As you may have noticed, my blogging and art production have decreased some over the past several months. That is largely due to the fact that I am expecting my first baby on March 16, so my mental and physical energy levels have been quite up and down. It's a pretty major undertaking, creating a human life!
Still, I have remained fairly active in participating in shows, making new art, and seeking opportunities throughout my pregnancy. Some artistic updates: I created a nomination for the Baker Artist Awards and also applied for the Sondheim prize. Both opportunities grant monetary prizes and shows to Baltimore area artists. If you're a Baltimorean, I strongly recommend checking out the incredible websites and exhibitions that display the work of our local artists. If you're a Baltimore artist, I strongly recommend you enter these competitions every year!
In other news, I have found that one of the most enjoyable things about being pregnant is revisiting my favorite children's books. I remember being a particularly huge fan of Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.
First of all, I remember loving Eric Carle's illustrations. I actually remember watching a video about his creative process in one of my elementary school classes, showing how he used tissue paper to create the art. I looked at The Very Hungry Caterpillar recently with my now artistically trained eye, and loved how he used different sized pages and cut-out holes to bring the story to life. His shapes, colors, patterns, composition and creativity are an inspiration to me now.
Still, I have remained fairly active in participating in shows, making new art, and seeking opportunities throughout my pregnancy. Some artistic updates: I created a nomination for the Baker Artist Awards and also applied for the Sondheim prize. Both opportunities grant monetary prizes and shows to Baltimore area artists. If you're a Baltimorean, I strongly recommend checking out the incredible websites and exhibitions that display the work of our local artists. If you're a Baltimore artist, I strongly recommend you enter these competitions every year!
In other news, I have found that one of the most enjoyable things about being pregnant is revisiting my favorite children's books. I remember being a particularly huge fan of Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.
First of all, I remember loving Eric Carle's illustrations. I actually remember watching a video about his creative process in one of my elementary school classes, showing how he used tissue paper to create the art. I looked at The Very Hungry Caterpillar recently with my now artistically trained eye, and loved how he used different sized pages and cut-out holes to bring the story to life. His shapes, colors, patterns, composition and creativity are an inspiration to me now.
Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Dr. Seuss was another serious favorite of mine. I read many of his books as a child--I loved his writing, rhyming and fun drawings. Green Eggs and Ham was my absolute favorite book when I first learned to read. I also loved The Lorax very much once I discovered it. It left a lasting impact on how I view the earth and the environment. Dr. Seuss will always be special to me because he had such a fun, rhythmic, and approachably powerful way of story telling. His illustrations were also so imaginative and unique. What a genius!
Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham
A little later in my childhood I was introduced to Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. I remember reading the poems in the book and loving all of them. I went to my local library recently and checked out a few Shel Silverstein books, including A Light in the Attic and the relatively newly published Runny Babbit. Reading his poems now, I may love his work more than ever. Some of his poems are hilarious and fun, but many others are beautifully sad, uplifting, and touching, all while being simple and easy to read. His drawings are no-frills, but always very fitting with the witty poems he creates. My husband and I are working on writing some poems and making some Silverstein-style drawings to create a book for our daughter. We are no experts, but at least Silverstein sets an unpretentious example that is fun to imitate.
As a child, I always wanted to be a children's book author and illustrator. Looking at these books now, I see them as real artistic masterpieces. As I continue exploring paper-making and collage, I believe you will see some of Carle's, Seuss', and Silverstein's influences in my work. I am looking forward to discovering new children's books, sharing them with my daughter, and gaining new inspiration on combining words and images.
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