Happy Summer!

Dear Creative Community,

The summer warmth is a celebration. A time to enjoy the fruits of creativity.

A seed of a project that was planted last autumn, hibernated and grew during the winter, showed its early blossoms this spring is now finally ready to bloom in the summer sun. My latest project is Companion Classics: Fine Portraits of Fine Pets. It combines my love of art history with the here and now of adorable, comforting, playful pet companions. Please share this widely. Perhaps you, or someone in your community, would be interested in an original hand-painted portrait of a loved companion.

Mary Cleary, Dos Gatos

I call this one “Who’s a Good Girl with a Pearl Earring?” (Said in your best cutesy, pet-voice).

Other recent illustration adventures include the much anticipate return of the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference this May. The city of Stamford, Connecticut and UConn joined forces to welcome hundreds of creatives as we learned, shared and celebrated children’s literature.

This year’s theme was Hope is a Thing with Feathers. Emily Dickinson, you persist.

Highlights of this conference include the wit and wisdom of Deborah Freedman and the engaging energy of Rajani LaRocca. These accomplished women are examples of the modern-day polymath—architect and artist, doctor and author.

We are all many things—creators, companions, caregivers, teachers, students. What are examples of the many, many things that you are?

Enjoy the summer warmth, reflect and celebrate the multitude of things that you are.

Be creative!

Mary

Happy Spring!

Dear Creative Community,

I hope you are as open and excited about the winter thaw and the spring blossoming as I am.

Recently, I’ve been soaking up the deep thoughts of Chris Haughton as I read his new book, The History of Information. I found this one to be especially important in its reflections of what is information, how is it delivered and how is it received and, most importantly, grants us perspective and scale on the contexts of information sharing throughout history.

Since words and pictures are the fundamental building blocks of information sharing, I can’t help but think about how my love of illustrating and writing fit into this larger context. Human nature drives creativity and connection. This is what has sustained us as a people for tens of thousands of years. While my words and pictures are but a drop in a sea of information sharing, it is a drop I find deeply fulfilling. It is a drop that I hope resonates with you.

Speaking of words and pictures…

Words and pictures combine in my latest workshop featuring collage and poetry. The All Hampton Read program (a multi-city book club) is delving into the poetry of Ross Gay and his book catalog of unabashed gratitude. As part of the month-long, multi-community poetry celebration, I will be teaching Homegrown Gratitude: Poetry and Collage. In this workshop, I take inspiration from Gay’s poetry, combine it with collage techniques, and explore gratitude for the place where we live. I’m super excited for this workshop.

As we transition seasons and welcome warmth, let’s take a moment to reflect on gratitude, sense of place, and the perspective of being one little drop in a great big sea of time and space.

Be Creative,

Mary

Happy Winter!

Dear Creative Community,

Happy Winter!

In our common calendar, the new year begins in winter. It is a time of cozying up and hunkering down. It is a time to pause and recharge.

I identify with Leo Lionni’s story, Frederick, about a mouse collecting colorful pictures and poems to sustain the community through winter’s cold, dark days. I am reflecting on the colorful moments of the past few months.

Frederick, by Leo Lionni

Like Frederick and his appreciation of the world’s beautiful, natural colors, I cherished the serendipitous sighting of the Northern Lights in Westhampton. With OOOs and AHHHs my family drove to the darkest field to view the gorgeous lights.

I also savored teaching a watercolor workshop to a group of local creatives as we explored the colors of pressed fall leaves on a snow day in December.

I celebrated my critique partner and friend, Carol Munro, at her book launch party. Check out this beautiful story of enduring commitment. Springtime Storks is a gorgeous story that gives us a peak into spring.

Let us do as Frederick does.

What colorful memories sustain you in the winter months?
What colorful thoughts do you have for the coming spring?

Be Creative,

Mary

Happy Autumn!

Dear Creative Community,

Welcome to my seasonal newsletter. Here I will share with you creative endeavors, community events, and artful inspirations. I hope you will join me on our journey to be creative and contemplative creatures.

This autumn I find myself collecting. I am collecting acorns for the upcoming Fall Festival Fairy House build. I am collecting leaves for an upcoming workshop I’ll be teaching on watercolor and color theory. And I am collecting reference photos—so many reference photos— because I can’t help but pull over the car and pull out my camera (like Mary Jo—see more on that later) when I spot an elegant old tractor or sweet, sweet donkey as I drive around soaking in the gorgeous autumn days.

This October I also celebrated of the book release of my creative colleague and critique partner, Ellen Cohen, at the Silver Unicorn, local indie bookstore and home base for one of my favorite kid lit writers, Casey Robinson! Congratulations Ellen!

The Annual Fairy House build is a magical tradition at the local Fall Festival (along with the super fun Pumpkin Roll!). Here is a photo from last years’ build.

And squirrels! So many squirrels. My dog is vocally letting me know that they are in our yard, on the cherry trees, around the garden, jumping through leaves and busy, busy, busy. So I am sharing the excitement (bark, bark, bark) by painting some feisty squirrels it into my watercolor work.

And last, but not least, I want to share a gorgeous book with you, Still: The Art of Noticing by Mary Jo Hoffman. This is a book that honors and celebrates the power of dailyness. Mary Jo committed to taking one elegant photograph of nature every…single….day for over a DECADE. The practice in both its mindfulness and routine creates a work of art bigger than the sum of its parts. It is a reminder that what you do everyday is what you do with your life.

So let’s celebrate this time of reflection and collection. What small act do you do daily that builds to a powerful whole?

Be Creative,

Mary