I’ve been thinking about art a lot lately. First it was Paris – seeing so many of the greatest works of European art face to face was a powerful experience that seemed to set my mind drifting in a new artistic direction. Then in September I started teaching a group of students who dive into art with complete abandon and are happiest to sit for as long as I will let them with giant sketchbooks and regular old HB pencils, drawing swamps and space scenes and dogs and dragons. In my humble, and pretty inexperienced estimation, one of these kids has a real gift. She creates drawings effortlessly. And then Robert’s Snow has offered me so many glimpses into the typically secret world of illustrators – their process, their projects and inspiration.
When I interviewed Sally Vitsky, I asked her if she could be amazing at one thing – other than paper sculpture – what she would choose. She said she’d want to be a torch singer. I would want to be able to draw, because what artists do seems about as possible for me as performing open heart surgery or landing a 747, and I can only imagine it would feel pretty damn satisfying.
Over there in my sidebar, you will notice a new list of links: Artsy Types – Illustrators to Envy. There you will find artist’s blogs, websites, and children’s illustration related sites that make me think, make me happy, make me inspired (and make me just a teensy bit envious).
Shelf Elf: read, write, rave. 