Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 192 - 7.14.16

Another day, another event to set you on your heels... one step at a time.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 191 - 7.14.16

WE ARE THE ARCTIC

Follow the link above to find out how you too can help to protect the Arctic Refuge!

Harts Pass No. 307

I usually ink my comics on paper and then color them in Photoshop with the wacom. In order to keep a lighter load for the International Literacy Association conference in Boston last weekend I left the computer at home and did this week's strip on an iPad Pro with the Procreate app -- and I'm pretty pleased with the result! Not only that, but that app records the entire process so you can basically watch me brainstorm :) NOT a pretty process, so don't expect a video link every week!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 190 - 7.13.16

"Home Sweet Home!" after a great several days at the Boston-based International Literacy Association Conference, I did fall a little behind on my post cards - but I'll make it up this week. The workable trade-off came in the form of speaking with hundreds of people as a part of the Alaska Wilderness League's booth and in helping to pass out about 900 #wearethearctic books to teachers, librarians, and literacy specialists from around the country. I gave away 135 Polar Bear Post Card Prints as well, and hope to speak with even more students and teachers this fall in the form of Skype visits to encourage support for Arctic protecions. GRRR!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 189 - 7.10.16

A second fine day of giving away #wearethearctic books at #ILA2016 Talked to LOTS of people about the Arctic National Wildlife refuge and the bears have distributed at least 120 Polar Bear Post Card Prints to teacher, librarians, and educators from around the country! Looking forward to Skyping with schools and hopefully helping kids and classrooms to send even MORE post cards of support for Arctic protections when schools ramp up again in the fall. One more half day at the conference on Monday so stop by booth NO. 610 and get you free books on the refuge.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 188 - 7.8.16

A post card drawing yesterday from the Boston Gardens -- not too far from my hotel and the 2016 International Literacy Association conference. It's a little dark because scanning on the road is nothing like working from home, but so it goes :)

Thinking a lot today about the role that literacy plays in creating a better world -- one where fear of other people/places/ideas/religions is perhaps not quite so prevelant. And the weeping willow... there are several scattered around the garden, but the events of the last few days are sad indeed. In the words of our fine President and the recipient of this card: We can do better.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 187 - 7.7.16

In Boston for the International Literacy Association Conference... and the bears kept a low profile among the brownstones and tiny streets on the south end of town. Set up tomorrow and then things really get rolling for the weekend :) I'll be doing a short little talk about humor in children's lit on Sunday 8-9am and will be helping to staff the Alaska Wilderness League's booth -- and hopefully drumming up more participation in the polar bear post card project during the rest of the time.

Harts Pass No. 306

Still reveling in the exploratory freedoms of summer :) Not quite the same luxury for adults as it generally might be for kids, but good to remember that even away from "work" we can still be soaking' things in! 

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 186 - 7.6.16

Ugh! I guess this is grumpy me when I've had way too much to do in way too short a time... VERY excited to be heading east to Boston and the International Literacy Association Conference -- and the furrowed brow of build-up has eased a bit now that I am on the road :) Stop by the Alaska Wilderness League Booth to chat about the Post Card Project and take your own first steps towards #climateaction to protect the #Arctic

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 185 - 7.5.16

After a great weekend at the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 184 - 6.30.16

I'm a little early with the theme... but it's virtual fireworks only here in eastern WA (which is totally fine and appropriate given our sage brush summer climes) so the colorful spirit of both independence, tolerance, and acceptance that actually DO make our country so great can lead you preemptively into a happy July 4th weekend! 

Harts Pass No. 305

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 183 - 6.29.16

After yesterday's terror attack in Turkey, this bear is simply tired... Forward facing. Resolute. Solid. But tired. Eyes open soon. Onward and upward!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 182 - 6.28.16

Water Bear!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 181 - 6.27.16

Summer reading hits its stride this week -- with warmer temps at home an irresistible desire to spend more time in mountain lakes and streams. Thanks to a cooler stretch of late spring the snowpack is still holding together up high, but give it another week or two and most of the north Cascades will be open to explore!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 180 - 6.24.16

Iconography for the Clean Power Revolution. Standing tall for Climate Action!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 179 - 6.23.16

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 178 - 6.22.16

I've explored this idea of a pensive polar bear and his reflection before, but my daughter's post card  for the day (below) had me thinking along similar lines again.

Harts Pass No. 304

More predator humor at Harts Pass. Cute and grizzly. It gets me every time :)

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 177 - 6.21.16

Another post that includes one of my daughter's excellent Father's Day cards :) In this case, she painted a quite fashionable lady bear -- note the scientifically accurate thinner neck in addition to the fabulous dress -- so I decided to create a paper dance partner! Pretty cool to have these cards already in hand to make my own inspirations even easier. And the beat goes on...

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 176 - 6.21.16

The summer solstice and the strawberry moon. 24 hours of daylight and a sun that never sets on the #Arctic #saveourseaice #wearetheartctic #summersolstice #monumentsforall

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 175+ by Keeley

For Father's Day, my awesome daughter gave me five polar bear post cards to send to the President this week :) Even better, she made them all as she patiently sat through an entire day of school visit presentations last Thursday! She thought that I might need a little help after a busy week -- and she was right that I got a little behind!!! But now that I'm back on track, President Obama will just get double the reminders to protect Alaska's coastal plain. Thanks so much kiddo. Love you!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 175 - 6.20.16

For Father's Day 2016

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 174 - 6.19.16

Last weekend in Seattle, my daughter and I watched the Brooks PR Invitational -- a elite high school track meet with some of the best high school runners in the country. Great stuff and a very nice precursor to Father's Day :) No steeplechase at the meet, but with it would be an event well suited to the polar bear when the icepack breaks up. 

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 173 - 6.17.16

Spending a few days in Seattle after my last school visits of the year. Making cards on the road is a bit of a challenge, but here is one from after yesterday's cruise around the emerald city!

Thank You Penny Creek!

I wrapped up my last school visit of the current school year with a great couple of days at Penny Creek Elementary in Everett, WA! 710 kids in two assemblies and eleven drawing workshops over two days. Phew! Good stuff all around and LOTS of enthusiastic writers and artists with awesome drawings to share :)

The west-bound trips through the North Cascades National Park are always sweet...

And just a few more shots of a drawing workshop underway - where my facial expressions can sometimes get a little animated :)

Harts Pass No. 303

Things are a little easier in the summer... but is that always better?

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 172 - 6.14.16

172 post cards. 35 weeks. SO many things... Still lots of good. Back to work!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 171 - 6.13.16

The world is at times a puzzling place... But it is also good, and real, and colorful, and varied. Many pieces together. Interlocking. Patterned. Reliant on the whole for strength and unity.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 170 - 6.12.16

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 169 - 6.10.16

A bear and the northern lights...

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 168 - 6.9.16

Congratulations to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the glass ceilings shattered this past week in her becoming the now presumptive Democratic nominee for President. That is, regardless of your political leanings or misgivings, an amazing and profound accomplishment that we should celebrate and embrace. 

Ceilings aside, we are still on thin ice and quite literally a shaky foundation for our Arctic's future due to climate change and global warming. I'm with Hillary, but I also hope that our current President will continue with as many actions as possible to protect the Arctic and reign in our carbon emissions for a cleaner future.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 167 - 6.8.16

A quick polar bear post card nod to yesterday's World Oceans Day. Live aloha, hang ten, and cut back on those carbon emissions! 

Harts Pass No. 302

Phew. On a hot June day... I am ALREADY looking forward to winter! 

World Oceans Day!

Another image from the recently completed If I Where a Whale by Shelley Gill -- in celebration of World Oceans Day! Not too much is known about the beaked whales depicted above, but for air breathing mammals, they are impressive extreme divers -- with certain species diving to depths 3300 feet and staying under for up to an hour at a time.

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 166 - 6.7.16

Another card inspired by recent student submissions :) I love how this one puts a little twist on the traditional comic panel -- and such great expressions as you move clockwise through the disappointment of the too warm thunderstorm!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 165 - 6.6.16

Last Friday, about 35 kids at Methow Valley Elementary made their very own Polar Bear Post Cards. It was a part of my very first "Art as Activism" workshop for the annual Young Writer's Conference, and of course, the kids had awesome ideas! I mailed a batch to the President this afternoon, and I will mail a second packet later this week. One card in particular, caught my attention for its EXCELLENT channeling of something totally 5th & 6th grade friendly - like Minecraft and video gaming - and climate change. So yes indeed, it's time to LEVEL UP! people - on climate change and many other things. Excellent work Nathan D. and thanks for letting me reinterpret your idea! 

On My Drawing Table: Whales!

I've been scanning final art and color-correcting files this week for my first-ever board book project! If I Where a Whale by Shelley Gill will be published by the Little Bigfoot imprint of Sasquatch Books sometime in the not-too-distant future (I'm guessing early 2017). Marine mammals rock!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 164 - 6.2.16

One way or the other...

Harts Pass No. 301

Amazingly enough, it's graduation week again in Harts Pass country. Another year has flown the coop, and the world is wild with possibility. Intuition kiddos. Go fourth with your gut and be good!

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 163 - 6.1.16

For my brother Ryan, who loves to ice climb, happy 42nd birthday! 

Presidential Polar Bear Post Card Project No. 162 - 5.31.16