This Tuesday I head to Sao Tome and Principe! MICA’s Office of Continuing Studies sponsors a Summer Intensive Travel Program where students and life-long learners are able to explore different cultures and make art. The illustration department travels to Sao Tome. Other programs include Fibers in Istanbul, Sculpture in South Korea, General Fine Arts in New York, and more.
It will be my first time traveling to Africa and I am sooooooo excited. For more information on MICA’s summer intensive programs, click here. For more info on the Sao Tome experience, see our blog.
In other news, my homie, Jonathan Bean, has moved to Harrisburg! He lives in a fantastic new studio with a stairway gallery. Every third Friday is Third in the Burg, where artist’s open their studio spaces for all to come and visit. On his inaugural studio opening, he shared work in “The Steps Shown” gallery. If you’re in Harrisburg n a third Friday, go see what work is currently cluttering his drawing desk while enjoying the 19th century stairwell gallery that, each month, will feature doodles, notes, studies, sketches, photos or other ephemera documenting an artist’s creative process. The studio is located on the third floor of 1320 N. Third St., Harrisburg, PA.
And, finally, for those of you who have brilliant picturebook ideas with no set plan on how to flesh them out, my friend and mentor, Pat Cummings is hosting her annual Children’s Book Boot Camp. For more details on how to apply, visit her here.
It’s looking to be a busy, busy summer!
Last week was senior portfolio week at MICA. By a strange stroke of luck, four of my SVA homies all ended up at MICA to participate. Though all of us didn’t get to see each other at the same time, it was great getting hugs in and catching up with everyone in small groups. Taeeun, Lauren (MICA graduate), and Nora reviewed portfolios and “The Bean” spoke to my advanced book illustration class. Here are a few pics…
Lauren and Tae spelling "hi" for the camera
We girls had a great time catching up over desert at Cafe Hon. I will spare you the sordid details of our little slumber party. When picturebook artists get together, there’s no telling what will happen! I’m still scraping paint off my ceiling 
Tae giving advice to Hannah (www.cargocollective.com/htrieb)
After saying farewell to Lauren I ushered Tae over to MICA for a day of portfolio reviews with our seniors. Tae is seen with Hannah Trieb here, you can see more of her work at www.cargocollective.com/htrieb. Hannah has also been my teaching assistant this semester for advanced book illustration. Here is one of her thesis pieces:
from "The Anti-Love Potion", written and illustrated by Hannah Trieb
After a day of portfolio reviews, we picked up Jonathan Bean. On Thursday, Jonathan spoke with my advanced book illustration class about his work as a college student, why he chose graduate school, his style evolution, and how he got published. It was so great to re-live those days at SVA and to see years of hard work pay off so greatly.
Jonathan guiding us down publication lane
we are all wowed
My lucky students had a chance to have their work seen and reviewed by Jonathan after his presentation. In the meantime, I had
watercolor demo
Here’s a quick watercolor demo I did for one of my students yesterday. As a professional, I tend to forget how much my students need to learn at this level. I am really having to think about every facet of making illustration and how to convey that clearly to a group. I am also spending a lot of time in my head remembering how it was for me as a 19 year old beginning in illustration who had no clue whatsoever what illustration was. I loved to draw and paint and tell stories, but didn’t understand how that related to my major. I didn’t understand how to begin an illustration and I definitely had no regard for developing a process for myself.
Knowing this about my own journey is really pushing me to think about how to help my students gain respect for the process. It’s important for me to explain why I am giving an assignment so that they can connect the dots when they are at home working on projects.
Yesterday after class, I spent about an hour and a half doing a quick watercolor demo in my office for one of my students. He was having a hard time understanding how one goes from thumbnail to finished drawing, to finished painting. At first I scratched my head in disbelief because the process is so common in my everyday working life, but remembering myself in college, I always traced from photographs on a projector (showing my age). I just didn’t understand that it was okay to draw on my own. I didn’t understand how to build a drawing from multiple pieces of reference and though my teachers told me to draw all of the time, I never really understood why it was so vital. I passed my classes, but not because I really grasped concepts of using reference and technique. I did what I thought my teacher wanted without thinking about “why” I made certain choices.
So, in class, I spend a lot of time asking my students “why” they make certain decisions in their work along with making them talk about their process. Reflecting on the last three weeks, I think I need to assign more homework that addresses the basics, like color, lighting, using reference, and drawing and painting technique. So far so good, but we have a long way to go.
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You’re a great teacher, S : ) (i want to join your class!)
Awwww, thanks L-Cast~