Rabbitat – part 1 (driftwood house)

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Salley Mavor

After working all winter long, I’ve finally finished Rabbitat! It’s large, compared to my book illustrations, measuring 24″ x 30″ , with a depth of 1 1/2″. I’m waiting for professional photographs of the finished piece, so for now I’ll just show pictures I’ve taken during the process. It’s got lots of parts, which I’ll be showing in several posts. This piece was unlike my book illustrations, which have to meet size and subject specifications and are planned out ahead. I let this project evolve by itself and just followed where it led.

To start, here are some drawings from my sketch book. My first ideas include a vine-covered house, which could be a topiary. A bunny showed up, too.

Then, the house became a structure made of driftwood pieces, with a rabbit topiary outside. I didn’t know who’d be living inside yet.

I combed through all of my driftwood and selected pieces which I could see as a roof and side beams and a doorway.

And carved them in spots, so that they fit together and lay down as flat as possible. I don’t know how the little chair appeared in this picture. Some of you may recognize it from another scene–the Driftwood Clan in my book, Felt Wee Folk.

I drilled holes at the joints and glued wire pins into the holes. That way the parts are held together, but the wire joints keeps the structure flexible. I don’t know if this description is clear, but I essentially use wire in place of dowel pins because I don’t want the joints to break while I’m manipulating and working on the house. I’m always adjusting things until the last-minute, so the joints need to be somewhat bendable.

I decorated the house walls with an embroidered chain-stitched vine pattern on felt. The green mossy patches have lots and lots of french knots.

At this point, I’d decided that rabbits live in the house, so I made a father and son to sit on the bench outside.

I told my husband Rob that I was making a habitat for rabbits and he immediately said, “Oh, it’s a Rabbitat!”

Continued at Rabbitat – part 2 (topiary)

See the Rabbitat film here.

See all of the Rabbitat posts here.

Berry Family dolls

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I brought the Berry Family outside for an airing. They’re a bit moth-eaten–a downside to working with wool. For the last couple of winters, I’ve gotten into the habit of bringing all of my felt and felt clothed dolls outside when the temperature dips below freezing, hoping to kill any moths.

I made the mother, father (4″ tall) and baby members of the Berry Family in 2005, as a Ltd. edition of 25. They are based on the patterns from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. All of my Ltd. edition dolls are currently sold out and I won’t be making any more.

The Berry Family, Ltd. edition 2005

doll making supplies sent off

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I sent a box of doll making supplies to Iowa today. Instead of worrying about losing my luggage during the flight changes and being without the necessary workshop materials, I decided to mail them instead.

I can easily replace missing clothes, but I wouldn’t be able to buy these materials at short notice, especially my precious plant dyed wool felt. There’s pipe cleaners, embroidery floss, wool fleece and acorn caps, too. Everything you’ll need to make the little dolls from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk.

I’ll be using these supplies in a doll making workshop on Saturday, May 21st at the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, Iowa. Please contact the center if you’d like to come. I’ve already painted some doll heads, so we can spend as much time as possible constructing the figures and sewing their clothes. I’ll take pictures of our creations and show them to you!

SCBWI summer conference

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I’ve heard from some people who want to know if I’ll be attending the summer conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, so I thought I’d better write and announce that, yes, I’ll be there! When SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver called to tell me that Pocketful of Posies had won the Golden Kite award for illustration, she invited me to come out to LA for the awards ceremony. She also asked if I’d give a workshop at the conference, so I agreed to both.

detail from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

The event is held in Los Angeles, California, August 5 th, 6th and 7th. I’ve never been to one of the large SCBWI conferences, just the small regional New England ones. The summer (in LA) and winter (in NY) conferences are large affairs, with tons of workshops, talks and portfolio reviews given by editors, art directors, agents, writers and illustrators in the children’s book field. I tell anyone who’s serious about writing or illustrating for children to become a member and attend these conferences. This is the place for wannabes and published authors to mingle and network, as well as get a realistic idea of what’s involved in creating children’s books in today’s market.

I’m not sure when I’ll be arriving in LA, but I know I will be there on Sunday, Aug, 7th to give a workshop, The Joys and Challenges of Dimensional Illustration, from 10:45 – 11:45 am. Then I’ll be giving my acceptance speech at the 2011 Golden Kite Awards Luncheon. Later, from 5:15 – 7pm, I’ll be signing books with the rest of the faculty. It would be great to see some blog followers that day! To find out about the conference and see the whole schedule of events, go here. You can also read an interview I did on SCBWI’s blog here.

uncommon scent dolls

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Almost 30 years ago, I made and sold a slew of these sachets, of which I have only one left. The Uncommon Scent Dolls were about 4 inches tall and filled with pleasant smelling spices, leaves and petals. The pattern is the same as the Nativity dolls I showed in an earlier post here.

Uncommon Scent doll, 1982

I remember picking out different woven fabrics and using the selvage edge as much as possible. This was back in the days when I used the zigzag feature on my sewing machine for the appliqued parts.

I also made these Matruska doll sachets, modeled after the Russian wooden nesting dolls.

doll sachets, 1985

Pocketful of Posies and workshop in Iowa

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Go to bed first, a golden purse, from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

The original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies are currently on display at the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, Iowa. The exhibit will be up through June 19th. (See traveling exhibit schedule here) I’ll be flying out the weekend of May 21/22 to take part in some events at the museum. On Saturday, May 21, from 10:00 to 5:00, I’ll be teaching a doll making workshop (call the Muscatine Art Center to register). Also, a reception will be held on Sunday, May 22 from 1:00 to 5:00 and I’ll give a gallery talk at 2:00. I’m looking forward to experiencing some warm mid-western hospitality and hope to meet some of you at the workshop and reception!

So far, this is the only scheduled doll workshop on the tour, since I’ve pretty much stopped teaching. I figured since I’m traveling out to Iowa for the weekend, we might as well get together a group of people who want to do my favorite activity, stitch and make little dolls, that is.

detail from "Pocketful of Posies" 2010

more Ojai houses 2011

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Here are some more pictures of houses in the downtown area of Ojai, California, taken on my recent trip. I like the playful use of color on the trim and outside decorations.

Ojai doorways 2011

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Salley Mavor

Last week, two friends and I went on our yearly trek to a spa in Ojai, California. In addition to providing lots of exercise and healthful food, The Oaks Spa is located in a wonderfully idyllic town with photogenic little houses in the surrounding neighborhood. I found these doorways particularly appealing. See last year’s Ojai houses here and here.

Easter Bunnies from the past

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Salley Mavor

This rabbit Playskool puzzle has been in our family since the 50’s. It’s lost several pieces over the years, but replacements are easily made with a jig saw. My mother kept this crayon drawing I did at about age 8, of Easter bunnies hauling eggs in wagons. Happy Easter!

Closeups (baskets)

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Salley Mavor

I love baskets and have included all kinds in my artwork since the beginning, like this Easter basket crayon drawing from my childhood.

crayon drawing, age 7

The elephant mother in my first picture book, The Way Home (1991), needed a way to carry bananas, so I made tiny (1/2″) wire baskets, wound in embroidery floss. Read my story about the making of The Way Home here.

Here is Mary, from Mary Had a Little Lamb, holding a basket of clay strawberries. This basket is also made with thread wrapped wire, but a little bigger at 1 1/4″. Real stones are glued in the garden.

This egg basket appears in Pocketful of Posies, in the illustration for the rhyme, Higgety, pickety, my black hen. It’s made by coiling and wrapping wire with embroidery floss. You can see glimpses of the green florist wire through the thread. I can’t for the life of me remember how I did the pattern on the top and bottom. The original is about 2 inches long and filled with 1/2 inch wooden eggs.