Caricatures, Silhouettes and Illustrations by Leona Hosack

Last year I was so happy to illustrate a book called "The Improbable Adventures of Boblepop" published by Anne Gordon Perry of Nine Petals Press, out of Texas. This book by Anne's father, Frank N. Gordon (published post-humously ) was based on bedtime stories that her father told to her and her siblings as kids. This and the one below are two of my favorite illustrations from this book, if I say so myself!

Drawing Caricatures all year has been such a source of joy for me, and after the reduced events of the past two years,  it was so much fun, doing caricatures at parties, weddings, festivals and graduation events! I think I have had more gigs this year than before the Pandemic, which is really meaningful to me, since this is my tenth year doing caricatures! Below are photos from a few of my Fall gigs! Some people always ask me what part of the face I choose to exaggerate first and how I decide that.  I don't really think about it consciously, because I'm used to doing this.  But If I take the time to think about it I would choose to increase or reduce whatever stands out to me first when I look at a person. Large ears will be larger, small eyes smaller, long hair, longer- all compared to the rest of the face.  Each caricaturist does it a different way but, I draw the face from the inside out. I found out that if I draw the outline of the face first I have trouble maki...

 Faces, Faces, Faces So grateful to be doing caricatures again! In June I was hired to do four different graduation events that occurred in the same week! three out of the four were in the middle of the night at all-night grad parties! I drew this caricature of this cute couple during the 2021 Project Graduation party at Sanford High School and Regional Technical Center in Sanford,Maine I did this caricature at Portsmouth High Project Grad. party in Portsmouth,NH. I had a lot of fun doing this caricature of students from Mt. Ararat high School (Topsham,Me.) at their graduation party in Harpswell, Me. Another caricature of students at the same party.

While cleaning out my art portfolio recently I found this piece of calligraphy that I did around forty years ago! I did the guitar design in the center as well.  It was done on parchment paper in ink and watercolors. I think I sold the original years ago to someone, I don't remember who. But I had made a color copy of it before I let it go. The quote is by Richard Wagner.  I studied Calligraphy and Illustration in College among other things and since I don't do much calligraphy anymore, this may be one of the few pieces of my own calligraphy that I have left.   I have made it available for purchase on several well-made and beautiful items in my RedBubble shop. You can check it out with the link below. https://www.redbubble.com/i/throw-pillow/The-Language-Of-Tones-Guitar-Design-by-leonahosack/69895643.5X2YF

  A number of years ago, I went to a children's book conference at the University of Mass. with some friends. We got to see Tommy Di Palo (StregaNona, etc.) speak about his Italian-Irish family and how he based many of his books on his upbringing in that culture.  One of the workshops I took that day was presented by the noted African-American children's book illustrator James Ransome. He showed slides of his work and discussed his method of illustration and especially how he used composition to compliment the action in his books! After the workshop I got to ask him a question I had because I was working on a children's book at the time that featured an African-American child.  I asked about illustrating children from a different culture or race than your own. I had previously read an article saying that illustrators or writers should stay within their own race or culture in their artistic endeavors. In other words, since I'm white do I have the right to illustrate or w...

  Memories-  I remember being a kid about 5 or older, going with my mom to the textile mill shop to pick out fabric for whatever project my Mom was working on for her latest sewing client. She always had customers coming to our house for her wonderful sewing skills.  She often did alterations for them and created hand-made clothing. We went quite often to the textile store. Oh how I loved getting lost in that store, hiding among the rich beautiful bolts of fabrics nestled close together on shelves. It seemed like there were hundreds of them. I became intoxicated by the textures, colors, patterns and feel of the cloth.  When I was in College majoring in Illustration/Visual Design, with a concentration on Children's Books, I did a work-study job for at least one semester, being an assistant to one of the Textile teachers. Besides basic cleaning up after students I got to organize drawing materials, and including labeling shells and other nature items, and putting away ...

  Silhouettes Made By Hand! This is me cutting silhouettes at The Strawberry festival in South Berwick, ME a few years back! Many times when I am cutting silhouettes, people ask how I learned to do this. I have been drawing faces all my life and have studied drawing and art for many years!  When I learned   (around 10 or 11 years ago) that silhouette cutting is something that some artists still do I thought ,wow I can probably do that! So I went online and checked out how other silhouette artists go about cutting silhouettes by hand, and then I practiced. And practiced! But because I could already draw faces it came kind of easily to me. I just look at a person's profile and cut a likeness out of black paper with just a pair of regular scissors that are very sharp! I then glue the silhouette onto a white piece of cardstock. Most people like a 5 "x 7 " format for easy framing, but I do work bigger from time to time. The silhouettes you see below were all cut by hand!...