Friday, May 17, 2013

The Joys of Gardening and Teaching

Lily-blooming tulip, Ballerina
This spring, I am once again enjoying my tiny postage stamp garden. I was especially enthralled with a few tulips I grew, and the way they changed over their bloom time.

The first is a lily-blooming tulip, Ballerina.  When it was new, on cool days, it had gorgeous tones of purple that picked up on the grape hyacinth behind it. As it matured, it mellowed into a pumpkin-y orange, and it's pointed petals looked nice with my lacy japanese maple.

Lily-blooming Ballerina tulips against a dwarf japanese maple.

The second is un-named. I don't remember buying or planting it. However, I was thrilled to watch it change, from a pale lemony yellow in the early days to a stunning sunrise array as it matured.

unnamed tulip with ajuga and euphorbia
the same tulip as it matured






Children's Book Illustration 2 students, 2013- Corey, Jeff, Claire, Sarita, Rebecca, Bob and Chie.

     Watching these flowers grow and change reminded me of teaching. I feel the same thrill when I watch my Children's book Illustration students at RISD-ce. Their hard work is beautiful at every stage, and it's so satisfying to see their art grow and mature.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Illustration Friday # 27: TRIBUTE

cover to Rochel Coleman's Tuskegee Airmen album, art by Cheryl Kirk Noll

This week, I'm posting an older piece for the Illustration Friday "Tribute" prompt word.

This is a CD cover I did for Rochel Coleman, a professional storyteller who has lived in Providence. His uncle was one of the historic Tuskegee Airmen, black pilots who flew combat missions over Africa and Europe in WWII, and one of the stories that it tells is a tribute to these men, who broke racial barriers.

On a related note, I recently read an interesting YA book by Sherri L. Smith titled "Flygirl." It was about a young black woman who "passed" (as white) in order to serve in the Women's Airforce Service Pilots during WWII.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

ILlustration Friday # 26: FAREWELL

Finished this by the skin of my teeth. Worked on it most of the week. From a Japanese folktale I rewrote.

© Cheryl Kirk Noll