Here's a quick index of things I plan to be involved with this summer: artist/author talks, market events, and more. Click any of them to get directly to the description, or scroll down to follow the summer as it unfolds.
| Dover Library Exhibit | June 1
– 28 |
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| Portsmouth Market Square Day | June 9 |
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| Dover Library Talk | June 12 |
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| Wilmot Library Craft Class | June 22 |
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| New London Strawberry Festival | June 23 |
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| Stoddard Library Talk | July 18 |
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| Hanover Library Talk | July 23 |
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| Meredith Library Sketching Class | July 21 – August 18 |
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| New London Hospital Days | August 4 |
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| Concord Arts Market | September 8 |
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Here’s my plan for the busy summer of 2018. As the summer progresses I’ll add a brief description of how each event went, move the line of events yet to come farther down the page, and continue to update as new events appear on the calendar.
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A big part of this summer’s busy schedule involves showing my latest book at markets and other locations, and giving talks that describe some of the thoughts and techniques involved with creating the books and the associated artwork. Here’s my latest book. Click for link to Amazon.
This is the product of a year’s worth of walking the streets of Portsmouth, looking up, looking down, looking around, and capturing the charm of this fascinating place. As with my previous two books, it was published by Piscataqua Press of Portsmouth, an affiliate of the well established local shop RiverRun Bookstore on Daniel Street, just off of Market Square, operated by Tom Holbrook.
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The season began with Portsmouth’s annual Market Square Day on June 9th. The entire center of town was closed to traffic, filled with booths featuring art, craft, food, and lots more, and with the many thousands of people who came out to partake of the action. Tom set up two tents in front of his shop, and I had a table in one of them, highlighting both my Portsmouth book and my earlier book Colorful Journey, which features a drawing of every town in New Hampshire. Conversations with shoppers were fun, and business was brisk. A great time was had by all.
Look carefully and you can see my Portsmouth book, top and center in the shop’s window.
Look carefully and you can see my Portsmouth book, top and center in the shop’s window.
Two days later, many thousands of honeybees descended upon Market Square. We were thankful that they had delayed their visit.
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My first library appearance of the summer was at the Dover Public Library, not far from Portsmouth. It included an exhibition of paintings based on my earlier Portsmouth drawings, running through June 28th, plus an illustrated talk on June 12th titled:
Traveling with Sketchpad in Hand: New Hampshire and Beyond
A very attentive crowd of 15 people, both artists and travelers, came to the talk. One couple brought their copy of my New Hampshire book, complete with Post-It tabs noting the towns they had visited and the ones they had lined up to get to soon. The audience was very engaged throughout, and they especially enjoyed the opportunity to peruse my sketchbooks and to learn about and experiment with my various tools and materials.
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Wilmot, New Hampshire
Thursday, June 22, 6:00 – 8:00
Workshop
A Special Card for a Special Occasion
Designing and creating an accordion-fold card
A Special Card for a Special Occasion
Designing and creating an accordion-fold card
Link
On the Summer Solstice, 8 students and I met at the Joyce Tawney Creativity Lab, Wilmot Public Library, Wilmot, New Hampshire. We admired, sketched, and painted several colorful blooms onto our accordion-fold sketchbooks.
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On the Summer Solstice, 8 students and I met at the Joyce Tawney Creativity Lab, Wilmot Public Library, Wilmot, New Hampshire. We admired, sketched, and painted several colorful blooms onto our accordion-fold sketchbooks.
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On the Town Green
Saturday, June 23, 10:00 – 3:00
Selling books and notecards
Link
I got a space nicely situated in the center strip between two major pathways, so there was lots of traffic throughout the day.
A high point of the day was recognizing a group of ‘Barnies’, Acting Interns from our summer stock theater, the New London Barn Playhouse, and giving them my entire stock of cards containing images of the Barn. I ran out partway through but will soon make amends.
Books and Notecards on display. And a very tasty example of why they call this the Strawberry Festival. The locally grown berries were especially sweet!
The heavy rain appeared at 1, so we closed up shop. But it was a successful day by all measures.
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Davis Public Library
Stoddard, New Hampshire
Wednesday, July 18, 7:00 – 8:30
Traveling with Sketchpad in Hand: New Hampshire and Beyond
An illustrated talk, including a video of my appearance on New Hampshire Chronicle. Followed by an opportunity to peruse my sketchbooks and to learn about and experiment with my various tools and materials.
Link
Another first – a small town library, a nice summer evening, and nobody came to my talk. But the show must go on! The Library Director was indeed quite deeply interested in what I had to say, so she got a nice, personalized presentation and an opportunity to try out some of my drawing supplies. I responded to her interest with a gift copy of my Pep Talks book. Perhaps I do need a larger population (than 1200) to draw from. No pun intended.
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Link
Another first – a small town library, a nice summer evening, and nobody came to my talk. But the show must go on! The Library Director was indeed quite deeply interested in what I had to say, so she got a nice, personalized presentation and an opportunity to try out some of my drawing supplies. I responded to her interest with a gift copy of my Pep Talks book. Perhaps I do need a larger population (than 1200) to draw from. No pun intended.
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Meredith Public Library
Meredith, New Hampshire
Sketching Class: Drawing on Your Memories
A four-class program, Saturdays, July 21, 28, August 4, 18, 10:00 – 12:00
Four sessions, with the Library Director as one of the students. They worked hard, and they improved every week. I was proud of them.
Twice I found art books in the library to further demonstrate a point in the lesson. Once we toured the periodicals room, which boasts beautifully done etchings by a local citizen of the era 1900–1930s.
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Howe Public Library
Hanover, New Hampshire
Monday, July 23, 7:00 – 8:30
Traveling with Sketchpad in Hand: New Hampshire and Beyond
(As described above)
Link
The evening began with technical problems involving my PowerPoint presentation, but the library staff jumped right in and helped get things back on track. There was a very attentive audience, including artists of all ages. They really enjoyed experimenting with my tools and materials. Some children came who were ages maybe 8 or 10. Their mom bought them my book about motivation.
Dr. Jere Daniell, Dartmouth Professor Emeritus and my historical advisor in writing the text for my first book, was among those in attendance. It was great to see him again. He told me that I have a knack for sensing just what people want to know. Thanks, Jere.
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The evening began with technical problems involving my PowerPoint presentation, but the library staff jumped right in and helped get things back on track. There was a very attentive audience, including artists of all ages. They really enjoyed experimenting with my tools and materials. Some children came who were ages maybe 8 or 10. Their mom bought them my book about motivation.
Dr. Jere Daniell, Dartmouth Professor Emeritus and my historical advisor in writing the text for my first book, was among those in attendance. It was great to see him again. He told me that I have a knack for sensing just what people want to know. Thanks, Jere.
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New London Hospital Days Craft Fair
On the Town Green
Saturday, August 4, 9:00 – 3:00
Selling books and notecards
Saturday, August 4, 9:00 – 3:00
Selling books and notecards
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Yet to come!
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the summer. I’ll update each entry with impressions of the occasion after it takes place.
Concord Arts Market
Bicentennial Square, Concord, NH
Saturday, September 8, 9:00 – 3:00
Selling books and notecards
Link
It’s always fun to set up our table at the Concord Arts Market. A great location in our state’s capital city, a wonderful array of fellow exhibitors, and a great turnout of shoppers from all around the area.
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