Quimper in Stained Glass
Whenever I visit a new city, one of my favorite pastimes is photographing stained glass in every church and cathedral I can find. Not the usual, “this is a really big wall of glass and look at all the beautiful colors” photos, but photos of the intricate details that are easily missed when taking in the window as a whole. Why do I do this? Sometimes to find inspiration for my own illustrations. Sometimes because I love the stories the glass portraits tell. Sometimes because they make me laugh. And sometimes, simply because I like...
read more ->Peeking at Peaks in Py
The next stop on our European odyssey was Py, a tiny village1 in the Pyrenees. First, though, we had to get to France! After saying goodbye to our hosts in Girona, we hopped on the bus to Perpignan, on the French side of the mountains. The driver chatted away to me as he hauled our bags into the belly of the bus. (He quickly figured out that my command of Spanish is only slightly better than my command of North Baffin Inuktitut, and proceeded in French.)2 When I explained that I grew up in the US but currently live in Morocco, he immediately...
read more ->Creative Challenge: Picturing Prufrock
What’s that you say? The holiday season is in full swing and you need something stimulating to work on before you sink into a sick-of-cheesy-songs-in-the-supermarket, blinded-by-tacky-yard-decorations, chocolate-induced seasonal slump? Well then, it’s a good thing you’re reading my blog. Here’s your assignment: Choose an image from T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and illustrate it through art, audio, video, or any other creative medium. Paint a picture, put the words to music,...
read more ->Morocco, Weeks Seventeen Through Twenty-One
My last month was remarkably uneventful and, at times, crushingly boring. Work, work, and then–for good measure–some more work. The weather here has been gorgeous (sunny and warm nearly every day) but sometimes I go several days at a time without feeling the sun on my face for more than five minutes. I arrive at work just after sunrise, and often leave after dark. Go home, eat, fall asleep. Repeat. Haven’t written. Haven’t drawn. Haven’t picked up my mandolin. My camera has been sitting in a desk drawer for three...
read more ->Morocco, Weeks Fifteen and Sixteen
I’m combining weeks fifteen and sixteen into one post because the former was action-packed and full of new experiences, while the latter was uneventful and full of work. Any week that begins with Halloween is destined to go well.1 Sadly, Halloween is not a widely celebrated holiday in Morocco. Luckily for me, I work at an international school, which means I can go to work in costume and receive admiration and smiles instead of funny looks. So at precisely 7:30am, I was sitting in the library in a reasonably convincing gypsy costume,...
read more ->
Writer, illustrator, musician, rogue librarian, explorer, ill-fated baker.