Book Art At VisArts

When reading children’s books, I would often notice strong brush strokes in the illustrations, providing a small glimpse of the original painting’s vibrancy. With lingering curiosity I would study each page of the book in an attempt to discover the technique used.>

The current VisArts at Rockville exhibit reveals the original artwork from 18 illustrators of children’s books. Turning the Page: the fine art behind illustrations not only presents the artwork, it offers the opportunity to read the published books in seats scattered throughout the gallery. The exhibit includes four gouache and colored pencil illustrations from Janet Morgan Stocke’s Minerva Louise, along with the artwork from Steven Walker’s boardbook, The Story of Rosa Parks. Since my favorite technique is acrylic on paper, the vivid underwater scenes from Jennifer O’Connell’s A Garden of Whales caught my eye. After viewing the exhibit they’ll never just be pictures in a book again. Viewers can’t help but appreciate the fine art that goes into each illustration.

In the Portfolio Gallery, The Art of the Book displays art in book form. Often these works expand one panel into many but they are also curved, origami, or keepsake box books. Using very few words, the artists tell a story with images. In Julie Friedman’s After, the book opens into four rooms revealing the secret of this relationship. Shireen Holman’s The Artist at Home is a series of woodcuts with wood covers that reveals a life much like my own with a coffee cup and legs in bed. In Milk, Butter, Eggs Alice Austin gives frustratingly limited glimpses into apartment building windows leaving your imagination to complete the scenes.

As always the Children’s Discovery Gallery engages the young ones in the media highlighted in the other exhibits. Kids can view the inspiring “Eric Carle: Picture Writer” on the interactive computer table, then make flipbooks and holiday cards while learning about blends of paper and papermaking.

The exhibit is on display from December 4, 2008 until February 21, 2009. VisArt hours are Monday to Saturday: 10 AM – 6 PM, Sunday” Noon – 5 PM.

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