February 5, 2007 – Creative Chaos

Here is the view from the the Little River B&B in Peterborough, NH. My husband and I had a great childless weekend exploring the town of Peterborough, where everyone is so friendly it made me want to move immediately. We were the first guests ever for Robert and Paula who were wonderfully welcoming. The room was spacious and warm with its own gas stove and comfortable bedding. There were “no worries” when it came to breakfast. The main course was a “Hakuna Matata Fritata” with cheese and sausage, preceded by banana-chocolate-chip scones and a yogurt, fruit and granola parfait with tasty homemade granola. Check out this great B&B next time you are in Southern New Hampshire!

We were fortunate to be invited to Lita Judge’s home for dinner and a tour of her studio.

Lita is an accomplished painter and illustrator who I met two years ago at the NESCBWI Illustrator’s Day at Simmon’s College. (By the way, Marilyn, we should do this again it was great!) Lita’s sense of composition, creates movement in her drawings. Her dark values placed next to almost white lights create focus and drama in each painting. Her color is rich and hard to achieve in watercolor. I wished I lived closer so she could be my mentor.We were both starting out at the time, and Lita has been able to bank on her tremendous talent to grow her illustration business by leaps and bounds.

You may have seen her work on Donna Jo Napoli’s book, Ugly but do not miss One Thousand Tracings, published by Hyperion and coming out this spring. Lita wrote and illustrated this historical picture book about American’s who helped the German citizens after World War II. As a Jew, I had always focussed on the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. This book reminds us that no matter whose war it is, the citizens of a country get swept up in the remaining poverty and destruction left behind. An important thing for us to remember in this day and age.