Abigail Halpin 5/25/21 Abigail Halpin 5/25/21

Travails and Travels

I’ve really needed a laugh lately (who doesn’t), so watching “Travel Man” has been a much needed antidote. Speaking of Richard Ayoade, the internet informs me that he has not one, but two children’s books in the works. I may need a paper bag to breathe into, after reading that news.

Other sources of entertainment:

* The Vast of Night - The first few minutes feel disjointed, but hang in there. When this film takes off, it really takes off. Aliens, the Southwest, 1950’s nostalgia, low-budget: this one really ticked all the boxes for me. And with all of the news about UFOs as of late, you can consider this a primer for when our Alien Overlords arrive (joking… I think).

* The Lady Vanishes - The story of a missing Australian woman, Marion Barter, and her family’s search for answers. It’s a puzzling tale, with scores of twists and turns, criss-crossing the world. I hit refresh daily on my podcast app, always hoping for an update.

*The Last Place on Earth - I’m reading this one, based on my Dad’s recommendation. The story of the race for the South Pole, it’s utterly gripping and frequently maddening. What I’d originally anticipated to be merely a historical account is frequently a deep dive into the psyche and virtues of two polar explorers, Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott. It’s given me a lot of food for thought, in terms of how to approach adversity and struggles.

Abigail Halpin 4/27/21 Abigail Halpin 4/27/21

"When the sky is full of zeros and ones..."

A few weeks back, I was listening to a live Andrew Bird show from 2007. According to this article, I’m apparently not the only person with entertainment nostalgia. Anyhow, listening to Masterfade, got me sketching this.

Abigail Halpin 3/25/21 Abigail Halpin 3/25/21

All Creatures Great and Small

I’m working on final art for a book due soon, but I had to squeeze in some time to draw some All Creatures Great and Small art. It’s a show that’s rocketed into my top five series of all time, ever. It’s kind and quiet, witty and thoughtful. All the Fair Isle knits you could ever hope to see and the Yorkshire Dales — really what more can you ask for in a television show?

Also Nicholas Ralph (a.k.a, James Herriot) reminded me overwhelmingly of my maternal grandfather as a young man, both in looks and mannerisms. And that was an added bonus that brought a smile with each new episode.

Abigail Halpin 3/15/21 Abigail Halpin 3/15/21

Wearing of the Green

Abigail Halpin 2/19/21 Abigail Halpin 2/19/21

Cozy Up

This winter my second collection with FIGO Fabrics, “Cozy Up” came out. Inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, it’s full of mugs of hot beverages, snowflakes, pine boughs and all manner of, well, cozy things. I remember first working on sketches for this collection sitting at the window at Lil’s Cafe, with a latte and a cruller. Good times…

For Christmas, I decided to make a skirt with one of the prints from the collection. For a pattern, I used Zinnia from Seamwork. I made version 2, but went for the length of version 1 and skipped the belt loops. A quick sew, I love the shape, the pleats and most especially, the pockets (yesssss). I’d definitely make this one again. The only thing I’d rethink is a different finish on the side seams and pockets, but live and learn.

Abigail Halpin 2/3/21 Abigail Halpin 2/3/21

Itzhak

I’m thrilled to share that Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin was named a Schneider Family Book Award honor book, as part of this year’s American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards.

It was an absolute delight illustrating this book by Tracy Newman, a picture book biography about the young Itzhak Perlman. And I’m very grateful to have had Courtney Code as editor and art direction by the talented Steph Stilwell.

And while library and school visits aren’t a thing for me right now, I do have a virtual illustrator talk for the book that I recorded this past summer. A behind the scenes look at how the illustrations for Itzhak were made, there’s also a kid’s craft project included at the end of the recording. If you’re looking to make that craft, a violin sun catcher, here’s the free download you’ll need.