Loree Burns – Page 51

September 26, 2008April 25, 2015

How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird

HOW TO PAINT THE PORTRAIT OF A BIRD
Poem by Jacques Prévert
Translation and Illustration by Mordicai Gerstein
Roaring Brook Press, 2008

Category: Picture book

“First paint a cage with an open door.”

So begins Mordicai Gerstein’s translation of Jacques Prévert’s 1949 poem Pour faire le portrait d’un oiseau. From this simple beginning, Gerstein and Prévert bring readers through the creative process in all its frustrating, finicky, heart-stopping and spirit-soaring glory.

Frustrating? “If the bird doesn’t come right away, don’t be discouraged. Wait.”

Finicky? “When the bird comes, if it comes, remain absolutely silent.”

Heart-stopping? “If it doesn’t sing, don’t be sad.”

Spirit-soaring? “But if the bird sings, it’s a very good sign.”

Oh, I adore this poem, these illustrations, this gem of a meditation on art. This is the perfect book for creative people. I’ve been reading it every morning to remind myself to embrace the process, my process … and I’ve been reading it again every night just to hear Gerstein and Prévert assure me, “Tomorrow you can paint another one.”

Happy reading! Happy creating!

(Those who read this post last week will now understand why I am so in love with this painting. It was created by Mordicai Gerstein, based on the art from HOW TO PAINT THE PORTRAIT OF A BIRD, to raise funds for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Sigh.)

September 25, 2008April 25, 2015

Ranger Rick

My neighbor called me on Monday and said to my answering machine: “Hi Loree. I’m thumbing through the new issue of Ranger Rick and found an article called ‘Trash Tracker’ by a Loree Griffin Burns. Is that you?”

Tee hee. Can you imagine another Loree Griffin Burns out there writing about trash for young people?!

Anyway, if you have the October issue handy, check out the feature article on page 31. It’s me!

September 24, 2008April 25, 2015

Busy as a Bee … and a Butterfly

I took this image a couple weeks ago at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton, Massachusetts. It strikes me now as the perfect illustration of my writing life these days: tagged butterflies on one side, honey bees on the other, succulent goodness in between.

Up until recently, I have always worked on one project at a time. This month, however, I have been working to finish the manuscript of THE HIVE DETECTIVES, which is due later in the fall, at the same time that I begin working in earnest on the CITIZEN SCIENTISTS book. There are moments of panic, of course. In those moments I look at the calendar and see its pages flipping fasterFasterFASTER and my deadlines comingComingCOMING.

But there are moments when the dichotomy is invigorating, too, when the two projects play off eachother in my brain and I feel as if each will be better because of what I am learning and putting into the other. Today I am celebrating these moments.

So here’s to monarchs winging toward Mexico, honey bees storing up for winter, and writers working on a deadline. Go! Go! Go!

September 22, 2008April 25, 2015

Coastsweep Recap

That’s a photo of the gaggle of ten-year-olds that came with me to the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) on Saturday. The boys chose to clean the rocks under the breakwall and I am happy to report that none of them got stuck … though there were a few close calls. In our two hours of cleaning we collected bottles, cans, bits of fishing line, pieces of styrofoam, food wrappers, toys, and a whole lot of bottle caps. Trumping all of these things, however, were the 237 cigarette butts we cleaned up. Gross.

Our scariest find was a knife. It was old and rusty and looked as if it should be shipped directly to the nearest CSI unit for closer study. Event organizers took photos of it and will be entering it in the ICC Weirdest Find contest, which made our boys very happy. (They are still talking about this find and wondering if their prize, should they win the contest, might be the knife itself. Boys!)

ICC events will continue in Massachusetts until the end of October; you can find more details here.

September 19, 2008April 25, 2015

If I Had $1,000,000.00 …

this is one of the things I would buy.

Be sure to click on the “View Image” link to see the work in all its glory. Next week I’ll tell you what this painting moves me so. For now I must prepare for the Big Double Ten Year Old Birthday Bash…

Happy Friday, one and all!

September 18, 2008April 25, 2015

Are You Ready to Celebrate the Arts?

(Posted with permission)

It’s a derivative of Murphy’s Law that if two very important events are scheduled for the same month, they will fall on the same day. For example, this Saturday is both International Coastal Cleanup day (see this earlier post for details) and West Boylston Arts Festival Day.

Ack!

What’s a girl to do?

My only choice is to make the best of it.

So, after a morning of collecting and counting trash at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, I’ll be heading to West Boylston for an afternoon of celebrating the arts. The Arts Festival will be jam-packed with artsy fun for the entire family, and entrance is only five bucks. The forecast looks stupendous and this event is Truly. Going. To. Rock.

Oh, and did I mention that all proceeds will benefit music and art programs in West Boylston public schools? Here’s a link to an article about the festival and its mission from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Here’s the full festival schedule. (Can you say WOW?!)

And here’s the lineup for the Children’s Story Tent, where I’ll be later in the day:

10am Katie Green
11am Jennifer Morris
12pm Sarah Lamstein
1pm Dot Johnson
2pm Ellen Dolan
3pm Loree Burns

Come celebrate with us!

var sc_project=2412924;
var sc_invisible=0;
var sc_partition=22;
var sc_security=”40523864″;

September 17, 2008April 25, 2015

Are You Ready to Track Trash?

I don’t know where Leo will be cleaning beaches this Saturday, but I’ll be at Salisbury Beach State Reservation. And I’ll be sporting this cool T-shirt:

In case you can’t read it, the fine print says:

Since 1987, COASTSWEEP volunteers have been helping to clean the beaches in Massachusetts. Barcaloungers, rubber boots, pieces of fishing net, truck tires, industrial tubing, milk crates, vinyl siding, garden hoses, food wrappers, rusty bottle tops, garbage bags, plastic grocery bags, sandwich bags, soft drink bottles, water bottles, beer bottles, beer cans, soda cans, ice tea cans, odd bits of rope (that were probably not odd to the person using them at one time), straws, tampon applicators, syrofoam cups, nurdles (a real word!), plastic knives, forks, spoons, and sporks, syringes, toilet bowls, unidentifiable bits of rubber, plastic coffee stirrers, and ciragette butts—are some of the things the collect. In past years, more than 80% of the debris collected came from land-based sources—where litter blown and washed from the streets, parking lots, and ball fields ends up in the water. In addition to the litter that’s just plain ugly to look at, every year, these bits of marine debris and stray trash kill thousands of marine animals that swallow or become entangled in them. And that’s why I’m a COASTSWEEP volunteer.

Festivities begin at 10am. Do join us if you can. If you need tips on getting involved in coastal cleanups at other locales, check out this earlier post.

September 15, 2008April 25, 2015

Joy

That’s photographer Ellen Harasimowicz at work in a milkweed meadow. Ellen joined me at two monarch butterfly tagging events this past week to record on film the wonder of citizen scientists at work.

Unlike my last tagging event, this weekend I was strictly an observer. I watched kids and adults—hip deep in goldenrod and with butterfly nets poised overhead—tiptoe toward nectaring butterflies. There were gasps of amazement (“Look at it eating!”), delight (“I got one!”), and awe (“Safe travels, butterfly!”). What a joy to sit back and watch these moments unfurl, to witness people connecting with nature in such a respectful way. These are the moments that excite me about citizen science and that inspired me to write this new book.

Oh, and then there are moments like this:

That’s me, feeling pretty joyful.

September 10, 2008April 25, 2015

Birthday Garden Creature

Last month I went to a birthday party for the greatest nephews on the planet. Liam and Aidan’s mom gave me the job of photographer, and while I was chasing around after perfect birthday images, I came across a … a … thing. It was a flying thing, an insect of some sort, and it was flitting around the flower garden. The way it moved reminded me of a hummingbird, but it was much, much too small. For a time I completely lost my head and traipsed around the flowers with it, trying to take a picture. Eventually the Scooby Doo pinata was strung up, though, and I had to give up the chase.

When I got home, I did a little poking around. I scoured my butterfly guides for one that looked like what I had seen. Nothing.

I looked in my bird guide, thinking perhaps there was a teeny, tiny North American hummingbird species that I didn’t know about. Nope.

Then I got busy and forgot about the mystery entirely. Until this weekend, when I was loafing around the butterfly bushes looking for, well, you know, butterflies … and found this:

It is a hummingbird moth (I finally thought to check the insect guide), and it is gorgeous. How I managed forty years without ever seeing one before, I don’t know. But now that I am acquainted, it is hard to resist loafing at the butterfly bush full-time. How is a girl supposed to focus on her work with creatures like this flitting around the back yard? I ask you.

September 8, 2008April 25, 2015

Another Working Weekend

Hey! Guess what I did this weekend? Would you like a clue? It happened in this meadow …

Another clue? My assistant and I were armed …

Have you guessed? We were tagging monarch butterflies!

My daughter and I netted this lovely male monarch and affixed a small, round sticker to the “mitten cell” of his hind wing. The tag weighs next to nothing and is printed with a serial number. If our guy survives his upcoming migration, he and his tag may be recognized by tag-watchers at the monarch roosting sites in Mexico. The tagging program has been underway for sixteen years and is helping scientists understand monarch behavior and migration. You can learn more about the program at the MonarchWatch website.

As for me, I will be learning lots more at the three additional tagging adventures I have lined up this fall. Why so much tagging? Because I’m writing about monarchs and the citizen scientists who study them in a new book. Details soon!