Fox Pillows, Nesting Dolls, Art as Poetry

Welcome to Day 8 of Drawing Into Poems, my daily drawing/seeing/writing study into poetry.  You can read more about this month-long project here on my April 1 post.  Feel free to read the books with me and pull out your own sketchbook and jewelry box full of metaphor too...

Day Eight - Fox Pillows

Students - Yesterday I went to the Small Press Book Fair in Buffalo, NY.  I came home with two beautiful fabric journals, some lovely letter pressed note cards which I will give as a gift, a flowery card, and these two fox pillows.  It was very interesting to draw the flowery fabric, and I left some of the designs out so that you could really see the fox faces.  

Drawing this picture made me think about how I was making art from someone else's art (the foxes) who had made art from someone else's art (the fabric).  And so this drawing makes me think about those wooden nesting dolls that I adore so much: art inside of art inside of art.  This, I believe, is a good way to live.  Find something good and make another good thing from it.  In this way, the world just gets more and more good!

So....what does this have to do with poetry?  By now, some of you may be asking, "Why on earth is Amy drawing pictures instead of writing poems for every day of this National Poetry Month?"  I am not sure; it just feels right.  And I am stretching my brain muscles, the drawing ones that never have been stretched before.  I do think that all arts are so connected, and I feel that looking closely and paying attention to shapes and shadows is helping me become more sensitive and aware, both qualities I will need to grow as a poet.  These two fox pillows are poems on my couch.  And their creator (I don't know her name) was so kind.  (Can't you tell from the fox faces?)

Teachers - Yesterday I mentioned the rich post of poetry resources over at Teach with Picture Books.  Today I bring you another: over at TeachersFirst, you will find the Editors' Choice Sites for Poetry Month, and there are many wonderful finds that I have yet to explore!

P.S.  We have kittens again.  'Just brought a few home from someone's barn.  Two weeks old.  If you live in Western New York and need a kitten...please let me know!  Pictures to follow...

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