Bringing Color to the Holiday Season -- Yes, Books!

Snow blown from the east

Snow plastered on the side of the big silver maple tree is not an altogether unusual winter sight. What makes it different this morning is the placement of the accumulated snow, on the east side of the tree rather than the west or north. When the wind is out of the east, in my country experience, that’s when we get strange weather. And so today, we have wet, heavy snow that’s expected to turn to rain in the course of the day. Good old Up North holiday season rain.

With grey, dismal weather on hand, my attention turns happily to my coming bookstore event, Sunday afternoon’s visit from artist Glenn Wolff. Just looking today at the books he’s illustrated (books he’ll happily sign for purchasers on Sunday, throwing in a free surprise gift at the same time), along with his beautiful notecards and posters, gives me the same happy feeling I get from looking at an open fire. There’s nothing like warm color on a grey day.

Three books illustrated by Glenn Wolff

A few of the Glenn Wolff notecards available at Dog Ears Books

One of many colorful Glenn Wolff posters

And while I’m on the subject of colorful books, I might as well put in a plug here for Ashley Bryan, a Maine artist-author [this is a correction: I earlier identified him as from Michigan] I only learned about recently. Here are three of his gorgeous children’s books.

Three Ashley Bryan books

And since a lot of people are looking at (and for) Christmas books these December days, let's give a closer look at Bryan's Who Built the Stable? A Nativity Poem. 

Beautiful endpapers of STABLE book

Little shepherd boy building cradle in stable

David Grath, resident Master of Color, has been working hard in his studio recently. Stop in to see the latest work. No photograph I can take would do it justice.