An Artist By Surprise: A Guest Post by Barbara Younger

 

I have a special treat for you today. My friend, Barbara Younger, is taking over my blog and I am proud to be showcasing her art. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom. There is a fantastic giveaway!

 

    Bee in Her Kingdom

I always wanted to be an artist. What fun to live your days swirling colors across a canvas. But since I can’t draw, and I’m good with words and stories, I spent my professional years as a librarian and then a writer and teacher. On a lark a few years ago, I took an acrylic painting class. The color swirling began!

Fruit in the Kitchen Bowl

Just for kicks, I posted some of my paintings on Facebook. I was astounded when a friend wanted to buy one. At first, I thought he was teasing. Another friend commissioned three paintings for her child therapy practice.  Another asked me to contribute paintings to a local charity auction. I sent my crazy sun to CBS Sunday Morning, and they accepted it. I was an artist by surprise.

Estrella, Happy Under the Peruvian Stars

As a writer, I know that character is everything. The story begins there. And so, when I paint, I think about the personalities of my subjects and the challenges they face. I give each painting a title that hints at the adventures to come. Here are “Ms. Bear Moves into the Oval Office” and “Penny Waits at the Station.” I always hope the beholder will imagine the rest of the story.

Ms. Bear Moves Into The Oval Office

Penny Waits at the Station

In 2019, our local historical museum commissioned my work for their upcoming antique toy exhibit. I named my collection of fourteen paintings “Toys Escaping.” Jama Kim Rattigan featured my series on Jama’s Alphabet Soup, which was a great moment for this new artist (scroll down to read the story).

    Snuggle Bunny Escapes the Nursery

At art shows and sales, kids rush over to see my paintings. Grownups like them too, especially those who collect whimsical art or folk art. I’ve now sold over 165 paintings. I’m honored to be represented at Margaret Lane Gallery in my hometown of Hillsborough, North Carolina.

I love taking on commissions. I listen carefully to understand what the person wants, and then give it my best spin. My friend Stephanie asked for a portrait of her family, each member disguised as their favorite animal.

The Animals Set Sail

I price my paintings modestly because I want my art to be affordable. I’ve donated a collection of paintings to Turtle Central, the gift shop of the Bald Head Island Conservancy. All profits go to the environmental work of the conservancy, especially the protection of sea turtles.

    Lucy Adds to Her Golf Ball Collection

This summer, I received enthusiastic comments from art editors through a course I took with the Children’s Book Academy. We’ll see if I have a career as an illustrator in my future. For now, I’m happy and still quite shocked to be an artist by surprise.

  
On the porch of Margaret Lane Gallery
Barbara is holding
"Duck Sells the Farm and Joins a Band"
photo credit David Knox

Barbara Younger is the author of twenty books for kids and adults and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She sells her whimsical acrylics through art shows, galleries and shops, and her online presence. She lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with her husband Cliff.

Thanks to Carol for highlighting the work of so many wonderful illustrators and for letting me have this space to share mine. You can see more of my paintings at BarbaraKYounger.com. Connect with me on Facebook here and follow me on Instagram here. Please email me with any questions at BKYounger@gmail.com.

GIVEAWAY 

Barbara is giving away her painting, “Bee in Her Kingdom” (10" by 10")! To enter, leave me a comment by 6 PM on February 19. MAKE SURE you leave me your email address if you are new to my blog. For an extra chance, please share this on social media. Let me know what you do. 

 

 

Robert Bateman: The Boy Who Painted Nature- A Review and Giveaway

Congratulations to Clara Gillow Clark who won Finding Home: My Arc-O-Biography on last week's blog.

Note: In the next two weeks I'm going to try and post extra book giveaways so you have a chance to win a holiday gift for someone special. 

REVIEW

When I saw on Margriet Ruurs Facebook page that she had a new book coming out, I knew I wanted to share it with all of you. 
Robert Bateman: The Boy Who Painted Nature, (Orca Books, 2018) is a wonderful tribute to one of Canada's most famous artists. Both the text and illustrations are beautiful; I had a hard time selecting which illustrations to accompany this blog. Hopefully the pictures and short snippets of text will pique your interest; the animals I've named in the review are accompanied by magnificent illustrations.

From a youth, Mr. Bateman loved the outdoors and was "in awe of nature." He investigated fields and animals; birds and plants.

"In school he spent a lot of time staring out the window. He dreamed of traveling so he could see more wildlife, from whales to wrens."

Not only did Mr. Bateman "paint the shapes and patterns of the world around him," but he also carved wooden birds and noticed "details of feathers and form."

Owls, penguins, polar bears, and lions in their habitats. 

Towards the end of the book, there is a lovely illustration of Mr. Bateman walking through a field with his grandchildren. The text reads: 

Now Robert walks the forest with his grandchildren. He shows them the shape of a leaf, the texture of bark. He tells them to pay attention to the details of nature around them.

Robert Bateman: The Boy Who Painted Nature will be enjoyed by grandparents, parents, K-3 teachers, and of course--young readers themselves. Hopefully the text and illustrations will encourage our next generation to appreciate nature as Mr. Bateman did as a child. 

GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment by December 12 with your email address if you are new to my blog. For an extra chance to win, share this on social media (please let me know what you did) and I'll put your name in the hat twice. 

Two Nature Picture Books and Two Giveaways!

Congratulations to Jan Brent for winning the ARC of Jo Hackl's debut novel, SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MAYBE.

********

NATURE'S FRIEND: The Gwen Frostic Story

Like myself, you might not have heard of Gwen Frostic, a 20th century Michigan artist. Author Lindsey McDivitt and illustrator Eileen Ryan Ewen have produced a beautiful tribute to a woman who would not allow her physical disabilities to keep her from the art she loved (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018). 

As a baby, Gwen contracted a disease similar to cerebral palsy. Although it left her with slurred speech and she frequently fell down, she worked her hands extra hard just to learn how to write. "She sketched and scribbled. She doodled and drew. Gwen's grip grew stronger and stronger."

Throughout her childhood, "Nature felt like a friend, pulling her out to play." In high school she signed up for mechanical drawing--"learning to use rulers and compasses to draw machines--and the men squawked like angry blue jays." 

In art school Gwen discovered how to make prints from blocks she carved out of linoleum. Eventually she launched Presscraft Papers stationary company which is still in business today. Drawn to the outdoors, she relocated to Lake Michigan's Betsie Bay so she could capture nature in her artwork.  

Nature's Friend is a lovely tribute to a woman who once said, "Love this earth, love its waters...care enough to keep it clear." 

AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOTH

In another lovely nature picture book, Author Karlin Gray and illustrator Steliyana Doneva, team up to bring young readers a story in rhyme celebrating an ordinary moth (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018). 

Although the moth feels like it's not as massive as an Atlas moth, as beautiful as a butterfly, or as graceful as a Luna Moth, a young boy is delighted when he finds it:

"A moth! A moth!"

a boy then screams.

He's running up to me.

I freeze and blend in with the wall.

Maybe he won't see.

But when his twinkling eyes shine bright...

his smile grows wide with pure delight...

His happy face is such a sight...

I move forward toward his joyful light. 

I enjoyed the moth's "metamorphoses" at the end -- not into another insect-- but rather into an appreciation of itself. This last poem reminds me of Miriam Franklin's debut novel, EXTRAORDINARY.  

So how 'bout that?!

I'm someone's FAVORITE!

Little, grayish me--

proof of how

EXTRAORDINARY

Ordinary can be.

GIVEAWAYS

I am giving away these books, both excellent curriculum supplements with activities included, through the summer issue of Talking Story on "The Great Outdoors."  Leave me a comment here (including your preference) and I'll add your name to the list. Leave a comment through Talking Story and your name will go in twice. Don't forget to leave your email address if you are new to my blog. Giveaway ends July 23. 

AND JUST BECAUSE...

Since to my knowledge a book that I've featured has never been on a billboard before, I have to share this picture that I grabbed from Eileen Ryan Ewen's Facebook page!