I paint a solid background color (usually white) for many of my pieces. For This Day in June I splattered/flicked the paint from a brush to represent the confetti in the illustrations. I love the result. I think it captures the joy of the pride celebration depicted so wonderfully in the book by Gayle E. Pittman (illustrated by Kristyna Litten). This piece makes me happy–so much that I’ve kept it, and it sits near my workspace.
Sometimes a piece calls for illustrations from multiple authors. My favorite go-to for a compilation of classic stories is, The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury. I’ve used pictures from Harry the Dirty Dog, Madeline, A Snowy Day, Goodnight Moon and Goodnight, Gorilla, just to name a few. In the photo of the books, you’ll see multiple copies. This is so I have the option to use illustrations on both sides of a page.
My decoupage cutting process starts with small scissors (I use EK Tools Small Precision brand). Fun fact, I’m left-handed, but I cut with my right hand–trained by years of using what was available–right-handed scissors. The struggle is real for lefties! The X-ACTO knife (on a Cricut Self-Healing Cutting Mat) is for the (really) small spaces, as shown below.
Do you remember the old Playskool wooden pull wagons for blocks? I inherited the one that we played with growing up, but with the blocks missing. I decided to paint new blocks and added vintage Sesame Street character cutouts. I’ve since purchased a few other wagons on Ebay (some with blocks and some without). The biggest challenge working with these is finding small pictures to fit the small blocks. This is what I have created so far.
In the early days of Story Pieces, I was given a white wooden rocking horse. I did a search for books about horses and discovered A Horse Named Steve. It is by Canadian author and illustrator, Kelly Collier. I covered every part of the rocking horse to tell the story of how Steve found a golden horn.
Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) wrote and illustrated eight books and won two Caldecott Medals for the year’s best-illustrated picture book. Four of his books were set in Maine, including Blueberries for Sal, written in 1953. His best-known work is Make Way for Ducklings, set in Boston, written in 1941. The U.S. Library of Congress named McCloskey a “Living Legend” in 2000. His expressive illustrations have inspired two Story Pieces (so far). Both have found good homes with people who loved these books as much as I do.
I have completed a few pieces where I’ve managed to show almost the full book. My first was a chair using the book The Cat and the Hat, by Dr. Seuss. After repainting the chair so that the story pops, I cut out all of the pictures and text. With the help of painter’s tape, I positioned and re-positioned the story on the chair until I was happy with the look.
After all of the pieces fit, I glued with Mod Podge and painted colorful borders around the text, using the familiar colors of this classic Dr. Seuss book. I used every part of the chair, including the bottom.
The customer who bought this fun, colorful piece has it in a little children’s reading nook at their summer cabin.
Part of the fun in creating these Story Pieces is finding reclaimed pieces and imagining what it can become. I visit my local thrift shop weekly and check my town’s Everything is Free site multiple times a day. I’ve also gotten some pieces from Facebook Marketplace and Ebay. Here are some of my favorite transformations.
Spotlight on: Maira Kalman. I came across Next Stop Grand Central at a library book sale and instantly fell in love with Kalman’s illustrations. My first sale was a small bench/footstool with illustrations from that book. I also made a bigger footstool and a mirror with other copies of the book. I have since discovered other Kalman books, both children’s and adult. The whimsy in her illustrations and in her text continue to entertain.
I’m excited that you’re here to see what I’ve been up to since September, 2024. I’ve been very fortunate to follow my creative pursuits. Thanks for your support and for being part of the journey.