose job is to eat all the invasive shrubs and to keep the native grasses short and neat. When shepherd Leland Falk, built his new, solar powered, hot wire pen across the street, the sheep all rushed over into the fresh grass but left several new-born lambs behind. I was lucky enough to help ferry them back to their moms.

That was my favorite Christmas treat.

On Solstice Eve

2007-12-20T20:44:00.001-08:00

Even here in mild Northern California, I have trouble dealing with the darkness and cold at this time of year. I know that sounds wimpy, but I think I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and need more hours of daylight to feel like my usual cheerful self. This year hasn't been too bad. I've been helped by the bumper crop of persimmons on my backyard tree.
Many of these have been picked and eaten like apples or given away to friends. Still, dozens hang stubbornly, high in the branches, serving a host of birds who squabble loudly over the ripest, mushiest fruit.
Today in the rain, birds were sheltering in more protected roosts, but the orange globes glowed in the dark day, cheering me up as I looked down from my studio window.
Tomorrow is the winter solstice: the shortest day and the longest night of the year. From then on the light will gradually lengthen each day and I will feel my heart lifting with it. The persimmons will help.

all I want for Christmas...

2007-12-13T21:50:00.001-08:00

In these days approaching the solstice, the twilight comes early. By 4:30, when I walk Lucy in Holly Park, the sun has set and the crescent moon is tagging right along behind.
In the darkness I am drawn to light. There are not many decorated houses in this ethnically and religiously mixed neighborhood. Maybe people think lights are tacky or maybe SF Greens are just saving kilowatt hours. This juxtaposition of lights and moon perfectly captures my only wish for Christmas 2007... PEACE.

Heather School Rocks!

2007-12-11T16:54:00.000-08:00

SAN CARLOS must be proud of Heather Elementary School-a lovely, small school with a million dollar view and some of the happiest teachers and students I have met anywhere.
I spent a busy and fun day talking to the K-4th graders and we drew a lot of pictures together.
Thank you for the invitation to visit!

Congratulations Rick and Mary Ann!

2007-12-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

MARY ANN AND RICK Labadia supported a great cause by buying my Kachinas Bearing Gifts snowflake, inspired by The 12 Days of Christmas/A Pinata for the Pinon Tree.
Here is the news directly from Rick: "but such good news for us...we did win your wonderful snowflake from Robert's Snow...we just can't believe it! Now the book will be even more special!"

I am happy for them and for Robert's Snow.

Robert's Snow-flake Auction on NOW

2007-11-28T21:30:00.001-08:00

My 3rd Robert's Snow-flake is on the auction block right now. The inspiration for this one is my new book The 12 Days of Christmas/ A Pinata for the Pinon Tree. It is the last in the series of 3 books I did with Philemon Sturges and is dedicated in fond remembrance to the late author.
My snowflake, depicting Kachinas Bearing Gifts on one side and the Pinata on the other can be viewed and bid upon at the Robert's Snow Website. Click on the 2nd auction, running from 11/26-30.

Please help fight cancer by supporting this great cause.

1st Grade Artistic geniuses

2007-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

FOR the past 4 years I've had the honor of being invited by Susan Faust, Katherine Delmar Burke School Librarian and book reviewer extraordinaire, to present an assembly to the 1st graders.
This year I was excited to receive my audience of 6 and 7 year olds in the gleaming new library. There is a sweet presentation area with half round seating, cute stools, a pull down screen and great acoustics.
The girls and I had our usual great time, looking at slides and making up an awesome story, starring many of them as "humanals".
I believe that 1st graders everywhere are natural artistic geniuses. They are uninhibited, love color and movement and draw freely from their imaginations.
The artists at KDBS are no exception. Here are some of my favorite images from their thank you notes.