Some links to check out...

I don't often post links to other peoples blogs, but I think you would enjoy the blogs of the following two talented people; Jackie Morris and James Mayhew. They have collaborated for the second time to bring out their latest picture book book, Starlight Sailor.

I have been very privileged to have interviewed them both for Armadillo Magazine recently. I hope the interview will be in the next issue (which is due out very soon), but if not, then it will be in the Winter issue. Do look out for it. You can find out more about Jackie at her website and you can follow her illustrative journey for the creation of Starlight Sailor here.

James has two blogs which he has created for his picture book series; Ella Bella Ballerina, and Katie's Picture Show.

Do drop by and say hello to them. Oh, and if you are looking for a special gift for a young niece or nephew, their book Starlight Sailor would make a great gift. You can pre-order from Amazon here.

Exhibition Invitation

This Green Art has been created by a very dear friend of mine, Shirah Miriam Aumann. If you live anywhere near here, please do visit as I know this will be a wonderful experience.

Here is her press release...

“Power for the People-Sustainability”

Environmental Art Exhibit – Mixed Media ARTIST: Shirah Miriam “Mimi” Aumann, Paper Sculpture Artist

WHERE: Driskill Art Gallery in the Jester Learning and Performance Center SBU Campus, Bolivar, MO

WHEN: April 3-24, 2009

“Power for the People-Sustainability” is a 40-piece show, with an installation of a grove of five trees – “Tree Whispers” – portraying the deforestation of Planet Earth for paper. The opening reception will be April 3, 6-7:30 pm, in the Driskill Gallery on the SBU Campus. The artist will be present to open the show with a walk-about lecture to introduce the message of the pieces and the fibres and process used in their creation.

The works in this exhibit reflect conceptual messages, social awareness, craftsmanship and unique attitudes in response to contemporary issues—using technical approaches in mixed media.

The exhibit focuses on EARTH DAY and its goals and purpose, with the overall goal of the exhibit being to educate and inform through the art.

The artist, Shirah Miriam “Mimi” Aumann, is a hand papermaker working with native plant fibres in the ancient process before we turned to the trees for paper.

All Mimi’s papers and sculpture are handmade and tree free – 100% plant fibres…

Hemp and switchgrass are the main two fibres being showcased in this exhibit, however, you will also find other botanicals used in some of the pieces as described in the catalogue listing.

Portions of the exhibit convey a very serious message of the concerns and issues being faced across our world today. You will also find some of the exhibit to be provocative and playful as the hemp fibre is employed in most of the pieces.

Switchgrass is a very important fibre in the future energy concerns of our nation. It is proving to be valuable as a bio-fuel and as a replacement for other formerly petroleum-based usages. It is also a unique fibre for papermaking, as you will see in this exhibit.

The exhibit offers various mediums using these fibres: handmade papers from raw fibres are used in a variety of artistic approaches incorporating and overlapping various techniques of spinning, weaving, stitching, basketry, ceramic, casting, encaustic, collage and illumination. Hemp rope and twines and fabrics of hemp are also incorporated in the various pieces. Most of the frames are made from a composite of hemp Hurds, a part of the hemp stalk where most of the cellulose of the plant is found.

This exhibit is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the viewer to the strength and beauty of these natural fibres and get the Earth Day message across in a powerful and visual way.

For more information about this exhibit, please contact Shirah Miriam “Mimi” Aumann at 417-739-9124 or email thewatermill@centurytel.net

Paper Sculpture

I came across this paper artist today,

http://www.petercallesen.com/index/index2.html

while I was researching something.

You have to check out his website.

Totally amazing.

Who Needs Paper ?

I was drooling over some moleskin journals today,

and thinking how it might inspire me to draw more if I owned one,

then I came across this blog

If you've ever tried to draw with an etch a sketch,

then you'll realise how awesome this is.

But it does make me wonder if this

guy has rather too much time on his hands.