Michelle’s Interests: Artists, Authors, Flora, Fauna & more…

 Leave a comment on  Teaching Authors.com to help kids in the US receive books! They’ll donate $146. to the organization First Book. Here’s the link for Teaching Authors:http://bit.ly/uID8SP

The first  New Book I can remember is “Curl Up Small” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. It’s a pivotal book for me for a few reasons; first it was given to me by my grandmother whom I was very fond of and only got to know briefly, next it’s about nature, cycles and quietness and filled with rich and sensitive illustrations. Perhaps the book  influenced all the nature linked art I create today. Here’s the cover of the book: 

Curl Up Small by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Hope you enjoy these Pictures from the Art Institute of Chicago’s Artful Alphabet Exhibit, June 11- Nov. 6, 2011, in the Ryan Education Center.

The images are from Alphabet books that the artists created using a variety of mediums. Mary Azarian’s  A Gardener’s Alphabet uses woodcuts hand tinted with watercolor. In  Mordecai Gerstein’s  The Absolutely Awful Alphabet book he used oil paint and pen and ink. Stacey Innerst used Oil and acrylic on gessoed board and tin for her M is for Music alphabet book. Chris Ruschka’s  Talk to Me about the Alphabet uses watercolor and ink, and Mary Thelen’s The Jazzy Alphabet book uses silkscreened color-aid paper and gouache. And the text is just as delightful as the art images, as can be seen in the C page from Gerstein’s book: A cruel cantankerous carnivore crawling to consume.

Mary Thelen D's on the Drums Dig it! Dig it!

Mary Thelen From her book: The Jazzy alphabet, Cool Cat cuttin the Rug..

Mary Azarian From her book: A Garden’s Alphabet, Everything.

Mary Azarian Underground

Chris Raschka L is for Lion.

Chris Raschka from his book, Talk to me about the Alphabet.

Stacy Innerst D is for drumming and dining all around your house.

Stacy Innerst Q is for Quartet, from his book M is for Music 2003.

Mordecai Gersteins Sculpted Letters F & G

Mordecai Gerstein's Sculpted letters N & O

Spring Nature Walk:

Indian Boundary Park

I took a walk through Indian Boundary Park, in Rogers Park Chicago. Many of the wildflowers were in full bloom and some of the critters were out and busy… Hope you enjoy your visit!

Lovely Lavender Wildflowers.

At the pond.

Taking a break on the log.

Let's go for a swim...

Find Me in the Tree…

Here I am climbing down...

Busy Bee Pollinating

The Secret Garden

I recently read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, to my daughter. We both enjoyed the sensitivity of the illustrations. These images are from a 1962 borrowed library book, and I would love to find a copy of this book for my own collection!  I’ll be adding the illustrations hopefully before the book is due again. The Book was returned and here are more of the color Illustrations. I’ll be adding some of the black and white illustrations also.

01. Chapter 4. Secret Garden Martha

02. Chapter 6. Secret Garden Martha & Mary

03. Chapter 7. Secret Garden Key of Garden

04. Chapter 8 Secret Garden Mary with Key

 

06. Chapter 12. Secret Garden Mary & Father

 

 

 

07. Chapter 14. Secret Garden Mary with Martha

08. Chapter 20. Secret Garden Mary, Colin and Dickon

09. Chapter 24. Secret Garden Martha's Mom

10. 26. Secret Garden Mother with Mary

11. Chapter 27. Secret Garden The Garden