Visits and Workshops
"The results of your wonderful presentation were nothing short of amazing." –– Caroline Ward, Coordinator of Youth Services, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, Connecticut
Beginning in July, 2010, I’ll be offering two regular presentations:
1. Doodle on, Dude!
Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles is a brand–new book told in a brave new style: doodle–writing, in which drawings are integrated with writing to create a book with the feel of a journal and novel in one. This presentation uses Doodlebug as a springboard to quick workshop activities in which students experiment with the doodle–writing form.
Highlights:
- creative / publishing process
- building art confidence
- recognizing personal learning styles
- comic book techniques
- novel techniques: creating characters
- illustration techniques: creating characters, visualizing emotions
- lettering, fonts, and art techniques for creating letters
- optional: drawing sharks
Note: This workshop was piloted as part of the Draw On! program, a month–long celebration of drawing organized by The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. For more on Draw On, click here.
Go to the Doodlebug section of this site
See the Doodlebug Tutorial Video!
2. A Dive in the Ocean, A Break in the Ice
A dynamic, beautiful visual show including illustration, photographs, maps, and video, as well as hands–on (and nose–on) souvenirs from the ocean floor, this presentation draws on my work on books about the ocean and on three trips "to sea". My adventures include two month–long research cruises in the Pacific and Sea of Cortez aboard research vessel Atlantis, two dives in the submersible Alvin, and a three–week research cruise aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, an icebreaker in the Arctic.
Highlights:
- creative / publishing process
- the experiences of scientists
- plate tectonics and the extreme environment of the hydrothermal vents
- technology and transportation
3. Your Choice: Writing / Art Workshop
On request, I’ll gladly create a writing / drawing workshop for a longer time frame and customize it to your group. I’ve taught creative people ages 6 to 90 (so far). I prefer that workshops involve no more than 25 people. They’re best when they last 90 minutes to 3 hours. For example:
- Jumpstart! Connecticut Writing Project workshop for adult writers
- Workshop on Writing for Children: Western Connecticut State University Masters of Fine Arts residency
- Ferguson Library, Stamford: Doodle–Writing Workshop with Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles, grades 4 and up
Fees:
Special to Connecticut public libraries, summer 2010:
Doodle On, Dude or A Dive in the Ocean, A Break in the Ice –– $300 per presentation
$500 for single presentations of Doodle or Dive
$1200 per day, 3 presentations of Doodle or Dive
For Your Choice Workshops, please call me to discuss your plans and we’ll agree on a fee.
I am exploring options for helping schools and libraries with fees and welcome your input/ideas about this.
Find out more about the Draw On! program at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, in Ridgefield, Connecticut by clicking on the graphic below.
PLACES TO LOOK FOR ME:
- July 8, 2 p.m. Ferguson Public Library, Stamford
- July 13, 4 p.m. Brainerd Library, Haddam
- July 17, 11 a.m. Greenwich Public Library, Greenwich
- July 20, 2 p.m. New Milford Public Library, New Milford
- July 21, 1 p.m. Portland Public Library, Portland
- July 28, 10 a.m. Watertown Public Library, Watertown
- August 11, 2 p.m. Stratford Public Library, Stratford
PLACES I'VE BEEN:
- Connecticut Library Association's showcases, 2010
- Cyrenius H. Booth Library, Newtown, Connecticut
- Children's Book Night, Post Road School, White Plains, New York
- Draw On! Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, March 27 – April 10, 2010
- National Science Teachers Association annual conference, March, 2010, Philadelphia
- Connecticut Writing Project Conference, University of Connecticut
- Johns Hopkins Discovery Day, The Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk, Connecticut
- Garden Street School, Brewster, New York
- John F. Kennedy School, Brewster, New York
- Children's Book Day, Sunnyside, Irvington, New York
- Bethlehem Public Library, Bethlehem, Connecticut
- National Marine Educators Association Annual Conference, 2008, Savannah Georgia
- Connecticut Library Association, 2008, Groton, Connecticut
- George Mason Elementary School, Alexandria, Virginia
- William B. Ward Elementary School, New Rochelle, New York
- Western Connecticut State University MFA Residency, Danbury, Connecticut
- Hartford Public Library, Hartford, Connecticut
- Robbins Library, Arlington, Massachusetts
- New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts
- Mystic Seaport Book Store, Mystic, Connecticut
- Fish Tails, Tugs, and Sails Children's Festival, New London, Connecticut
- Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, Massachusetts
- Eight Cousins Bookstore, Falmouth, Massachusetts
- Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York
- Holland Hill Elementary School, Fairfield, Connecticut, November 3, 2008
- SCBWI Shoreline
