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The things you find when you can't find what you're looking for!
I've been searching for a piece of art that I know I just saw not long ago, some little children's book piece that I want to make into a card. Can I find it? NO.
I'm nowhere near as organized as I thought I was, and its a little disturbing. So I am moving "GET ORGANIZED" to the front of my new year's 'to do' list.

Anyway.
In my digging around, I unearthed some old awards from when I was in art school.
I had to sit down.
These two are from my first couple of years at the Academy of Art, and both are signed by people who are no longer with us.



This one was for a funny 3D Bacchus with grapes paper sculpture I did for a first year design class. Its signed by Jon Morgan who was a brilliant and funny and gifted teacher and all around great person. We were all so shocked when he passed. And I wish I could find something online about him other than his obituary. He was a private kind of guy though, so maybe that's how he would have wanted it. He came to a Christmas party I had that year, and I was so honored that he deemed me, a lowly student, worthy.





And this is for some beginning illustration, and is signed by Barbara Bradley. I have a few others signed by her from the year I graduated, but they're all faded and barely readable (Barbara, why didn't you use a better pen?). I've blogged about Barbara before, so I'll spare you going on and on again.

For a long time, when these were all new, I had them framed and proudly hanging on my wall. At some point I took them down and stuffed them in a file folder along with other sundry awards for things along the way. Its trippy how immediately I was transported back to the Academy and that time, and how I can remember exact details about the art displays, my parents being there, etc. Like it was yesterday.

Whew! Time warp!
Anyway, just had to share.

Now I have to go back to sorting, and looking for that silly illustration. Its driving me cRaZy.

I write this post with tremendous sadness.

Barbara Bradley, the wonderfully gifted illustrator and long-time director of the Illustration Department of the Academy of Art in San Francisco died this weekend, tragically, from injuries sustained in a terrible car accident.

Barbara literally taught me how to draw. I took all her classes at the Academy back in the 80's, and had the pleasure of booking models for her drawing classes as part of my duties as a Work Study student (as well as making her coffee, running errands, and trying to hang the Spring Show to her exacting standards).


From the Academy of Art website:

Following her education at the University of California at Berkeley and at Art Center, Barbara Bradley (then known as Barbara Briggs) spent the first years of her professional life in illustration at Charles E. Cooper Studios in New York. After returning to the San Francisco Bay Area, she freelanced, winning many national awards in illustration. She also began teaching at the Academy, becoming Director of Illustration, a position she held for twenty-five years until her semi-retirement.

For her work at the Academy, she was named "Outstanding Vocational Educator" by the College Career Association in 1992. She has taught drawing workshops in London, at Pixar, and at Disney Animation Studios in Burbank and Orlando. Today, Mrs. Bradley is a consultant at the Academy of Art University, where she also teaches her favorite subjects - drawing expressive people, characters, and children. Her work is in several private collections, corporate offices, the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, and the Permanent Collection of the US Air Force.

You can read more about her and see her work here:
Thank you Barbara Bradley
Today's Inspiration: Queen of the Perkies and Cutes

She wrote a wonderful book about Clothed Figure Drawing which is the method we all learned first hand from her, and which is still passed down by her followers.

I vividly remember the very first time I saw her. It was my first summer at the Academy (1982). It was orientation day, which was held in Bradley Hall (which she claimed was not named after her, but I always wondered.) About 20 of us fresh illustrator wannabes were sitting in folding chairs, and in walks Barbara. She got up on the stage and said "You're all here because you love to draw." And I thought yes.

There followed 4 solid years of memories. Her blue smock. The clip clop of her shoes as she walked around the room behind us in drawing class. The way she'd stop behind your drawing easel and watch you for a minute, then make a comment like "Are you seeing well?" or "May I sit down?" and she'd take your charcoal and magically fix your drawing. The way she taught us about having "opinion" and tried to impart how to "get the ease" (which I did finally get, but it took a few years).

The past couple of years I exchanged Christmas cards and notes with her, and will now cherish a special extra note she wrote me about my work, which meant more to me than any praise from anyone on earth, ever.

She was a friend, mentor, teacher, and inspiration.
I will miss you Barbara.

Eric and I had the good fortune to go to the Keene State College Children’s Literature Festival last weekend. A little rain didn’t interfere with the amazing lineup of speakers!

Dr. David White is the enthusiatic organizer and MC of the event.

First up was author-illustrator Kathy Mallat.
Kathy had the daunting task of stepping inas a conference speaker at the last minute, and she really rose to the occasion! Her artwork and stories are sweet and right on target for the youngest audiences. I was particularly interested in how she starts with lots of words, then pares them down to the essence of what needs to be said in the book, and what can be “said” in the pictures. I know what that’s like, and it’s not easy! My own upcoming book has 50 words in it, but it started with plenty more!

Kathy and some of her charming books!

Michael Dooling is a writer and illustrator who really likes to get into his characters!

He works in oil paint, and even painted in front of us all. He owns a collection of costumes that he uses for reference in his highly accurate but accesible work. (more…)