theater clouds

A surprise in the mail from the OAC

ellymackay — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:30:17 +0000

We moved 2 weeks ago to our new home and got a call from the new residents offering to pass along some mail. I am SO VERY happy we picked it up. In the pile of flyers, there was a letter from the Ontario Arts Council. A GRANT! I have been awarded a $5000 Visual Artist grant to assist in creating and developing new work and to continue work in progress. I am so delighted. It will allow me to further develop this technique and set aside some time to experiment with animation. I would like to add animation in my theater scenes. It could have all sorts of possibilities and potentially could be used in e-books for children. Simon has built me a special table for working in this way. Stay tuned!

Thank you to the Ontario Arts Council for your generous support!

GIVEAWAY

ellymackay — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 17:42:15 +0000

I put together a surprise envelope to give away during the move. (2 prints, cards and postcards) If you would like it, let me know what you would like to see in my little theater this spring… underwater explorers, aardvarks, a game of hide and seek, floating chairs… ?!? Anything could wander through. Tell me here: http://www.facebook.com/theaterclouds

Lily will pick a winner on Tuesday. Happy Egg Hunting everyone.

Home Sweet Home! We’ve Moved.

ellymackay — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:13:34 +0000

Over the weekend we moved to our new home. Koen has a room of his own and I finally have the studio I have always dreamed about… multiple windows, room for my different theaters and storage for all the bits and pieces. Oh… and a widow’s walk to eat my lunch on in the summer! I am having fun planning it out and working on a cover for a Miles Kelly book today. Here is a view of my new studio.

During the move, I found a few things I thought I would put together into a package for a giveaway this weekend on my facebook page… a couple of prints, cards, and postcards. My facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/theaterclouds

PS – They are doing a second printing of my book! Wooo.

National Post

ellymackay — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:40:23 +0000

Some great coverage in The National Post!

Today I am working on the manuscript for my next book with Running Press. It has been about a year since I last worked on it. It is nice to have had some distance from it. I can see it with fresh eyes and new ideas. I will be starting to work on the illustrations next week.

I have been running myself a bit ragged lately because we have been in the process of selling our house and buying a new one. Soon I will have a studio and Koen will have his own room. We purchased a big old Victorian house with lots of charm and lots of work that needs to be done. We will have to pace ourselves. I haven’t been able to get over my cold and now my ribs are hurting from coughing. Off to the doctor!

Hope all of you are doing well. Spring is sure rejuvenate! xo

PS- Have you seen the trailer for my book? You will find it at the top.

Quill and Quire – Starred Review!

ellymackay — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:05:33 +0000

Thank you to the Rocking Horse here in Owen Sound for hosting the book launch for If You Hold A Seed. What a fabulous time! We sold out. They have just gotten a new shipment. Westside nurseries contributed seed packets for the kids to grow. Thank you.

I was so delighted to read this starred review in Quill and Quire for If You Hold A Seed… http://www.quillandquire.com/books_young/review.cfm?review_id=7910

Here is a snippet: The sparely written text, about waiting, hope, and fulfillment, is richly elaborated by the pictures, which show the beauty of the changing seasons, the varieties of birds perching or nesting in the tree, and the developing interests of the boy as he studies a caterpillar, romps with friends, and reads in the tree’s shade. Each page promises many rewards through repeated viewings, and the book seems destined to become a classic. - Gwyneth Evans, Quill and Quire.

Look for the book in the National Post this weekend too.

I thought I would share this. I am putting together an idea for a publisher. Here is the sketch and final version.

Rocket to the Moon

ellymackay — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

This is not about paper arts but I have to share it! The very talented men in my family have collaborated on this beautiful piece and I am so in love with it. My husband, Simon is a woodworker. He works at EcoInhabit, doing the fine woodwork for Eco homes. He also makes beautiful boxes, furniture, installations and my theaters. He recently became interested in collaborations with other artists and created a challenge for my Dad. He made this beautiful base and asked my Dad to make a pot that would respond to the design. My Dad, Steve Irvine designed this metallic pot in response. I love how it looks like a rocket and transforms the stand into flames. It also allows people to see the crosses on the top of the stand. Ever more in awe of both of these men. I hope you will check out my Dad’s amazing work. He makes ceramic pinhole cameras which are out of this world. I’ll post one of them here too.

A camera by Steve Irvine that combines both ceramic and metal parts. Overall it stands 46 cm tall, and it uses a 4×5 inch piece of photo paper for the negative.

Review of If You Hold A Seed…

ellymackay — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:31:04 +0000

I’ve just seen the first review of If You Hold A Seed…

Publisher’s Weekly

Books are starting to arrive! Thank you to everyone who has purchased one.

I will be doing a book signing at the Rocking Horse in Owen Sound on Feb. 9th at 10:30 am. Hope you can come.

A magazine so good you will be waiting by your mailbox…

ellymackay — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:13:00 +0000

I’ve fallen in love with FLOW magazine. Have you heard of it? Until last month it was only available in Dutch. It is now being shipped all over the world to paper lovers like me… in English. The first copy I got in the mail had wrapping paper and a notebook included. The second – a calendar. It is a hearty thing, brimming with inspiration contemporary crafters, mindfulness, history, stories and goodies from places like Etsy. Here is where you can pick up a copy: http://www.flowmagazine.com/order-flow-magazine/

Jocelyn de Kwant, the creative editor got in touch and will be including one of my works in the next Dutch edition (February). She also sweetly did this blog post on my work. http://www.flowmagazine.nl/2013/01/08/elly-mackay/ Very excited to be in this.

I am sure you will enjoy the magazine… it reminds me a lot of another favourite magazine of mine, Frankie, out of Australia (thanks for picking one up for me Rachel!), but with more of an emphasis on the arts. Hope you will check it out, spread the word and enjoy it. xo

La Petite Issue 10

ellymackay — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 04:14:43 +0000

The latest issue of La Petite is now out – The Winter Issue. It was nice making the snowy backgrounds in my theater, while enjoying it out the window.

The Best Gifts – In Progress

ellymackay — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:27:10 +0000

I am currently working on the illustrations for a new edition of The Best Gifts by Marsha Skrypuch, the great Canadian author. It will be published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside in 2013.

There are many people in this book. Here is a little sneak peek at a few of them. Some of them are really tiny. I think I need to get out a magnifying glass soon. My eyes are starting to water.