Something inspiring, perhaps?
- Audrey White
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
This month– in the spirit of counting blessings– I wanted to catalogue the things that have recently added magic to my life. Noticing and appreciating the beauty around me is a large part of my art-making, and this month I want to share that beauty with you all.
• • •
Richard Scarry
We recently received the book “I Am a Bunny,” by Richard Scarry. As a Scarry newbie, I’d never read anything other than his “Cars, Trucks, and Things That Go.” These days, my son and I probably read “I Am a Bunny” twice a day. I love it more and more every time.
Could you ask for a more adorable first page?
How cute is little Nicholas! The delicate treatment of his fur, his soft bunny tail... Scarry did such a good job.
My favorite spread. Look at that snow!
I love the folk-ness of the clouds and hillside. Each spread is so quaint and thoughtful.
• • •
A beautiful house
We recently traveled to Oregon to visit family and rented the cutest farmhouse I've ever seen. I couldn't resist pretending I was a real estate agent and taking some photos.
We had a great time, with an excursion to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, visiting old friends, and lots of exclaiming "It's so beautiful here!"
• • •
Alice and Martin Provensen
Though I'm forever inspired by Alice and Martin Provensen's children's books, I'm even more inspired by their beautiful life. Last year I bought the book "The Art of Alice and Martin Provensen," the definitive book on their life's work.
After their service in the war, the Provensens were walking down the streets of New York City– portfolio in hand– looking for work. In their haste, they bumped into a man and spilled their art all over the sidewalk. Coincidentally the man was a fellow illustrator working for Simon and Schuster. As he helped the Provensens pick up their artwork, he was so impressed he referred them to his publisher who quickly gave them their first publishing deal. (Saturday Evening Post, 2022)
Years later the Provensens bought a farm they named "Maple Hill Farm." Their children's book "The Year at Maple Hill Farm," is one of my favorites.
They illustrated dozens of books together, earned a Caldecott, and adopted a daughter. As a family they were prolifically creative, down-to-earth, and hardworking.
Martin died of a heart attack in 1987, after which Alice continued to do solo work. She moved in with her daughter and worked on children's books well into her nineties, dedicating her books to her grandson. She died at age 99. (Wikipedia, 2025)
• • •
Sagebrush and Elk
Every so often while my husband and I are out walking, I grab his arm and gasp. He'll feel startled, thinking something's the matter. Everything's fine, I've just seen something beautiful I want to paint. We've experinced a lot of those moments recently.
Will I ever get around to all these paintings? I sure hope so.
• • •
Folktale Week
This year I decided to participate in "Folktale Week," a yearly art challenge on Instagram. The prompts this year were: Night, Echo, Rain, Book, Charm, Storm, and Dawn. I've loved seeing the beautiful images other illustrators have come up with.
While I wasn't able to commit the time I would have liked to Folktale Week every day, I had fun thinking of creative ways to communicate the prompts, and experimenting with inks. I was especially proud of my first Folktale Week piece, which I used to announce my participation in the challenge.
I recorded and narrated the process for this piece and uploaded the video to my Patreon page. Give it a visit if you're interested!
• • •
Thanksgiving
Above all I'm inspired by the beautiful people in my life. This year I'm especially grateful for family, and very conscious of the creative freedom we're given to create an intentional culture in our homes. As a new mom, I'm grateful for the women who somehow found the time to think of me when I was freshly postpartum. I'm grateful for my husband, for our careers, our baby, our country, and food. Especially food.
Citations:
Apatoff, David, et al. “The Art of the Post: Pictures from Your Childhood.” The Saturday Evening Post, 25 Apr. 2022, www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/04/the-art-of-the-post-pictures-from-your-childhood/.
“Alice and Martin Provensen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_and_Martin_Provensen.
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