Virginia Lee Burton




I picked up a book at the local used bookstore yesterday. It was irresistible as it was a book with narrative on a woman illustrator known for her children's books which are timeless. After a few hours, I have put down the book--inspired by the work and life of Virginia Lee Burton, and challenged by what her illustrations can push my own work to be.

First the book:
Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art by Barbara Elleman

Amazon's Review sums it up from the School Library Journal:
The creator of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939) and The Little House (1942, both Houghton) played many roles during her too-brief life: dancer, artist, exacting designer and teacher, craftswoman, illustrator, shepherdess, wife, mother, and ebullient hostess. This appreciative biography portrays a gifted artist balancing a successful professional career with family responsibilities at a time when most women chose one over the other. Elleman examines Burton's early work and investigates the genesis of each of her seven picture books, from Choo Choo (1937) to the epic, carefully researched Life Story (1962, both Houghton). She shows how Burton's perfectionism shaped her art, which is characterized by organic movement, rooted in the rhythms of nature, and has "survival through change" as its constant theme. A generous selection of family photos and full-color art from Burton's published and unpublished work, laid out in a handsome, open page design, accompanies the text. Research notes, an index, and an extensive bibliography are appended. This welcome tribute to a beloved artist should be a first purchase.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

What I discovered was a story of a woman, happy in her life, happy in her family, surrounded by nature and children who merged her work in with her life and managed through her hard work to create lasting children's books, pursue teaching and establish a colony of decorative designers/ craftsmen with the Folly Cove Designers. Virginia Lee Burton was the writer / illustrator of the famed Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Choo Choo, The Little House, Calico the Wonder Horse to name a few.She immersed herself in the research often getting into steam shovels and pulling along her small sons Aris and Mike (the boy the Mike Mulligan book was written for). The boys and friends were more than companions. Virginia would read them her stories (often with cocoa and cookies as the draw) and see how they reacted--bored, alert, twitchy? and would amend her tales according to what the children would directly or indirectly tell her.

She was always challenging herself. The story of how Calico the Wonder Horse evolved is a fine example of that. Her son, Mike, was engaged in comic books and radio dramas and Virginia wanted him to come back to books. So, she developed the Calico book to be set in a graphic novel format, poking fun at the comics and radio (which she listened to and read to fully understand what the appeal was)--making her horse a girl etc. Some of the illustrations from Calico are such a kick in my pants as she is using these decorative shapes to imply energy, to set the subject apart from the frame.

For me, though I bow to the beauty of The Little House, her black and white work is singular. Her work on the Robin Hood illustrations>is the best example of how she pushes and pulls the black and white to bounce one off the other...and how she uses a standard frame shape and device to link her pictures together. She fully understands negative and positive and really unleashes it in this work as well as the obvious outflow into the work of the Folly Cove Designers.

Wikipedia describes the Folly Cove Designers as:

The Folly Cove Designers grew out of a design course taught by Virginia Lee Burton. She lived in Folly Cove, the most northerly part of Lanesville, Gloucester, Massachusetts. She was able to express the local consensus that the world was a beautiful place, and the elements of beauty surround us in nature.

Her block printing thesis grew out of the home industries/arts and crafts movements of the past. The artist/designer of products for home use is separated from the product by machine age technology (and now globalization). Fine art for home use is within our own power. To this end her design course taught an ability to see the design in nature, a set of good design rules (dark and light, sizing, repetition, reflection, etc.), and the craftsmanship of carving the linoleum, and then printing fabric for home use.

On completion of the course the graduate was permitted to submit a design to the jury(selected Designers rotated this responsibility starting in 1943) of the Folly Cove Designers. If it was accepted as displaying the design qualities as taught in the course, then they could carve the design in linoleum and print it for sale as a Folly Cove Design.

The design course started in 1938. In 1940 they had their first public exhibition-in the Demetrios studio. The following year they decided to go public, they called themselves the Folly Cove Designers. Every year they had an opening to present the new designs, and everyone enjoyed the coffee and nisu (Finnish coffee bread). They established a relationship to wholesale their work to the America House of New York which had been established in 1940 by the American Craftsman Cooperative Council. In 1944 they hired Dorothy Norton as an executive secretary to run the business end of the successful young enterprise. In 1945, Lord and Taylor bought non-exclusive rights to five designs which pushed the reputation of the group, and began some national publicity and diverse commissions for their work.

The Home Industries shop in Rockport, Massachusetts, owned by the Tolfords, sold the Designer's work to the public starting in 1943. It wasn't until 1948 that the Designers opened "The Barn" in Folly Cove as their own summer retail outlet. In the late 1950's they extended the season to ten months. Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios died in 1969. The following year the group disbanded, ending a period of unique creativity and cooperation. Some Designers were with the group for only a season and others continued with the group for decades. In 1970 the sample books, display hangings and other artifacts from the Folly Cove Designer's Barn were given to the Cape Ann Historical Association in Gloucester, Massachusetts who are now the primary source for information about the Folly Cove Designers.

The work is wonderful. As fresh as the day it was first printed--and highly collectable. In it's heyday, they were the rage in New York--sold through the America House and Macy's. The prints were printed from hand carved linoleum blocks and printed on linen one at a time. It was suggested they automate to increase production and availability, and it was turned down as it wasn't right for the group. Take a look at the revival page (linked above) and see if you aren't taken with it.

More later. I need to process this more.

blink blink


No bifocals. Distance glasses and computer glasses. No full Roy Orbison...but a mommy version. Now the mommy version of Laurie Anderson hair...and it will be the new me...Now if I can pump up the time on the torture machine (elliptical)...I will be the full mommy... but that will take more time than a haircut and glasses. At least I can see (in a week). Loved the whole thing. Not as much as the colonoscopy but close.

It was fedex madness. Tons of approvals and returns today. Am getting a bit shaky about getting all the work done before Hartford. Particularly the bigger pubs I do. So, getting things off the desk is helpful. I wonder when we will get our bill for Hartford? It's getting a bit close...a month or so?

More later

I can't see


There's a big show at Versailles about Marie Antoinette right now. How relevant. I got this picture from the site. It was one of the pictures made to send to France to show them how beautiful she was and how she was the "one" for the Dauphin. She sure was!

Kitty's concert last night was a great success complete with music derived from video games that was monumental and stirring.We had dinner with the rest of the fam...after. Thank goodness for the cool weather. One such concert had kids literally falling off the risers with heat strokes and fainting. That was a painful and scarey show...but they never stopped which still puzzles me.

Sent a note to Betsy and Ted Lewin about my children's book--as I was sure I was (as usual) off track with a lovely response saying it was fine to go...so I am psyched. Need to get some reference going as I am pumped as it will be fun. The plans are to do a book on color that is chock full of things having to do with the color teaching about butterflies, bugs, animals, reptiles, birds, fruit, flowers, and anything else that works. It will be a little discovery book...that is still unclear about style...but hey...that is where the challenge is. Maybe handdrawn? Maybe vector mania.

Need to go. My new optometrist and bifocals await. Ah, Age!

this and that.


Back to semi reality. Got back early yesterday and got a bunch of this and thats accomplished. Then, had a very rewarding conversation with Lucia Tyler about the whole schedule and planning around the college viewing/application process. It makes me very nervous...but at least its all spelled out. Not a lot of mystery. Lots of scheduling. I can do that. It's the dragging the horse to water. Urg.

Meeting the bulk of today at Cornell about their Wildlife Conservation programs. Cornell has a Wildlife Hospital with outreach with the Gifford Zoo in Syracuse and the NY Zoos in Manhattan and the Bronx. Additionally, they do work in Africa related to preservation of species etc. I know at the end of the day I will be a bit more glib about all of this. They need a publication to spell out the story of what they do, and all the fingers that are changing this world. I love the vet who is the leader in this work...so it should be an engaging time.

Glee club and band concert tonight. The school year is collapsing. Time seems to fold. I am stunned that this is another school year completed.

Beautiful cool, clear, low humidity day. We are blessed by the rain we had.

makes your hair stand on end?


God Bless the New York Public Library's digital library. I was tooling around last night and found piles of engravings on hairdos, shoes, fashion, fans around or about 1783 (which I am using as Marie-Antoinette's midpoint date)--I found a bunch of these head pages which I find are hilarious in their sheer exaggeration (or is it?) of the whole hair/hat thing. The lady (top row, far right) with the cap daintily perched atop the mountain of hair sculpture is my absolute favorite! I am loving the fact the engravings and paintings of the people, their environment etc. is the reference (or at least some of the reference) for this minibody of work. It communicates far more than just how something looks, but the composition, color, orientation etc. from the hand of others is amusing and also thought provoking. Fun all around.

Got up at 5 and got on the road at 5:30 spending the better part of half of my trip back trying to figure out how to dehumidify the foggy windows so AC cold, AC cold with windows open and windshield wipers going, to finally AC warm working. Tons of fog in the valleys and on the hills as I drove up the hills and down into the agricultural vales. There are strawberries and raspberries for sale. And the hanging baskets are going for about $10 less there than here. So, I am back in the saddle until around 3 when I have another meeting to attend. More later

A bit on the Bourbon family.


The Imperial Nobility of France
The nobility (French: la noblesse) in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, had specific legal and financial rights, and prerogatives. The first official list of these prerogatives was established relatively late, under Louis XI of France after 1440 and includes:

* exemption from paying the taille (except for non-noble lands they might possess in some regions of France),

* the right to hunt,

* the right to wear a sword and have a coat of arms,

* the right (in principle) to possess a fief or seigneurie.

*Certain ecclesiastic, civic, and military positions were reserved for nobles. At the same time, certain activities were required of nobles.

These included:

* honneur et fidélité (honor and faithfulness) such as military service (the "impôt du sang" or "blood tax")

* concilium et auxilium (counsel and assistance to the king)

Other activities could cause dérogeance, or loss of one's nobility. So were most commercial and manual activities strictly prohibited, although nobles could profit from their lands through mines and forges. Other than in isolated cases, serfdom ceased to exist in France by the 15th century. In Early Modern France, nobles nevertheless maintained a great number of seigneurial privileges over the free peasants that worked lands under their control. These included:

* cens (tax): Vassals were required to pay an annual tax on lands they leased or held (the "cens" was often more symbolic than useful),

* champart (work): to work the noble's private domain, to give the lord a portion of their harvest,

* banalités (small charges): to use the lord's mills, ovens, or wine press at a cost.

Nobles also maintained certain judicial rights over their vassals, although with the rise of the modern state many of these privileges had passed to state control, leaving rural nobility only local police functions and judicial control over violation of their seigneurial rights.


More on the link. Kind of points out the world MA lived in...and the expectations that were seconds from going out of control while she was dancing, feeding her livestock and living her wholesome life.

Marie-Antoinette's quiet option

Beautiful Central Pennsylvania



Another glorious drive down to Danville, PA. Gorgeous with all sorts of hills, valleys, fields and farms. I saw this great sign coming down the last time and promised myself that the next time, I would capture it. I love the cow/type interface along with the pretty fearless text treatment with the overlap etc. There was some planning with this design, but I think the secondary copy grew in the development, thus the outlining in yellow as a way to give the letters some prominence against the big Bs.

It was great having a bit of think time in the car with this green landscape. Thought randomly about things to do, lists to make, ideas for pictures, and the near and dear. I got to Danville a bit early and stopped at the Weis market to use the bathroom and then do a little looksee at what was offered. Good Pennsylvania Dutch stuff? They did have the funny flat noodle, chicken pot pie in the deli. Selzer's lunch meats. No special bread but pink pickled eggs in the salad bar. No beer, of course, it's PA and they have beer distributors and state stores. Then, as I knew where I was going, I drove to a new part of the campus I was visiting and checked out which building, and where the parking might be. Then, I drove around the periphery of the campus finding myself downtown via the back routes, often with these very narrow lanes connecting the main roads. It was fun figuring it out. Had a good meeting. Hopefully this will work out. It all felt very right.

After the meeting, I took another drive downtown to see what the shopping district, I guess, the historic district was all about. There are blocks of high victorian buildings, some dressed stone, some perfect brick with high chroma detail and paint all about a block from the beautiful Susquehanna River. I discovered this amazing building/school called St. Cyrils which my new pal told me about as it is a school (St. Cyril Academy), retreat center and retirement home for the Sisters of St. Cyril>>. The amazing architecture that St. Cyril's has--with an enormous tall campanile, tower out of stone--very deco and impressive that can be a locator point in town. It rises above the landscape as a beacon for this small town.

I checked into the hotel and found there was a local, hand-drawn map on the desk. I asked about Bloomsburg which was apparently 10 minutes away. So, as I had a little time on my hands, I took a drive over on route 11 to see the college and it's small town which was charming and had a little town square with high Victorian architecture, a big fountain and a the requisite Civil War monument (complete with a tall obelisk and figures with flags). It was very Disneyland in it's americana and it's perfection. One thing I can say about these small towns is that there is such a neat and tidiness even in the working class neighborhood that bespeaks the honesty and work ethic that is so predominant here.

I came back and futzed with my computer to find out that the sticky track pad was being caused by the battery --which was bulging out of it's container. I was panicking (as of course, it was going to be ruined prior to Hartford...OMG OMG OMG)--noticed the battery, popped the battery out and restarted the computer. Just like new. Wow. It's so nice to be able to figure the obvious stuff out.

Going to work on my thumbnails later this p.m. and go to bed early to get up at 5 to return to the plateau by 9. Later>>

Hotter than the blazes


Did some research on shoes of Marie Antoinette's time. The french were celebrated for their fabric shoes...sometimes sumptious fabrics or even fur with these high heels that were called "french heels" or "louis heels". The Bata Museum in Toronto had some notes on it...and other historic clothing/fashion sites. So, the above is a th.mbnail of the thinking....for the Dream Project. Cinderella's glass slippers were a fabrication from the reality--she had fur (to be specific squirrel) shoes. But her heels had to be french heels--I like this pursuit as it allows me to touch on all sorts of fairy tale stuff like Cinderella or the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Girls with a thing for shoes.

Blistering here. A former client called to let me know that they were declaring a state of emergency and letting the kids out of school by noon. I wish they would do the same here. I am fearful for brownouts and the fritziness that the computers get in this environment...often in the beginning of August. The new water wand is going to get a workout today as are the box fans.

At the House of Health today. Tried the elliptical...and will continue to try it....along with the quick stroll uphill that the treadmill provides. Off to Pennsylvania tomorrow to talk with the same folks from two weeks ago to flesh out what is needed, where, when , how much. And back Wednesday a.m.

Lots to ready today.
more later (I hope)>>

slow morning


I think there is definitely something here>>I love the idea that one can take notes, listen to a lecture and if you want, listen to the lecture again. I love it that there are podcasts on art already accessible on the web. Why not chunk out the History of Illustration and have a representative few postcasts on an illustrator or two (one obscure, 3-4 "known" like Rockwell, Gibson, Leyndecker, Cooper Studio?) posted with images to the Hartford Website (and also that of Tinkelman Studios) to really get some attention. Maybe this isn't a university thing, but maybe that of SOI--in the advancement of the understanding of illustration, illustrators and the world they live in, the vision they have and change? The Rockwell Museum could do it and use it as a way to drive attention and credibility beyond the small community it attracts and speaks to.There might be an interview or two with illustrators that are specialized like children's books, storyboard, character developer or even with the great art director from the New Yorker. it might cost a bit, but would be a gift. I also think, it would be a way to broaden all of our understanding of this field--and how it all isn't editorial work, covers of magazines, or almost passe applications that with the changing media--so the need for illustrators to be informed, educated and involved to be able to practice their art (and craft) in a viable way.

It all comes down to relevance. R mentioned the aspect of relevance with regard to an older friend whose career was based on a powerbase that is no longer here, doing things that are really no longer important or significant. With all of those pieces having lost their power, their position, their relevance--all that this man is/was has no more import. That is, if you base today on the activities of yesterday. We all need to stay relevant--relevant each day looking forward, which pushes us to stay current with media, clients, where the money is spent and how it is spent, and the voice of the time. Illustration as a practice must stay relevant or it will be relegated to a place where printing presses used metal type and engravings. I feel that illustration is as relevant as it has been since cave dwellers times...it just might not live in the business world in the same categories as it has since advertising and print has come on. Thus this nod to the podcast.

Hot and still this morning. Summer has arrived with a blast. We are putting up hanging baskets and clothes lines for wet towels. I have a batch of muffins going as the home team devours them all week as they struggle to get out of bed and out the door to school. Making is faaaaar cheaper (and better) than buying. I am seguing to almost all "from scratch" food. Not a huge move...but a bit more. I cannot wait for the local stands to open up with the produce from the backyard. The Trumansburg Farmer's Market opens this Wednesday (the elegant Ithaca has been open since April with both Saturday and Sunday open now) with 27 vendors including grassfed meat, a smoked meat vendor, of course the local CSAs (Community supported agriculture)--and the wonderful blueberries. Bring on the heat because that brings on the agricultural wealth.

Party Girl


Blistering hot here. "They" have been promising us rain...darn it...and nary a drop. It seems to sail north of us to drench all towns above the NYS thruway...but not us. So, more watering of the big bushy purple baskets and my hot pink and magenta geraniums. The hardy perenials somehow enjoy the hardship, but our annuals wilt and cry. The nicotiana is gorgous. I forgot how much I love that plant. There is hope there will be a trip to Agway for all sorts of goodies today so I can touch the plants and dream. Remember, dream is the watch word.

Sheldrake is at least 5 degrees cooler.Due to the lack of rain, the grass has slowed its growing...and the breezes are welcome. The water is too cold but I threw pinecones in for Shady and she stealthily went in and got her legs wet. She stopped panting for about an hour as it lowered her core temperature a bit.

Speaking of Dreams, I think I have the dream project in hand. After a fun two hours or so of looking about the web at stuff and trolling the recesses of my small brain, I think I have settled on a historic person, someone that will not surprise you...but maybe the manifestation of the pictures might amuse...Marie Antoinette is my person...and the 6 pictures will be done in different approaches--but very decorative. The six are: Marie Antoinette/her hair, the hands and the rose (loose and tight--vector style), Marie Antoinette/ Party Girl (her shoes--decorative/tons of patterns, The royal barnyard (Petit Trianon, raising sheep and cows...the whole fiddle dee dee, Wheeeee, I am so back to basics) featuring either a cow or sheep, "Let them eat Cake" --you can guess what that is about (inspired by the wonderful pictures of Wayne Thiebault), and the last picture which will be the last girl at the dance...or the end shot...wig on wigstand, little death references... I plan on using roses and fleur de lis in all of the images. Palette will be a candy coated selection inspired by the colors at court..(lemon yellow, peach, pink, salmon, a dirty light blue, lilac, grey, beige..saaaaaaweeeeeeeeet). We have bows and fabric..lots of luscious stuff. We have the 1700s version of Paris Hilton, equally bright, equally ill directed, equally up front and center. Only, she had more money, and I think, maybe a better fantasy life. After all, Paris Hilton may have a TV show about her "new best friend" but MA had dictated friends (her personal court), had factories and designers devoted to making anything she would desire (like Sevres milk buckets for her fantasy country life and farm at Le Petit Trianon). Interestingly, this might be a better comparison that I originally thought as both girlies had the eye of the press on them and the eye of the "people" on them sickly fascinated and repelled by their antics at the same time. Hmm. I need to think about the juxtapostion of these ladies as there might be some hooks or at least personal amusement there.

Approach is light and fun. Lots of patterns and detail. Whimsy? This will be a progression into a group of images unlike Memento Mori or the strong vector work from syracuse. Funny, as it comes off my hand, it will resemble those images...its more futzing with other aspects of illustration (like color and pattern) that will be hard but good to dive into. I could blow this into a thesis...or just stop at this...and do something else. Even the children's book could be a thesis...I am mulling over the color book idea and am still pretty excited about it. I even sketched out the idea with Erich and he thought it held together. We'll see.

Wow!


Another unexpected garland from Hartford. I have been granted a merit scholarship from the University of Hartford. How wonderful! Now the pressure is on...and what with my muddle and confusion...it only sullies the mix. Man, I am nervous.

Post looking at the I Miller Warhols, I had a great idea for a book on color for littles...with spreads on each color--with these "scientific specimen case" type of pages that stack out all sorts of things that are either the color or bear the name of the color in the name of the thing. Maybe some little type things throughout...so there is lots for the young reader or little person and their reader to read and discover. Could be cute.

K and I may do a little book on Mr Grumpy, our cranky boy cat...who always is guaranteed to get up on the wrong side of the kitty litter every single, solitary day. He always is swiping us, crankily telling us its time to eat. He does bow to the superior cat,(read dog) who he accompanies nightly on her walk, serving as the court of honor along with his bookmatched companion cat, Mei Mei. And, if we don't behave, he will poop in the tub to show us who is boss. I will write and layout. K is to be the illustrator. We casually write it when we comb the cats/superior cat....and scream with laughter. So, hello project, hello LULU.

night!

bipolar sense of reference






I ask myself, "what the hell are you smoking?". Dunno. I am going deep with Vignee-LeBrun paintings of Marie Antoinette with every other picture of her holding a stylized old style, David Austen-ish, pink rose. The hands are always the same. Always. I'll show you...(not now). Love the ribbons and bows, the flounces and furbellows, the pearls and feathers, hats and the absolutely luscious color. My puritan spirit embraces the sheer baroque, over the topness. So, I sez to myself...I need to see more, more more of this wonderful lusciousness. So off the Dutch still lives from Ambrosius Bosschaert with the quest of the victorian interpretation of these scoops of gloriousity. On the other hand, I am thinking Andy Warhol...and my artdirector and husband out of the blue suggests the I Miller images from Warhol's youth. So, off to that direction. And the Dream Project. I wallow and sink in it's absolute profundity. I am lost. Wandering...albeit mit schlag.