Visual Storytelling

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Salley Mavor

This summer, while organizing and hanging my retrospective exhibit at the Falmouth Art Center (Aug. 1- 31), I’ve thought about children’s picture books and reflected on the wonderful opportunity they present to visual artists. The story book structure provides a unique opening to the imagination, with both writers and artists doing their part in interpreting and articulating the human experience and making it into something tangible and accessible.

It’s a great responsibility to connect with children through picture books and create their first introduction to art. I want to show the reader something they can care about and attach to. Adults call attention to my labor-intensive and inventive approach to illustrating; children respond directly to the emotional gestalt of a story with pictures. I try to keep that in mind while I stitch and stitch, translating the images in my head into something real.

On Tuesday, August 15th at 7:00 pm, I will participate in the presentation ~ Meet Our Local Picture Book Creators at the Cataumet Schoolhouse , Cataumet, MA. The writer/illustrator team of Jim & Deb Bowen will also talk about their work.

For those of you from far away, I’ve taken some short video tours of my exhibit, Salley Mavor: 25 Years of Picture Books. More videos are at the end of this post. Reflections on the glass make it a challenge to photograph the framed artwork, but I think the videos help give a sense of the show.

VISUAL STORYTELLING
Lately, I’ve been describing myself as a visual storyteller because the term “illustrator” just doesn’t seem to fit anymore and adequately encompass what I do. All of my work is narrative, but not necessarily illustration. And as for terms to describe how I make things — I don’t even try to define it anymore. I make picture books, how-to books and stand alone fabric relief pieces like Displaced. There are also fairy houses, wee folk dolls and sculpture. This past year, political satire and stop-motion animation from the Wee Folk Players – They’re a Stitch were added to the mix. By the way, if you’re missing the Players, they are busy filming on location in the basement. My husband Rob and I are making progress with the animation and have made about 2 minutes into a 10 minute movie.

NEW BOOK
After taking 3 years to complete Pocketful of Posies (2010), I needed a break from the all consuming process of making a book, so I could be free to develop other ideas that have been tugging at me for a long time. I’m glad I spent the last few years experimenting with new subjects, but I’m happy to say that the picture book bug has returned. It’s too early to say much about the new project, but I can tell you that it’s about beds, has an international theme and will be published by HoughtonMifflin in 2020. I’m not sure how much if anything I can show, because this is the first time I’ve worked on a book while also keeping up a blog about my artwork. I figure it’s OK to show details of the process, but not the whole pieces. So, if you want a more frequent inside glimpse, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Here are a group of detail shots I took of some fabric relief originals in the show, while cleaning the frames and glass.

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a backwards glance

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Salley Mavor

Last year, it occurred to me that it’s been 25 years since my first children’s book, The Way Home was published. Reaching the quarter century mark seemed like a good excuse to gather a representational selection of original illustrations from my 10 books and display them together. So, I’ve been cleaning glass and spiffing up a number of framed pieces to show. Some of the illustrations are on loan from private collectors, some are ones I’ve kept and others will be for sale.

“The Way Home”

Come to My Party

“May Had a Little Lamb”

You and Me: Poems of Friendship

In the Heart

Hollyhock Wall

Jack and Jill

Wee Willie Winkie

Hey Diddle Diddle

Pocketful of Posies

The exhibit, Salley Mavor: 25 Years of Picture Books, will be on display August 1 – 31, 2017 at the Falmouth Art Center, in their upstairs gallery. The opening reception is Friday, August 4th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the first copies of The Way Home arrived in the mail. I remember bringing the book in to read to my son Ian’s kindergarten class. He claimed a spot on my lap, not sure if he liked the idea of sharing me with the other children. No sooner had I held up the book and started reading the opening lines, than he reached up and covered my mouth with his tiny hand. Usually quiet and undemanding, he sure knew how to get his point across! Fast forward to now — Ian is a talented artist in his own right, who will be working toward a Master’s degree in painting this fall. Here we are in 1991, setting up for the book party at the Woods Hole Library.

setting up for the book party, 1991

The retrospective exhibit at the Falmouth Art Center will include original fabric relief illustrations from the following list of titles. For reference, a copy of each book will be available to look at in the gallery. If you make a trip to Falmouth (on Cape Cod) to see the show, make sure to visit our wonderful book store, Eight Cousins, which has autographed copies of Pocketful of Posies and In the Heart. And while you’re in town, don’t miss the Storybook Fairy Houses Exhibit at Highfield Hall and the Fairy Family Raffle.

POCKETFUL OF POSIES: A TREASURY OF NURSERY RHYMES published by HoughtonMifflin, 2010, ISBN 978-0-618-73740-6, Order autographed copy from my Etsy shop. A complimentary copy of In the Heart is included with purchase.

WEE WILLIE WINKIE Board book published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006, ISBN 0-618-49640-8, Out of print.

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE! Board book published by Houghton Mifflin 2005, ISBN 0-618-49638-6, Out of print.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, Board book published by Houghton Mifflin 2005, ISBN 0-618-49637-8. Out of print.

JACK AND JILL, Out of print, Board book published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006, ISBN 0-618-49639-4. Out of print.

IN THE HEART written by Ann Turner, artwork by Salley Mavor, published by HarperCollins in 2001, ISBN 0-06-023730-9, Hardcover edition, out of print, Order autographed copies from Etsy Shop

THE HOLLYHOCK WALL, Out of Print, written by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Salley Mavor, Hardcover edition published by Candlewick Press in 1999, ISBN 1-56402-902-6, Paperback edition published by Walker Books in 2000, ISBN 0-7445-7732-2.

YOU AND ME: POEMS OF FRIENDSHIP, Out of print, published by Orchard Books in 1997, ISBN 0-531-30045-5 Hardcover edition

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, Out of print, published by Orchard Books in 1995, ISBN 0-531-06875-7 Hardcover edition, ISBN 0-531-07165-0 Paperback edition.

COME TO MY PARTY, Out of Print, Published by MacMillan in 1993, ISBN 0-02-776147-9 Hardcover edition

THE WAY HOME, Out of print, published by MacMillan in 1991, ISBN 0-370-31 645-2 Hardcover edition, ISBN 0-689-71790-3 Aladdin Paperback edition, Read the 5-part story about making The Way Home here.

Fairy Family Raffle

Posted on June 25, 2017 by Salley Mavor

The Fairies have persevered through our winter of discontent and are resilient enough to come out of hiding this summer. A family of 5 will appear on Cape Cod during the Storybook Fairy Houses display at Highfield Hall and Gardens, June 25 – Sept. 4, 2017. And by the end of summer they will go to live with the lucky winner of the FAIRY FAMILY RAFFLE. I do not normally sell one-of-a-kind dolls, so this is a rare opportunity to have a unique set of your own. Tickets ($5.00) may be purchased online here. After the winner is picked on Sept. 4th, the Fairies will fly to their new home anywhere in the world!

The winged and festively dressed family, which includes Mother, Father, brother, sister and baby have been patiently awaiting today’s coming out announcement. Knowing that things would get busy in the studio, I made the doll family way ahead of this year’s Fairy House exhibit. Needless to say, it’s been a whirlwind of a time, so I’m sure glad that they were finished about a year ago. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit Highfield Hall and Gardens.

This year’s family is similar to the one I made 2 years ago for the last Fairy House Exhibit in 2015, which you can see here. Patterns and directions to make the dolls are in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

Fairy houses have become an eagerly anticipated tradition at Highfield Hall and this year’s exhibit should be just as unique and varied as the previous displays. I had the pleasure of organizing and curating the first two exhibits in 2013 and 2015, with the understanding that those responsibilities would be passed on once the idea had been sufficiently launched.

Since I couldn’t spare a month to make a new house for this year’s exhibit, Grate Hall will be back for a second viewing, this time inside the museum. See the process of making it here.

This year’s exhibit, Storybook Fairy Houses is curated by museum staff. 25 builders chose a favorite children’s book that inspired their creation. I picked The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

As a child, I devoured The Borrowers series, with its tales of little people living by their wits under the floor boards. I can still remember the book’s descriptions of making a bed out of a discarded match box and fashioning tables and chairs from wooden spools. The whole premise sparked my imagination then and still feeds into just about everything I make today, from my work in children’s book illustration to the creation of my wee folk world.

My fairy house, Grate Hall uses the same concept of reusing household items to make and furnish a small scale shelter. The cheese graters and whisk were saved when cleaning out a departed relative’s kitchen supplies and the single glove was found in a box of my grandmother’s lace memorabilia. Other parts include old door knob plates and a chandelier crystal. The overall structure is held together with wire that is covered with pieces of felt. Branches pruned from blueberry bushes cover the roof and the door is decorated with carved bone charms. Using found objects is like editing a poem — it’s always challenging to decide what to include and what to leave out. Many very cool items were rejected in the process and they will just have to wait for another opportunity to shine.

To keep up with new posts, please subscribe to this blog (top right column on the home page). Your contact info will not be sold or shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram

Displaced going to Utah

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Salley Mavor

Displaced, 24″ H x 22″ W, 2016

I am pleased to announce that my piece Displaced will be one of a variety of art quilts, fabric collages and embroideries in a national juried art quilt exhibition at the Southern Utah Museum of Art. The show, Pathfinders: New Territories will by on display June 30 – August 26, 2017

I have been touched by the heartfelt reaction to Displaced, which was first shared in photos and exhibits last year. Even though my piece is inspired by current world events, it could very well represent the universal and timeless plight of refugees throughout history. When I saw the show’s title, Pathfinders: New Territories listed in a call for entry, I knew I had to enter Displaced. The theme description on their prospectus defined pathfinders as any person, group, or idea that is visionary in nature and blazes new ground.

I hope that some of you will have the opportunity to see the show and view the piece in person this summer. To get a behind the scenes glimpse about making Displaced, please see this previous post.

18 x 24 Posters of Displaced are available from my Etsy Shop here.

Poster – Displaced

Hanging by a Thread exhibit

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Salley Mavor

This month, Hanging by a Thread: Needle Art of Salley Mavor will be shown at Gallery 65 on William in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The owner, Nicole St. Pierre has graciously agreed to hang five large pieces in her gallery’s changing exhibit space. The show will be there until April 1st, 2017. Gallery open hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 – 5:00.

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 9th, 5:00 to 8:00 pm, during New Bedford’s monthly AHA! Night. This month’s theme is “All Sewn Up”, a celebration of the city’s rich textile history, as well as its current day love affair with the textile medium. The streets and venues of downtown New Bedford will be alive from 5 to 9pm with performances, art exhibits, lectures, and much more.

The following works will be shown: (click on title to find out about each piece) Face Time, Whiskers, Cover Up, Birds of Beebe Woods and Displaced.

: Face Time

: Whiskers

: Cover Up

: Displaced, 24″ H x 22″ W, 2016

If you’re in the neighborhood, you can also take in the Excellence in Fibers exhibit, which is at the New Bedford Museum of Art until March 19th.

Studio news

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Salley Mavor

As the busy fall gets underway, I thought I’d point out some upcoming events and remind you about shows and other opportunities to see my original artwork, meet me in person and take a chance to win a wee folk family.

Please note: My Etsy Shop will be closed for a bit and reopened in time for holiday shopping on Nov. 8th, 2016.

There is only one more week to see…
Intertwined – Needle Art of Salley Mavor ~ The exhibit includes several new pieces, including Displaced and Self Portrait – A Personal History of Fashion (images below). The last day of the show is Sunday, Oct. 30th. Museum Hours – Thursday – Sunday, 1-4 pm
Bristol Art Museum – 10 Wardwell Street / Corner of Hope Street | Bristol | RI.

I was delighted to get this message from Kate Percival, who was visiting New England from the UK. “Saw the show yesterday, an absolute delight. Thank you. My husband was so impressed, he said he now realised why I wanted to do a detour from our holiday route to see it. He also bought a Birds poster, he loved it so much.”

Displaced, 24″ H x 22″ W, 2016

BOOK SIGNING
Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 at 2:00 pm ~
I will talk about my artwork and sign books at A Children’s Place, Portland, Oregon. Polly and her wee folk friends will be there, too!

POSIES TREE and BIRDS OF BEEBE WOODS
Nov. 25 – Dec. 4, 2016 ~ Birds of Beebe Woods and A Pocketful of Posies themed tree decorated with ornaments made by Salley will be on display during Holidays at Highfield at Highfield Hall and Gardens, Falmouth, MA.

Pocketful of Posies 2010

Pocketful of Posies tree

FROST FAMILY RAFFLE
Mom, Dad, brother, sister and baby Frost are doll-house sized, from 4.5” to 2.5”, with hand embroidered wool felt outfits and acorn capped painted wooden heads. The Frost family will be raffled to benefit the Waldorf School of Cape Cod, where they are on display until the raffle drawing, which will be during the school’s popular Holiday Faire on Sat., Nov. 19th. The raffle is open to all world-wide and the prize will be sent to the winner. Raffle tickets may be purchased online here. Good Luck!

Exhibits and book signings this fall

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Salley Mavor

The next few months are shaping up to be a busy, so I thought I’d give an update of events happening this fall. Coming right up, on Friday, Sept. 16th, is the opening for Intertwined: Needle Art of Salley Mavor at the Bristol Art Museum. Then, there will be a couple of book-signings in New England, one at the Osterville Village Library and the other at RISD in Providence (details listed below). And then, I ‘ll be on the west coast! Oct. 30th at 2:00 PM, in Portland, Oregon at A Children’s Place. I hope to meet many of you in person at these events!
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Bristol Art Museum Presents
Three SOLO Exhibits
September 16 – October 30 | 2016

The Catacombs | Thomas Lyons Mills
Mythical Beings | Ellen Blomgren
Intertwined: Needle Art of Salley Mavor ~ The exhibit will show several new pieces, including Displaced.

Opening Reception: Friday September 16th | 6:30-8:30pm
Bristol Art Museum – 10 Wardwell Street / Corner of Hope Street | Bristol | RI
Regular Museum Hours – Thursday – Sunday | 1-4pm

Detail from “Displaced” 2016

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Until Jan 8, 2017 ~ Salley Mavor’s artwork is in the Geometry Gallery display case at Providence Children’s Museum, Providence, RI. Selected wee folk dolls, houses and props from Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures, plus 2 original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies are on display.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BOOK SIGNINGS

Sat., Oct. 1, 2016 at 11:00 am ~ Salley Mavor will participate in the Author Panel and Book Signing, Children’s Fall Festival Osterville Village Library, Osterville, MA

Sat., Oct. 8, 2016 at 2:00 pm ~ RISD READS: Children’s Book Reading and Signing – Rhode Island School of Design, ISB Gallery, 1 Washington Place, Providence, RI. RISD alums Salley Mavor ’78, Stuart Murphy ’64 and Juana Medina ’10 will talk briefly and sign copies of their books.

Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 at 2:00 pm ~ Salley Mavor will talk briefly about her artwork and sign books at A Children’s Place, Portland, Oregon.

The ups and downs of exhibiting your work

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Let’s be honest. Finding places to exhibit your work can be challenging and frustrating. I’ve been entering juried group shows for decades and still wonder if it’s worth the hefty jury fees, the shipping costs, the steep odds of being accepted, and having to hold artwork in reserve until the results come in. And they usually only want new work, so your pieces time out after 3 years. I’m not talking about art and craft fairs where you set up a booth, but art exhibits hung in a gallery space. I ask myself, “Is this a worthwhile way to promote my work and participate in the art world?” Despite my doubts, I keep trying, even though my pieces are not accepted into the majority of shows I enter. One happy exception this summer is Fiber Innovations II at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center, in Colorado, which includes Face Time.

Face Time

Whiskers

Cover Up

illustration from “Pocketful of Posies”

Self Portrait: a personal history of fashion, 2007

I got the idea to write about this subject after talking with an art quilter at a recent SAQA opening, who was surprised when I told her that my work didn’t get into the show. I wasn’t complaining, just trying to explain the reality of the situation. I realized that only sharing positive news on this blog may give the impression that it’s always a smooth path forward. Continually painting a rosy picture can be deceiving, as well as annoying, and may not be helpful of those of you who also face rejection of your work.

Leading the life of an artist is full of struggles, both personally and professionally, and I’ve had my fair share. When you put your art out there to be judged, it isn’t always admired, no matter how established you are. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that what I do doesn’t easily mesh with what jurors and curators are looking for. It must not be easy to curate a cohesive grouping of pieces by different artists, especially with the variety of styles and methods in the fiber art world. Each juror has their own tastes and vision, which should be respected. If they’re attracted to more abstract, conceptual or edgy work, I’m out in the first round. I can also imagine there being a problem if dolls give them the creeps or they don’t like work that’s framed under glass. There’s no way of really knowing because there’s no feedback, just a simple “accepted” or “rejected”.

And you can’t always tell by the show’s prospectus, guidelines, and juror bios if your work has a decent chance of getting in. You just use your instincts to pick the shows, submit your highest quality photos, fill in all of the requested info and hope for the best. One good thing is that most juried shows are blind, so that everyone’s work is judged without bias toward or against an artist’s name. So, we’re all given an equal chance to have our work seen by a wider audience. Even though I’m very comfortable being an outsider, I plan to continue applying to juried group shows because I want to influence and contribute to today’s seemingly impenetrable and illusive art world as much as I can.

Despite all of this grumbling, there is some good news on the exhibit front. I’ve been invited to show my work at a few places (listed below), so I’m happy to say that there are opportunities to see my pieces in person this summer and fall. There may even be some more juried shows this coming fall and winter to add to the exhibits page!

Displaced, 24″ H x 22″ W, 2016

In a productive year, I can make 2 large (24″ x 30″) pieces, so it takes several years to accumulate enough work to hang together in a solo show. That’s why I’ve held off selling my new pieces. I just finished Displaced (shown above), which will have its premiere showing at the Bristol Art Museum in Rhode Island this fall.

So, how do I continue supporting the work I do, without selling new pieces? I depend on sales of printed reproductions in books, posters and cards to subsidize the costs associated with making and showing the originals. Shipping the framed pieces can be expensive, so I request reimbursement from hosting venues whenever possible. Of course, I can deliver the work by car to places in southern New England. I hope to exhibit these new pieces in other locations in the future, so that more people can see the real thing. Lately, I’m more focused on making new work than the promotional side of things, like sending out show proposals, but inquiries from museums and art centers with funding for shipping costs are always welcome!

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June 2, 2016 – Jan 8, 2017 ~ Selected wee folk dolls, houses and props, plus 2 original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies are being shown in the Geometry Gallery display case at the Providence Children’s Museum, Providence, RI.

Illustration from “Pocketful of Posies”

Felt Wee Folk

Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe from “pocketful of Posies”

June 2 – July 10, 2016 ~ Fiber Innovations II at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center, Parker, CO. Face Time is included. Fiber Innovations II is a fiber arts show that focuses on surface design. Material options are varied and part of the adventure! How these materials are used and the forms that are created are part of each artist’s inspired design process.

June 6 – August 5, 2016 ~ Shaping Lives: The Transformative Art of the Figure at the Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. The exhibit focuses on the doll’s unique form or figure. It features artists that use this art form to create a visual voice – to tell a story, initiate a debate, make a statement or simply carry a message that helps educate, empower and/or change the life of another. 3 of my pieces, Whiskers, Cover Up and Molly My Sister and I (from Pocketful of Posies) are included.

Sept. 16 – Oct. 30, 2016 ~ Intertwined – Needle Art of Salley Mavor
Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, Rhode Island. Several new pieces will be shown, including Whiskers, Cover Up, Face Time, Birds of Beebe Woods and the premiere showing of Displaced .

Feb. 28 ~ April 1, 2017 ~ Hanging by a Thread – Needle Art of Salley Mavor at Gallery 65 on William, New Bedford, Massachusetts. New and old pieces will be shown.

display at the Providence Children’s Museum

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Salley Mavor

I had the pleasure of going to the Providence Children’s Museum last week to set up some of my artwork in their Geometry Gallery display case. This section of the museum explores spatial thinking and has a number of hands-on play and learning experiences. The display case shows a changing exhibit of 3-dimensional creations loaned by different artists. The museum staff couldn’t have been more welcoming! We’re all anticipating that the glass will have to be cleaned frequently because of finger and nose prints left by inquiring little (and big) ones!

I brought 2 original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies and a whole bunch of wee folk characters from Felt Wee Folk, as well as houses and other props from my collection that I talk about in still playing with dolls. The items will be there for 6 months, until January 8, 2017. I hope that some of you will have a chance to visit. FYI – An exhibit of new fabric relief pieces will also be shown nearby in Bristol, RI, Sept. 16 – Oct. 30, 2016 ~ Intertwined – Needle Art of Salley Mavor at the Bristol Art Museum.

Posies originals for sale

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Pocketful of Posies 2010

Just a reminder that the last day to catch the Pocketful of Posies exhibit at the Upcountry History Museum – Furman University in Greenville, SC is Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. As I’ve mentioned before, this is the last stop on the tour and it’s gratifying to hear from many of you who’ve gone out of your way to see the show. My goal was to offer the opportunity to see my original work and I’m happy that has happened in so many locations! No matter how excellent the printed reproductions, seeing the real 3d art is a different experience than looking at the pages of the book. Sometimes I wish the exhibit would continue, but my instincts say it’s time to wind down the project and move onto the next creative endeavor.

During the 5+ years since the book was published, I haven’t actively promoted sales of the original illustrations, since I wanted the collection to stay intact for the traveling exhibit. Over the last 2 years years, the size of the exhibit has reduced, as buyers have purchased about half of the pieces. Many people saw the book and contacted me, purchasing pieces without seeing the originals. Other buyers saw the exhibit and wanted to have one of their own. Now that the remaining artwork will soon be shipped home from South Carolina, it’s time to announce that 22 framed originals from Pocketful of Posies are available for sale.

Interested in purchasing an original piece? Please contact me for a list of available artwork. Each piece is displayed under Plexiglas in a custom-made cherry wood frame. Prices range from $2,500 to $6,500.