Elly MacKay's Blog, page 2

Exhibition in Virginia – Preparations

It is just 2 weeks until Simon and I will be heading to Virginia to set up my show Chasing Shadows at the Longwood Center for the Arts in Farmville. You might have seen a post a while back when Rachel Ivers and Emily Grabiec visited the studio. That was a year ago… and now preparations are in full swing.

The exhibition will show original light boxes, photographs, working drawings for books and a large scale installation in the window of the gallery. The little squid picture above shows a 2×3 ft area of the 30×9 ft installation. My oh my… still more cutting to do!

OPENING ~ July 8th, 2016 from 5-8 at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts

For more on the show visit: http://lcva.longwood.edu/events/chasing-shadows-opening-reception

Here are some preparation shots of inking the Yupo paper, creating the light boxes, and cutting the many, many pieces that will fill the huge window of the Longwood Center – quite a feat for someone who usually works in miniature.

The Making of Maya

 

Maya officially releases today!  It was written by Mahak Jain and is published by Owlkids. It is about the power of the stories we tell ourselves and how these stories shape the way we feel and see the world.

STARRED REVIEW from Kirkus!

Jain and MacKay’s story and art work seamlessly to convey an important and subtle story of love, loss, beauty, and joy. (Picture book. 4-10)

TO PURCHASE: It is available at bookstores and online at Indigo , Amazon and Owl.

Illustration shop talk

This is by far the most challenging book I have ever worked on and so I thought I’d share that illustration process with you. There were times when I was working on this book that I really wondered how to move forward. I even threw away 2 sets.

The first hurdle was to decide if I could even do this book. I have never been to India, where the book is set and my savings would never allow me to take a research trip like this! I reread and reread the manuscript, worried I would have to decline this beautiful story. Then I realized that most of the book is actually set in a dream world, and that is something I am very familiar with illustrating. I asked for Mahak’s help to understand the urban Indian setting she was remembering from her childhood and she created a Pinterest board for me filled with reference photos… cots, rooftops, rickshaws, birds, animals, and even pyjamas. It might be a surprise to know that authors and illustrators rarely get the chance to interact. This was a real treat. I used her reference photos quite a bit to figure out things as simple as the skyline. Alisa Baldwin the designer, was so helpful too in guiding me (thanks Alisa).

 

Once I realized that Maya takes place in different dimensions, I had to figure out the aesthetic for each. There is a real world, a story world and a dream world and at times they blend. How to make each world feel separate but united? This is what I decided on:

Click to view slideshow.

The next challenge was the lighting. Some of the scenes were at night but I rely on light to create my works. The urban scenes were tricky. I found I could put light in the scene in more subtle ways. Here I used the light of the rickshaw to add some interest. These are a couple of process shots.

The dream world had challenging lighting too. It is at first a fearful place but then becomes filled with light and play. This progression was very tricky. I ended up taking photos of each dream scene with several different types of light. We then found the ones that worked best together. Here are 4 rough shots of the elephant to show some of the types of lighting I tried. There is one dream scene that I won’t share here for fear of giving away too much of the story but once you see it, you will understand why I spent so long trying to get it right. It involves shadows.

Click to view slideshow.

These were the big hurdles but there were lots of other ones along the way too. How does anyone do justice to the feathers of a peacock? All in all though, I think it came out pretty well and Mahak is happy too (Yay!) It has gotten some great reviews and I am really proud to be a co-creator of it. I hope you will enjoy it too.

This post has really been about the illustrations. Mahak can tell you about writing it. Mahak, Allsion MacLacklan and Jemicah Marasigan came to the studio and Jemicah put together this Video Trailer!

I really want to thank Karen Li and Karen Boersma for making books with challenging subject matter. Also, diverse books (without that being the focus of the book!).

 

 

 

OTHER NEWS:

I will be at the Gananoque Literary Festival April 29th – May 1st.  http://www.gananoqueliteraryfestival.ca/  Come on out!

I will also be sharing my work at the Festival of Trees at Harbourfront Centre On May 17th and in Sault Ste. Marie on May 27th.

Thank you to all the schools who have invited me to give presentations! It has been loads of fun.

 

 

Beach Baby’s Birthday!

Yesterday I was out at a school visit in Brampton. It was a wonderful day of making art with kids. It was also the book birthday for Beach Baby!

Laurie Elmquist, illus. by Elly MacKay. Orca (Age 0-3)

From Publishers Weekly:
Beach Baby
Dreamy artwork and verse reassure readers who are headed to bed that “Everything will be here when you wake.” Debut author Elmquist’s writing seems to drift along the seashore as she lists small natural wonders: “Purple starfish/ The goose waddling up from the bay.” MacKay (Butterfly Park), once again working in dramatically lit dioramas, creates a string of gauzy, delicate scenes—the lower half of a seal’s body is obscured by a translucent rolling wave in one image, while a pale, pink moon snail, “a mystery,” almost seems to glow. Enchanting, engaging, and restful. Up to age 3.Illustrator’s agency: Bright Agency. (Apr.)
“MacKay’s…illustrations are dreamlike…This board book…captures the beauty of the ocean, and it would evoke pleasant memories when falling asleep. Recommended.” (CM Magazine 2016-01-19)
“This lovely introduction to a beach environment is a good read for naptime and evening sharing.” (School Library Journal 2016-03-01)
“A gentle and gorgeous book.” (Quill & Quire 2016-03-01)

Available at your local bookstore and online: Amazon, Indigo

Laurie lives in BC but will be coming to Ontario in July, sooooooo…. We are going to have a Book Bash for Beach Baby on July 12th at Sauble Beach! It will be beside Casero at 3:30. Join us for a reading, craft and treats.

Thought you might be curious to see a couple images from our board book:

In a few days Maya, written by Mahak Jain will be having a book birthday too!!

 

 

Thaumatropes & this and that.

Hello, hello! It has been so long since I last posted! Lots happening in the studio these days. I just got these back from the printer and am so excited I have to share them. I was flipping my business card when I thought… hmm… Thaumatropes are way more fun. I love Victorian paper toys. This is the first of my designs… Spring!

EllyMacKayThaumatrope from Elly MacKay on Vimeo.

In the Studio

This winter I have been working on outlines for 2 new books that will be out in 2017. It has been a really enjoyable process. I have also been working on some boxes for the solo show I will be having at the Longwood Centre in Virginia this summer. The show will run the whole summer and will include my photos, original dioramas, a large installation, sketches and an animation wheel (if I can get it working).

Right now I am making a series of Grimm boxes. Here is a peek at one of the scenes – Snow White and Rose Red meet the ungrateful dwarf while collecting kindling. My wonderful husband, Simon MacKay is making all of the boxes for me. They will be available for sale in November.

Interior of one of several Grimm boxes for the upcoming show at the Longwood Centre in Virginia.

The Nightingale Award

The Digital Donor Tribute wall that we created for the Boston Children’s Hospital won the Nightingale* GOLD Award! This is a team project that I am so proud to be a part of. Christina Amri and engineer Tim Feldman and a group from Amri studio animated photos of water, branches and chickadees that I made in my theatre to create an interactive wall. When children come near the panels, a little chickadee will hop or fly over to them.

To learn more visit: Amri Studio

Butterfly Park

So the end of the year comes and with it comes a sort of nervousness and hope for authors and illustrators as you see the lists of favourite books out there. It always makes me feel a little queasy. So, when I heard that Butterfly Park had made it on to a few… well, I felt good. Really, it is such an honour to mentioned in these and I am so thankful.

Gellet Burgess Award – Honor in Book of the Year
Top 2015 Mighty Girl Books for Young Readers
2015 Best Books List (preschool—early elementary) – Atlanta Parent Magazine
Nominee for the Kindie Favourite Picture Book with Text – Canadian
Hilary Taber’s Top 15 -Coveted Book Seller Award – Best Picture Book
The 10 Best Picture Books of 2015 – Readings (Australia)
Tie with Julie Morstad for Favourite Illustrator – Kinderlit

Mills Pond E.S. Pondecott

So being an illustrator is a pretty great job. But when you hear from kids… that is awesome. The kids at Mills Pond Elementary School did a mock Caldecott… and they chose my book!  (Thanks Grade 2s and 3s!)

I was also super excited yesterday to get this book trailer that the kids at Evergreen Heights Education Centre made for me.  (Thanks Grade 2s and 3s!)

IMG_1448 from Elly MacKay on Vimeo.

 

I’ve been really enjoying going out to all the schools too. Lots of lovely and exciting things to be thankful for this winter.

Especially, the winter fun I’ve had with these two:

My daughter just realizing my son is eating all the buttons.

 

 

The Forest of Reading 2016!

Butterfly Park is a nominee for the Blue Spruce Award in the Forest of Reading! 

Art Extensions: I have also put together some art activities for kids and teachers to do after reading Butterfly Park- Magnetic Butterflies and Balancing Butterflies. You can find them on my website. 

School Visits: I will be doing school visits through the Authors’ Booking Service. I will be in Toronto for the week of December 14th – 18th. Tuesday and Wednesday have been booked. I will also be in the Brampton area in the first week of March for visits to schools. Check for availability. I am happy to visit other areas of Ontario too. Please get in touch if your school would like to book a presentation.

Some New Work

Click to view slideshow.

You can find these prints on my ETSY page.

Other News

Spotlight: I was so excited to see this lovely article this week in Quill & Quire by Dory Cerny – which features my book (Feeling so lucky.):

Kidlit spotlight: the golden age of Canadian picture books

You can read it here:http://www.quillandquire.com/omni/kidlit-spotlight-the-golden-age-of-canadian-picture-books/

(On a side note – it also features the book Sidewalk Flowers by a former NSCAD classmate, Sydney Smith. Pick up a copy if you haven’t already. It just won the Governor General’s award. Some of the other contemporary Canadian authors and illustrators in the article include are François Thisdale, Jon Klassen, Cybèle Young (paper artist!), Julie Flett, Ashley Spires, Mélanie Watt, Jeremy Tankard, Cale Atkinson, Kate Beaton, Julie Morstad, and one of my very favourite authors, Sara O’Leary.)

Exquisite Corpse at Kinderlit: I’ve spent so many car trips making these with my kids. Have you ever made one before? The fine folks at Kinderlit host this fun activity. Check it out! 

Operation Every Child: The teen blogger, Jessica Bernt at Bookish Serendipity contacted me to tell me about a fundraiser. She is raising money and collecting children’s books that will be given to kids at a Women’s shelter this Christmas. I think it is a great cause so I sent my books off and donated some to the local shelter too. If you are an author and reading this – you can send your books too:

Operation Every Child

10 Mcnutt street

Brampton, Ontario

L6Y5L3

Canada

Or if you just want to help – Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/op-every-child

Hope you have a great Hallowe’en! (We are so excited here that my little guy wore this to gymnastics.)

Celebrating Literacy! Visits in and out of the Studio

Visit to Gravenhurst~  Tomorrow: Friday, August 7th, 2015! Celebrate Literacy.

I am so excited for this! It is going to be great fun.

My presentation is ALL AGES and FREE – no registration required! Offered by the Gravenhurst Library (2PM Opera House)

It is an interactive hour which will show kids how books are created, inspire them to write, illustrate and share their stories. I will bring my little theater and we will create a scene together. People will also have the chance to make a shadow puppet and see how they can use light and photography to create dynamic art.

See you there! 

More Info: Gravenhurst, ON – The Gravenhurst Public Library proudly presents children’s author and illustrator, Elly MacKay on Friday August 7th, with a special presentation in the Trillium Court of the Gravenhurst Opera House beginning at 2 p.m.

Studio Visit – Longwood Center for the Visual Arts:

I have been so fortunate to have the lovely Rachel Talent Ivers and Emily Grabiec from the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts visiting the studio this week. We had fun in the studio and exploring the area together. Here we are in front of the henge in Big Bay.

They came to organize an exhibition in Virginia next Fall. It will correspond with the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. I will be creating an installation and exhibiting original shadow boxes and photographs. One of the pieces we will have there is my weather cabinet. Here is a shot of my studio with the cabinet. ( I took snapped a picture of the studio because for once, there weren’t any little paper pieces on the floor!) I also have to show you the shelves Simon has just built in the side room just off the studio. (Thanks Simon.)

 

Other News:

My Etsy shop Theater Clouds will be on holiday for a week or so. It will reopen on August 17th. Use code FRIENDS for 15% off.

New Book! A Celebration of the Seasons

      

I was so honored to be asked to create an image in this book – a collection of poems by Margaret Wise Brown. Above (right) is a detail of the image I created for the poem The Cherry Tree. I used cut paper and salt and photographed the image from above.

“Fluffy clouds, butterflies, furry bunnies, and life from a bug’s-eye view: This stunning sequel to the New York Times bestseller Goodnight Songs celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature all year long. Once again, a treasure trove of Margaret Wise Brown’s newly uncovered verses receives loving treatment from 12 award-winning artists, including Floyd Cooper, Peter Brown, David Small, Molly Idle, and Bob Staake. From a little bear singing one morning in May to a soft snowfall, mysterious, deep, and glowing, each song is magical. “

A starred review! 

Lastly – Summer Art Fun:

This is a fun activity we tried this summer that I have to pass on. I am not sure where I originally saw the idea (sorry) but when we had all sorts of bubble wrap around, it sprang to mind ~ Bubble Wrap Shoes. The kids loved it.

Tape bubble wrap into shoes
Roll out large sheets of paper (outside)
We found rocks help to keep it from blowing around
Turn on the tunes
Squirt some paint and let the kids dance!
It is great to have a tarp and a bucket of water on the side if you don’t want your driveway to be a work of art too. :)
Use the finished paper as gift wrap (or like one neighbourhood dad, you can frame a huge section for behind your couch!)

Butterflies, Butterflies, Butterflies!!

My newest book is now out!

BOOK SIGNING And PLANTING in Owen Sound

Saturday, June 6th

10-11 am *FLOWER PLANTING DOWNTOWN ~ Main Street – Scotia Bank Parkette (We have bulbs for the kids.)

11-12 am *READ ALOUD & CRAFT ~ Rocking Horse (Make a Balancing Butterfly)

To see more from the book visit http://www.runningpress.com/butterflypark

OR

7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=3743

Butterfly Park is a book about change, friendship, community, home and of course butterflies. Available at your bookstore or online:

A Heather’s Pick at Indigo

Amazon

REVIEWS:

“Centered on the park’s elaborate art nouveau gateway, MacKay’s lyrical paper collage and diorama constructs feature layered details and out-of-focus backgrounds for a sense of depth. Brightly patterned butterflies, delicate flowers, and human figures pose like gracefully off-balance dancers. . . . Worthy of theme and equally pleasing to the eye and the spirit.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“MacKay’s artwork recreates the feel and pleasure of Edwardian-era illustration…”

-Publishers Weekly

Elly MacKay constructs this story with delicate cut-paper illustrations, sets of photographed dioramas that glow with light. The settings are intricate—the Butterfly Park entrance gate is a thing of beauty—and MacKay’s sense of composition is spot-on. 

-BookPage

MacKay in in top form, and readers will delight in the mix of colours, textures, and perspectives she employs in creating the visual elements of this lovely book.

-Quill and Quire

 Other News

Shadow Chasers is 1 of 10 English books for the TD Summer Reading Program! http://www.tdsummerreadingclub.ca/top-reads

Get your kids reading this summer!

I participated in my first Authors for Indies this year at the Curiosity House in Creemore. {Thank you so much for the invite Jenn!}

Maya for OwlKids is almost done… finishing touches.

Currently working on Book 4 with Running Press…. more on that to follow. ;)

I will be at the Celebrating Stories A Family Festival in Milton this October.

Oh! And I got the most amazing surprise from some young folks in Sweden, Julia and Jossan (SWEDEN!?)

And a wonderful little girl from the USA sent Loretta and me a story she wrote based on FALL LEAVES but with the theme of spring.  Life is good!

A Family of Makers

This post is coming rather late, very late. Today is the last day of a show our family put on together. It is called Family Works and is at the Artists’ Coop in Owen Sound, Ontario. My Mom, Joan Irvine and my brother’s fiance, Christine Su are both paper artists as well. My Dad, Steve Irvine makes pottery and one of a kind ceramic pinhole cameras. And my husband, Simon MacKay is a woodworker and uses a combination of wood and concrete to make boxes. Some families play music together… when we get together we like to pull out the clay or paper, talk and drink tea. My kids love making things too. ��Here are a few photos from the show.

Steve Irvine – pinhole camera

Simon MacKay – multilayered boxes in wood and concrete

Elly MacKay – Emily of New Moon cover, Anne of Windy Poplars cover and Anne of Avonlea cover (for Penguin Random House)

Christine Su – cut paper

Joan Irvine – cut paper, yupo paper – Pink Moon series

Christine Su – block prints

Steve Irvine – ceramic platters

Simon MacKay – layered boxes

A collaborative piece – the base of this was done by Simon MacKay, the top by Steve Irvine

Lily and her buddy at the opening.

Koen and his much bigger friend at the opening.

A close up of one of Joan Irvine’s Pink Moon series.

Good friends.

We are thankful for our��family members that drove from London to join us, our supportive community and the Coop for hosting us. If you see anything in the show that you would like to own or give, let me know. We are happy to ship! There was a nice little article on our show too.��http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2014/11/02/gallery-show-a-family-affair One of the reasons I was so late in posting this is because I was��working away on Butterfly Park. It is intricate work… oh, so many little flowers! It is now at the printer and will be out in the spring! Thanks Marlo and Francis of Running Press for all of the hard work you put into this book.

Kingston WritersFest! This weekend.

Do you live in the Kingston area? Have kids? Come on down to the Kingston Frontenac Public Library at 1:00 tomorrow (Saturday, the 27th of September).

FREE Festival Fun for KIDS!

I will be doing a reading of Shadow Chasers and showing how I make my scenes. We’ll even create a paper piece together.

****Then, kids will get to make a take-home diorama.****

We’ll have all sorts of papers, and sculptural materials for kids to play with. It is going to be a blast!! Hope you can come.  It is an activity that suits children from 2-13… well, even older – this is how I spend my days.

All the details here: https://www.kingstonwritersfest.ca/kids-and-teens-kids-on-saturday.php

Sponsored by CIBC Wood Gundy, Simpatico Song & Script and Friends of the Library and my patron for the festival – Chris Everdell.

Older kids may want to stay for the whole afternoon. At 3:00 Eric Walters will be at the library with his book The Rule of Three. Can’t wait to get a signed copy.

Anne of Green Gables

How old were you when you last read Anne of Green Gables?

Today Tundra (Random House Canada) is releasing a new edition, along with all the books in the series by L. M. Montgomery!

Anne of Green Gables by Elly MacKay for Tundra Books, 2014

You can buy the box set or the buy them individually. I had fun thinking about how all the spines might work together when sitting on a shelf. A little landscape for you: http://instagram.com/p/rpX02tIwDb/

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne’s House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
THE SET – this is a preorder item – Released Sept. 23rd

It is amazing how a book can stay with you and shape the way you see the world. It wasn’t until I revisited these stories as a adult that I realized that some of the place names I have been using all these years must have taken from the Anne series when I was a girl. I have a Cathedral Road by my childhood home and like Anne, I dreamed of getting married there.  And… like Anne, a friend and I memorized Tennyson. Though neither of us ever pretended to be Elaine, floating down the river.

L. M. Montgomery is a Canadian icon and these are such wonderful stories. It was a dream to illustrate the covers for these books and work with Kelly Hill (the designer) at Tundra.

NSCAD – ROAR

I have donated the Artist Proof of the Anne of Green Gables cover to an auction that helps to raise some money for art students starting out at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. The Auction is called ROAR if you would like to make a bid.

On Tumblr you can see some larger images too: http://djevojka.tumblr.com/post/90248200862/cover-art-by-elly-mackay

Hope you will enjoy these books and pick up a copy or the whole set! Look for a post on Emily of New Moon soon!