BEATRIX POTTER

Who best to choose for the month of July than that grande dame, Beatrix Potter, who was born on this day in 1866. Not that anyone needs to be reminded of her work.

We read her tiny masterpieces over and over. 

But have you have ever seen her preliminary sketches?

Or her studies of nature subjects?

Or her landscapes?

And did you know that she was an expert on fungi? (In fact, I just discovered this tidbit on the internet:a "recently discovered" parasitic fungus (Tremella simplex) in Aberdeen was found to have been drawn by Beatrix Potter in the late 1890’s.)  We know she made those endearing illustrations of clothed animals, but as we look at those, it's easy to forget that she was a deeply serious artist. She did research, made sketches, painted, drew, and analyzed. Let's celebrate the life and work of this incredibly talented artist by reading our favorite Potter book...looking up her sketches, paintings, and research work on the internet...reading her biography or letters. My own personal dream is to some day visit Hill Top, her house in England that is now a museum.

COMING UP FOR AIR

I'm no good at multi-tasking. So when several book ideas grabbed me by the ear six months ago and began to harrass me, blogging went by the board. Six months later, I've sent three manuscripts with sample art off to my agent for her to peddle. And I'm back at blogging.

Picture Book #1

Publishing being what it is, I can't really show off my darlings. But I'm giving you a hint.

Picture Book #2

And another hint.

Graphic Novella

And another.

Unfortunately---again, publishing being what it is---the soonest you will ever be able to see much more of these three projects will be at least one year from now. Unless you can come in person to my studio---there you can be the first to see whatever it is I'm working on, at whatever stage it happens to be.