Maxfield Parrish: Painter of Magical Make-BelieveInspiring biography of an artist whose colorful imaginative art appeared on ads, books, calendars, candy boxes, cards, illustrations, posters, and murals. Prints of Maxfield's work hung in millions of homes across America, and during the 1930s, he was considered one of the three most popular artists in the world. In his sixties, Maxfield fulfilled a lifelong dream by painting only landscapes from that time on. For twenty-seven years, he delighted millions of people with scenes of a "good place to be in." He painted until he was ninety-one and died a few years later in 1966.
REVIEWS & COMMENTS:
"Lois Harris isn't a visual artist, but that doesn't mean she lacks creativity. With her third children's book, Maxfield Parrish: Painter of Magical Make-Believe the former New Yorker is alerting kids---and adults---to the wonders of the art world."Amy Kepferle, Cascadia Weekly, January 12, 2012 "Maxfield Parrish: Painter of Magical Make-Believe" is especially recommended for school and community library American Artist collections, and a pleasure for non-specialist general readers to browse through from beginning to end.Midwest Book Review, Children's Bookwatch, The Art Shelf, Volume 21, Number 12, Dec. 2011 "Lavishly illustrated with examples of his art, Maxfield Parrish: Painter of Magical Make-Believe by Lois V. Harris (Pelican, 2011) is a biography for children of an artist whose work adorned posters, books, advertisements, and murals."Susan Olasky, World Magazine, Dec. 3, 2011 "An affectionate tribute to an influential illustrator whose 'art brightened millions of homes'."Publishers Weekly, Nov. 7, 2011 "...the fascinating content shines a spotlight on a significant painter whose lifes work should be known to all fans of painting, regardless of age."Julie Cummins, Booklist, Nov. 1, 2011 "How fascinating that Mr. Parrish became interested in oil paints while curing from tuberculosis here in Saranac Lake! His artwork was a gift to the world, and now your beautifully rendered biography brings his many contributions to life for a new generation."Kim Godreau, Institutional Advancement Administrator, Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY, Oct. 28, 2011 "...a truly stunning job by putting together the best of the best when it came to this stunning artist's work and offering an imaginative and educational book for any child interested in exploring the world of art and make-believe. Quill Says: A must-have for the book shelf! Maxfield Parrish was a true artist that the next generation should most definitely emulate!" - Amy Lignor, Feathered Quill Book Reviews Oct. 18, 2011 The Dabbling Mum
July 11, 2011 Interview Thanks to the following companies, individuals, institutions, libraries, and museums whose art and/or photos appear in my book (lucky you if you live nearby and can see them): Arizona State Library, History and Archives Division, Phoenix, AZ Brown & Bigelow, Inc., St. Paul, MN Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR Dartmouth College Library, Rauner Special Collections Library, Hanover, NH Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE Dr. Peter G. Livesey, Canterbury, England Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Fulton, KY Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Dept., Philadelphia, PA Haverford College, Special Collections Magill Library, Haverford, PA Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Library of Congress, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Washington, D.C. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, MA Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA The New York Public Library, New York, NY Trudeau Institute Archives, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 University of California, Davis, Special Collections Library, Davis, CA Mary Ann Dames created three delicious recipes to celebrate each one of my books. When she learned Maxfield loved chocolates and ordered them for mail delivery to his snowbound home in New Hampshire, Mary Ann dreamed up a delicious recipe using chocolate candy. She passed away on Oct. 14 but left us her "Snowy Surprises" to enjoy. Snowy Surprises 1 1/2 sticks (3/4) cup butter or margarine at room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 36 chocolate kisses++ (I used Hershey kisses) 1/2 cup powdered sugar* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, stirring until combined. Gradually add flour and mix well. Gather the dough into a ball. If it crumbles, add water, a teaspoon at a time. Smoosh small pieces of dough into a teaspoon. You should have about 36 pieces when you are finished smooshing. Wrap each one around a chocolate kiss. Roll the dough in you hands until smooth. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottom edges just start to brown. Place the powdered sugar in a zipper bag. Place two or three cookies in the bag and gently shake to coat. Place on a cooling rack set over paper towels or wax paper to catch any powdered sugar that falls off. Continue until all the cookies are coated. ++ To make this vegan, use a few vegan chocolate chips in place of the chocolate kiss. *If the powdered sugar has lumps, sift it. Makes about 36 cookies. Mary Ann Dames, M.S., R.D. ©2011 |
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