Cats and Jammers Studio

A children's book artist from the past: Sandra James

The summer is here and I have made my way up to New Hampshire where the pace is slower and more peaceful. Seriously, the pace really is slower. With my lead foot on the pedal I have had the humiliating experience of having the NH driver in front of me pull over to let me go by, because I must have been too close on his tail in "Boston Speed Driver" mode. Let me tell you, nothing makes you feel more like an arrogant city slicker and a jackass, than having a local resident feel the need to actually stop on the side of the road, to let the nutcake behind him zoom by.

This year the summer is a little different, since we will be going back and forth much more between Massachusetts and Hebron for most weeks. Usually I try to just settle in and stay put, but family affairs and scheduled surgery for my husband will see us mostly here on weekends.

That being the case, my collecting time up here in the treasure trove known as New Hamshire antique stores will be limited. But I'll try to squeeze a few outings in anyway.

One of the things I have begun seriously collecting is artwork by unknowns. I have found most of what I have up here. Most often I find landscapes, framed, and signed, painted with love, and often 50, 75, even more than 100 years old. The art I buy is pretty inexpensive, but lovely. The paintings I am drawn to were painted by some undiscovered painter, with plenty of talent, if not reputation.

And that is how I came upon the wonderful painting pictured above, although I actually found this one in a consignment shop in MA.

There was something very sepcial about this painting. Hard to put my finger on it, but there was a real talent and hint of whimsy that said "professional." On the back of this watercolor I found a label with this information:

American Watercolor Society Member 1950
TITLE: "Phil's Wharf"
ARTIST: Sandra James
ADDRESS: 554 West 114th Street, NYC

With the magic of Google, I disovered that Sandra James was a children's book illustrator. She seemed to have done a series of books by Alice Turner Curtis, one of these being A LITTLE MAID OF OLD CONNECTICUT, and other similar titles. Another book I found was from 1944, by Eleanor Youmans entitled: MOUNT DELIGHTFUL: THE STORY OF ELLEN EVANS AND HER DOG TAFFY.

On the askart.com web site, I was able to find only one other example of her paintings--a landscape of Central Park.

She was married to another artist by the name of Syd J. Browne.

I am trying to find more books illustrated by Sandra James, and any additional information I can get my hands on. If you are someone who is familiar with her work, her books, or can tell me anything about her, I would so love to hear from you.

This painting speaks to me, and, in a way, I feel that Sandra James is doing the same. I also find strangely pleasant the fact that my husabnd's name is Phil, like the title of the painting.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program...

..to show you this:

I don't know why, but this just soooo appeals to me. Maybe it has something to do with having an aesthetic sensibility that embraces Elvis Lamps. Or maybe it is because I just got back from San Antonio and I want to bring a little of the south up here to Massachusetts.

Whatever. I NEED this for my patio. I want to put it right by the running waterfall pond with the swimming coy. Of course, I'll serve little drinks with umbrellas, and also light Tiki torches.

And in the winter, I'd bring it inside the house and stick it in the middle of the sun room.

We'll see. Maybe by summer....

Now back to business.

Coming up on Saturday: BLOG TOUR visit by author/illustrator Joe Kulka. Make sure to visit. Joe is VERY funny....

Go ahead, give me the boot....

I tend to identify very closely with stories and characters. In the seventies, after reading Charmed Circle by James R. Mellow and various bios of Collette, I became obsessed with Paris. I wanted to cook like Alice B. Toklas. I wanted to just hang with artists. I wanted to eat lots of cheese and drink lots of wine.

Down the road when I was reading the "Clan of the Cave Bears" books I started using all kinds of wild fruits and herbs when I cooked, a la Ayla. I think my husband actually went into Wild Berry overdose.

More recently, when I was reading Memoirs of a Geisha, I paid close attention to subtle nuances of being graceful and I actually spent time drooling over kimonos and contemplating how I poured a cup of coffee or tea. Is my wrist delicate and seductive, or do I move like Sylvester Stallone? (answer: Yo! Adrian.)

These and other books made me think myself out of my own skin in various ways. That is the magic of books. I can still taste the cinnamon toast I think I made myself while reading Seventeen as a teenager. For some reason I think someone in that book ate lots of cinnamon toast. Am I remembering correctly?

I also did this kind of stuff as a doll maker and puppeteer. I guess, in the end, it's not enough to read about, or create characters; I like to become them, too. Well, I like to become them if they are likable, anyway.

So what to do if your most recent characters are country music singing kitties? Start singing? NO. People would pay BIG BUCKS for me to NOT sing, believe me. I could grow whiskers easier than learn to sing.

No, I think I have hit upon the perfect solution. I need something from this web site:

And I think this is exactly what I need: http://www.rocketbuster.com/

Blame Betsy...

Yes. Blame Betsy. Betsy Bird of Fuse #8. It is her fault.

When I went over to check out her blog this morning (Thurs., Feb. 22), like I do every morning, I scrolled down to find a YouTube video of the Four Freshman, doing a great number on a librarian.

Now since I really do remember that kind of music, having lived through it, I loved watching those four fresh freshman (and, for the record, I really DID have a jumper like that). In fact, I loved it so much I went over to YouTube to see more of them. Which then led me first to a video of the Boswell Sisters doing a nice blues number called Heebie Jeebies.

But it got worse. The Boswell Sisters pointed me to my favorite singing sisters, The Andrews Sisters. (seems like only a few posts back I was thinking about those gals. Oh, wait--it was only a few posts back)

When I was a kid I LOVED the Andrews Sisters, although I could NOT get into those padded shoulders. I hated that style. How was I to know back then, that I would be sporting my own football pads once the 80's rolled around? On YouTube I watched a whole bunch of great Andrews Sisters videos: A nice montage, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, and one from an old Abbot and Costello movie "Hold That Ghost" that I wacthed over and over and over again on Million Dollar Movie, out of New York on Channel 9. The number is "Aurora." (the famous line from that movie: "Moose kept his money in his head....")

But then, I found a great video of the Sisters with Dean Martin from the 60's. And let me tell you--I LOVE Dean Martin in the 60's. I am one of those nuts who bought this. And it is great.

So I am late to getting back to work. And it is all Fuse # 8's fault because of that great librarian bit.

Edited to add: This one you have to see. It's a clip from BUCK PRIVATE, with Abbot and Costello and the Andrews Sisters again. There is some great jitterbug dancing on this one. Gotta love that swing!

Even tho I'll join BACA....

When BACA is official, I will sign on and have it notarized. It's a need. It will be good for me. Like therapy. Honestly, I think I am already in need of some professional help to deal with the kind of negative feelings those celebrity books seem to evoke in me.

And now something has come along that makes me think I MIGHT LIKE THE IDEA OF A CELEBRITY ILLUSTRATOR. Yes, you read it right. I said such a thing.

I know that we all do a lot of whining about celebrity children's books, and with good reason, but in truth we illustrators never worried about having to deal with celebrity illustrators. Why, that's laughable, I'd say. GFAW! I was pretty certain and smug about that.

Until this celebrity. And I bet he could do a darn good job, too.

I am talking about Jeff Bridges. Thanks to DRAWN, which I caught on JacketFlap, I saw this post.

And then I took a look and was wowed by the simple and attractive energy of this site:

Man, I always thought Jeff Bridges was hot to begin with. But now--whoa.

I'd even buy a book and go to a signing.

I think this might put a whole new lean on Fuse # 8's Hot Men in Children's Literature.

You can take the girl out of Jersey.....

...but you can't take the Jersey out of the girl.

Of course I am talking not only about myself (lived in Newark, Westfield, Rahway and Elizabeth for the first ten years of my life; does it get any more Jersey than THAT?) but this author and journalist Robin Friedman, whose site I just came upon by accident on someone's blog (and whoever's blog it was, forgive me I cannot remember).

She has made me embrace my inner Jersey Girl again. And she has some great interviews up. And I think I need to read her stuff ASAP.

Besides, how can you not like a gal whose husband appears to be a cowboy wannabe? I have spent my whole life both wanting to live in NYC and also being a cowgirl. Yes, I know. These things are mutually exclusive.

Junk and Lunch Bribe

Horns.....

This is what you do when you need to have something, but you don't have time to get it: you ask a friend. Thank you, John! And thanks, Bullwinkle, for shedding such lovely antlers.