SALLEY MAVOR

WEE FOLK STUDIO

snow delay

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Salley Mavor

This morning, I was all set to drive the artwork over to the Cape Cod Children’s Museum in Mashpee for the next installment of the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit. But, we’re having another snow storm, so I’m delaying the delivery until Thursday, when the storm should have passed through. I’ll probably deliver artwork to the Sandwich Library on Thursday as well. They have a nice display case where I’ll set up some originals from the book. If your library has a decent sized locked display case and you are within a 3 hr. drive of Cape Cod, please let me know.

loading the elevator at the Danforth

On Sunday, my husband Rob and I picked up all of the illustrations from the Danforth Museum, where the show has been for the past 3 months. The museum’s director, Katherine French and her staff were wonderful to work with we’re talking about my return to the museum with another show in a few years. Not book illustrations this time, but stand alone fabric relief artwork. Katherine wrote this lovely review of the show:

“The Danforth Museum of Art has been pleased to host an exhibition of original art created for Salley Mavor’s Pocketful of Posies. Even the most jaded parent, reluctantly pulled into the gallery by an eager child, finds themselves engaged by fiber art at the highest level. Created with traditional craft materials, the artist creates small sculptures that are completely charming, yet intricate and complex. The stories she tells are simple, but demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of composition and sculptural form. They are, quite simply, extraordinary. ”

Thanks, Danforth Museum! Here we are, all packed for the journey home. My Subaru Outback is just big enough to fit all of the frames.

Impromtu book signing on friday

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Book signing CANCELLED due to snow.

I’ll be up in the Boston area this friday, so the Danforth Museum asked if I’d like to come in for an hour to meet people and sign books. Everyone is invited to come to the museum in Framingham from 12 noon to 1:00 pm. My original illustrations from Pocketful of Posies are being exhibited an extra week, until Saturday, January 29th, so there’s more time to get to the show. I’d love to see some blog followers on friday!

detail from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

Also, Pocketful of Posies was named an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book of 2010. The ALA committee writes,”Familiar and lesser known nursery rhymes, illustrated with superb needlework and appliqué, create a charming dollhouse of a book.” Thank you to all of the wonderful librarians around the country who have taken notice of my book!

Martin Luther King day

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Salley Mavor

In honor of Martin Luther King, I’ve gathered some images from my children’s picture books.

from “In the Heart” 2001

from “You and Me: Poems of Friendship” 1997

detail from “In the Heart”, 2001

from “You and Me: Poems of Friendship” 1997

from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

from “In the Heart” 2001

from “Hey, Diddle, Diddle!” 2005

This post was inspired by the pictures of Mimi Kirchner’s beautiful dolls on her blog.

Also, the Pocketful of Posies exhibit at the Danforth Museum will be extended another week, until Sat., January 29th.

visit to Studio Goodwin Sturges

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I recently visited Studio Goodwin Sturges in their new location in Providence, RI. Judy Sue Goodwin-Sturges and I have known each other since I took her illustration classes at RISD in the mid 70’s. We’ve worked together on books since she started her studio in the 90’s. In addition to teaching, she represents a wonderful group of artists, some of whom are former students, and matches them up with publishers. Here she is in her studio office.

The studio moved from Boston to this window lit space in the back of her house. It’s located a few streets from where my mother grew up in Providence.

I saw a felt banner I made years ago displayed with some of the studio’s books. I didn’t know that they were involved with Puff the Magic Dragon and Judy Collins’ Over the Rainbow books. There’s a nice note from Peter Yarrow.

The Studio is a wonderful, supportive agency that has developed hundreds of children’s books.

One box filled room was full of books that Judy Sue moved from Boston. We combed through dozens of boxes until we found my books. She’s trying to down size, so she gave me most of what she had.

One of my early dolls was propped up on the center table at the studio. Her shoes and vest are made of leather.

It’s the same doll that I’m making in the photo below, which was taken by my roommate at RISD in 1976.

salley at RISD 1976

I also saw the framed pin display I made for Judy Sue sometime in the 80’s. This way she could see her collection. The custom-made cow may show my first use of bead udders.

: pin display, 1980’s

Visiting the new studio, with so many visible memories, makes me appreciate how much support I’ve received from Judy Sue to do what I love to do! I’ve written about how she encouraged me during my student years at RISD in earlier posts here. I love this picture of her with some of her former students, including Ashley Wolff and Holly Berry. Thanks Judy-Sue!

Judy-Sue (back), Salley, Ashley Wolff and Holly Berry, 1980's

Closeups (bags)

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Purse, handbag, satchel, luggage or sack— they are basically containers to carry loose things around. As a sculptural object, there are just a few requirements, including storage space, durability and ease of use. I don’t understand the craze over designer bags. From what I’ve seen, most aren’t very interesting and are kind of ugly. Clearly, the fashion world is a mystery!

This first purse is being clutched by a wrench hand in my found object piece, Walking the Dog, which can be seen here.

detail from “Walking the Dog” 2005

This little piggie going to market is from Pocketful of Posies. The string bag is made with a needle crochet technique that I figured out on my own. I’m not patient enough to follow directions to learn the proper way to crochet with a hook, so I just fool around with a needle and thread.

Here’s an old man clothed all in leather, from the illustration for the folk song “One Misty Moisty Morning”. This and all of the next closeups are from Pocketful of Posies. The photos are blown up to about twice their actual size.

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

detail from ‘Pocketful of Posies” 2010

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

Pocketful of Borders: back cover

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I always make book covers toward the end of a project. In the case of Pocketful of Posies, I’d already spent a couple of years on the book before I was ready to tackle the all important jacket design. See the front cover in an earlier post here. Whereas the front requires a title and by line, all the back really needs is space for a bar code.

sketch for "Pocketful of Posies" back cover

I decided to make a child inhabited landscape and neighborhood without a clear up or down. This way, I could set the scene for the book, going from general to more specific inside. Day and night would be separated diagonally.

Since the illustration already had a border of leaves, I just had to make a pattern (in red paper) and cut the felt into the wavy shape.

Then, I blanket stitched around the entire outside edge with pima cotton. I also signed and dated the bottom corners with chained stitched embroidery floss. This original illustration is part of the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit at the Danforth Museum in Framingham, MA, which will be on display through January 23rd.

back cover from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

patiently waiting for books

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Salley Mavor

“George’s Chair” fabric relief mid 1990’s

OK, here’s the situation— basically, my books, both Pocketful of Posies and Felt Wee Folk, are sold out. The publishers are out of stock, distributors have none and Amazon is out. They are both being re-printed, with shipments scheduled to arrive from mid to late January. This situation has only come up in the past week or two, so I think that most people were able to buy copies for Christmas. This is a new experience for me. After 20 years in the book business, I’m used to the opposite problem–getting a letter from the publisher saying my book is declared OOP (out of print) because there have not been enough sales to justify reprinting. So, I’m not complaining about reprints, it’s just that the timing is all off!

According to C&T Publishing, Michaels bought a large quantity of Felt Wee Folk, so they might have some. With their discount coupon, that can be a good deal! After 7 years and 50,000 copies sold, it’s nice to hear about people who are just discovering it. I know that I’m way overdue for another how-to book, but just can’t bring myself to take on such a big project right now. For one thing, I’m having too much fun with this blog!

If you’re trying to get a copy of Pocketful of Posies, some might still be in book stores scattered around the country. As I’ve mentioned before, my local book store, Eight Cousins stocked up ahead of time and has some signed copies available (508.548.5548).

If you already have my books, I hope that you can curl up in a comfy chair this cold January and enjoy them!

AMAZON UPDATE 1/9/11: Pocketful of Posies is now in stock, Felt Wee Folk is still unavailable. Update 11/13: Autographed copies are available in my Etsy Shop.

Close-ups (foliage)

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This series of close-ups shows the progression of my stitching technique and style over 20 years of illustrating children’s books. The first picture shows a detail of the banana trail that Savi the elephant follows through the jungle in The Way Home (1991). Read the story about making The Way Home here.

from "The Way Home" 1991

I made a stencil and painted grass on the velveteen background in The Way Home‘s sequel, Come to my Party (1993).

from "Come to My Party" 1993

Jump ahead a dozen years and I’m embroidering blades of grass and sewing glass beads to a wool felt background in the board book, Hey! Diddle, Diddle.

detail from "Hey! Diddle, Diddle" 2005

And still obsessing over french knots in Jack and Jill.

detail from "Jack and Jill" 2006

This one shows a small section of the illustration from the song One misty moisty morning in my most recent book, POCKETFUL OF POSIES . If you are having difficulty finding a copy of the book, it’s because the first printing has sold out. My local bookstore, Eight Cousins, stocked up, so they might still have some (508.548.5548). The situation will soon be remedied, as the second printing will arrive from Hong Kong in mid-January.

detail from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

Pocketful of Borders: Little Jack Horner

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner/Eating a Christmas pie/ He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum/ And said, “What a good boy am I.”

: Little Jack Horner from “Pocketful of Posies”

I made this illustration toward the end of the three-year Pocketful of Posies project. I was never happy with the original sketch and by the time I started working on it years later, had changed the design entirely. At first, Jack was sitting under a Christmas tree in an interior domestic scene. The next thing I knew, the wall had disappeared and Jack was half way inside and halfway out. He was still sitting with his pie, but he had let in the wintry outside. I never seem to be satisfied with a design, until nature bursts in.

After the artwork was photographed for the book, I stitched a felt border and framed the picture, which is now touring in the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit.

I like using variegated embroidery floss whenever possible. It adds a range of hues and a vibrancy that solid colored threads lack.

The snow on the roof top and in the sky is made from circular sections cut out of lace. Inside the driftwood house, the area behind Jack and the tree is textured with tiny stitches of different colored threads.

Little Jack Horner from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

Jakob and the ring around a roses book

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Last week I heard from a mother whose 2-year-old son has latched onto his copy of my new book something fierce. I’ve heard a lot of compliments from grownups, but the account of this little boy and the “ring around a roses book” made me feel tingly inside, like the whole project was worth it. His mother, Kitty Flynn writes, “At 26 months, Jakob can recite most of the rhymes from Pocketful of Posies. Not surprising, since he went on a Pocketful binge for a few weeks. That’s the only book he wanted to look at, the only book he wanted read to him.

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

“Baa Baa, Black Sheep” was the first one he regaled us with. (there were about 3 days straight when that’s pretty much all he said. Over and over. Really, Really fast).

Next was “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” delivered in his own cadence: “up above the world SO high/ Like a diamond in THE SKY.”

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

I’ve lost track of how many he knows. We hear them when he wakes, we hear him them when he’s falling asleep. We read the book during meals, he brings it with him for diaper changes (TMI? Sorry).

from “Pocketful of Posies”

I’ve found him a couple of times sitting quietly (you have no idea how bizarre it is to see him sitting quietly) looking intently at the book. He’ll look up and say, “Reading a book. This a good page.” And I have no doubt that the lightning fast recitations are being soaked up by his 13 month old sister, who is just beginning to say words. I want you to know that your collection has made a real and lasting impression on one language-loving little boy and his family. So, if anyone asks, why do we need another nursery rhyme book, just tell them to come talk to me.”

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

Jakob and his family live in the Boston area, so they are planning on visiting the Pocketful of Posies original art exhibit at the Danforth Museum in Framingham. I wish I could be there to see his reaction!

Book supply update: Pocketful of Posies has been selling so well that the publisher and all book distributors have sold out of the first printing. The new print run isn’t scheduled to arrive from Hong Kong until mid-January, so whatever supplies bookstores and online retailers have in stock is it for now. When I first heard about this, I thought about the Cabbage Patch doll craze in the 80’s and imagined customers fighting in stores for their copy of “Posies”! Luckily, my local bookstore, Eight Cousins, planned ahead and stocked up. There are some autographed copies still available at 508.548.5548.

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