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Doing Art


All kinds of wonderful things have been happening, including foreign sales of WHEN YOU REACH ME (now 7 countries! woo-hoo!) and lots of visits with school and bookstore communities.  This weekend I met with two groups of kids, all of whom had the best, most interesting kinds of questions.

Another thing that has made me happy lately?  The discovery that an extremely, um, undeveloped artist like myself is capable of carving erasers into very satisfying ink stamps.  I know it seems like a small thing.  But it isn't.  I went to an evening art class at my 11-year-old's school, where a wonderful teacher/artist taught me (and my friend Randi, and 4 other women) how to carve stamps and use them to print bookcovers.  I had this utter determination to create a watertower stamp.  I have a thing for watertowers.  Yes, there were moments of doubt, but in the end, I accomplished more or less what I set out to do.  And that felt surprisingly amazing.  So today I want to say -- go make art.  (Or, if you are an artist, write something.  If you already do both, I don't know -- dance.)

I created this little blue mailbox stamp at home.  I plan to use it to make excellent signed bookplates. (want one? email me) 




Comments

busgirl said…
Heart-stopping! What a perfect, perfect thing you made. I love it. I want one. I will email you.
Rebecca Stead said…
Hey there -- DID you email me? Not sure, but bookplates are here for the having. . .
I love your stamps, Rebecca! I'll email you for one! Years ago I made stamps like these to announce my sons' births (a rocking-horse stamp)! Other stamps followed, dinosaurs, etc.
If you love water towers, then you should read "The Cuckoo's Child" by Suzanne Freeman. It begins: "The week after my parents vanished I tried to climb the water tower in Ionia, Tennessee. I hoped to see the ocean." It's a terrific book.
I realize this is an older blog post, so maybe you won't see this comment? Anyway.. Congratulations on your magnificent award!!! Your book is so amazing! I love the way you credited your editor in your interview with Pub Weekly. Where would we be without our editors???
Good luck with everything! I'm sure your life has changed totally overnight. But keep making those stamps..!
I look forward to your next book~
Best,
Christine Brodien-Jones
LaurieA-B said…
I live near a wonderful tall brick water tower, with a staircase to sweeping views. I wish I could take you there when you are in Seattle in February. But I am looking forward to seeing you at the bookstore, the evening of Feb. 1. My husband and I are coming, because we both loved When You Reach Me. We look forward to our six-year-old reading it in a few years, some time after she has read A Wrinkle in Time (an event I've been looking forward to since she was born, just about).