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Nov. 28-29
Book Signings in Ellsworth Blue Hill and Corea Rebekah will be signing books at Mr. Paperback in Ellsworth Saturday Nov. 28 10-11 AM Nov. 28 at Handworks Gallery on Main Street in Blue Hill from 2-4 PM. Nov 29th at Chapter Two in Corea Maine
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Nov-13&14th
The Gifted Hand Art Show Listed as one of the top ten Winter Craft Shows to see in New England in the Boston Globe.com's Travel blog in 2008. Click here to read the whole entry. Location: Holiday Inn Convention Center (Tennis Court Area) 215 High Street, Ellsworth, ME. Dates & Times: Friday, November 13th 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, November 14th 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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September 24, 2009
Bear-ly There, Rebekah's New Children's Book, Arrives October 15th! Watch the site for the arrival of Rebekah's new book Bear-ly There. You'll be able to purchase a signed copy right here on the site or ask for it at your local book store. Book signings and dates will be added here as they become available. More info.
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September 15, 2009
Two New Cards of Rebekah's Paintings...
Look in the "Purchase Cards" section of the site.
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April 2009
Matinicus Island School Visit Matinicus Island School Visit  There have been many wonderful, exciting and rewarding moments that have come about since becoming a writer and illustrator. One of the most unique and truly moving experiences have come out of the Island Reader and Writers organization. I have enjoyed school visits, connecting with students K through 12 ,helping them to find their own voices through expressing themselves in their drawings and paintings in a story telling format. The school visits to the Islands though have given me more satisfaction than I could ever imagine. I not only enjoy the ferry boat rides seeing all the bird life, seals hauled out on the rocks, amazing views from a 4 seater plane ride 22 miles off the Maine coast with the beautiful clusters of pine and spruce covered rocky edged islands. I love meeting the creative and courageous children and their families who live year round on these Islands. My latest visit to Matinicus Island April 15 was just that special. 6 Children, ages 5 to 12 were swinging and playing in their small school yard when we arrived. The teacher Heather was so gracious and I got set up in the warm and colorful one room school house on a carpeted stage like platform where I placed all of my show and tell materials. The children were able to scoot their chairs all close to where I was sitting ,on the edge of the platform stage. I was able to sit ,look into each of their wide eyed and eager faces and speak about my childhood and early interests in drawing and animals. I could show them pictures ,examples and ask and answer questions in such a comfortable and intimate way. Different than other schools where I present to large groups in a more hurried fashion ,knowing I would only have 45 min. to an hour for each class. I loved getting to know each child by name and individual characteristics and interests. I loved being able to present, demonstrate a drawing technique, have lunch with the teachers as the children went home for lunch. Come back where we ended to complete their drawings then transferred drawings to watercolor paper for a technique that I use in my own work ,ink, watercolor then pastel pencils to finish.  The results were outstanding and the atmosphere for working was quiet and concentrated even for the youngest 5 year old. I signed books that were given to each child and was rewarded by the laughter that came from the funny drawings I would do for each child's favorite animal as part of the signing. They were so appreciative and seemed pleased with their days work. The plane ride back to the main land was thrilling as I sat up in front with the pilot and Jan behind me seeing Matinicus from the air. I will remember that day and hope that the children would continue to work and practice the techniques we talked about. I hope they might do a illustration project involving poetry or short stories that they study and write about and follow up with an illustration using the pen and ink, watercolor and pasteltechniques. I am grateful for the opportunity to be invited to work in this special program and would be so very happy to return in the future.
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03/16/2009
Orland School Visit I had a wonderful school visit at the Orland Consolidated School in March. Early student arrivals met me at the door, with open and friendly hellos. I learned later in the day that the school's wonderful Librarian, Karen Lanpher, had not only read both books, Thanks to the Animals and The Very Best Bed, but had also visited my web site with the children so they were well informed about my workshop scheduled for the day. I was so impressed by the young students, who asked me very seriously how do I make my Illustrations? I thank Karen for arranging such an inspiring and organized day, working in the school's cafeteria seeing students K through 8th grade. I loved the drawings of salamanders, kitties, dragons, birds, landscapes, flowers, dogs, elaborate vehicles, horses, 3 eyed monsters, trees, deer, a monkey and a fox. Each drawing made me think of a story to be told, and a character that could grow. I so loved working with the children and hearing their stories. I hope they will continue to write and draw, so that some day I will read their books and enjoy their illustrations. I enjoyed meeting the very passionate and caring teachers. Special thanks to all at the Orland Consolidated School and special thank to Mr. Hardie. I hope to visit again.
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12-04-2008
Rebekah Raye Fall Update Here it is Dec. 3rd 2008, almost a year since I last wrote about the latest going-ons. We are having a warm spell here 39º with sunny and blue skies. This past year was one full of some great and some sad moments. I will talk about some of the good times which included several school visits north and south. I spent a wonderful week in March in Greenwich, Conn. at a all girls catholic school, Convent of Sacred Heart. I spent the day working in the art rooms giving illustration presentations and doing hands on workshops with kindergarten through 12th grade. I spent the evenings with one of my dearest friends, Erica Bogin, who teaches art at the school there, and was responsible for arranging the whole visit. From Greenwich, I headed to Frenchville, Maine which was in deed a great contrast in environment. Frenchville is at the very tip top of the state and still had snow in places in April. I saw my first young Moose walking along the side of the road. She supposedly was a baby, but was as big as a full grown buck that I see here from time to time. I worked with 9th and 10th graders in the mornings, would drive a few miles eating my lunch in the car and then worked with the elementary children in the afternoons. I presented to each class giving examples of the illustration process and then got right to work having the kids involved in character development exercises. I loved the art program there led by a Theresa Cercero. The children were wonderful to work with and I loved their French accents and their natural knowledge of animal life and farming, especially potato farming. Another successful and exciting visit was at the Bowdoin Central Elementary School in Bowdoin,Maine. I loved this new school and was so happy to be included in their Maine Percent for Art program from the Maine Arts commission. My art work was chosen as one of the pieces for the new school. It consisted of 5 3'x5' carved pine wood and painted panels expressing the town's environment and wildlife around the school. I was especially excited to talk about the process of making the mural with the children while I was there. Kathie Dieffenbach is the art teacher and I was so excited to be working with such an inspiring and accommodating teacher. My last school visit of the spring was in Cedar Key, Florida where my husband and I love to get away before the busy summer. The birds and wildlife there are so beautiful and plentiful and my favorite place to warm up and paint . I loved the Ospreys that nest in the school's ball field on the light poles. White Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills graze on the school's lawn throughout the day. I was invited to a annual Young Author's Conference at the Cedar Key Elementary School led by Brenda Coulter. There are 200 children in the whole school, kindergarten through grade 12. I presented my illustration process and also included a hands on workshop with the children. I am always excited to see the drawings the children create related to the project. A wonderful story teller whom I would highly recommend was also invited during the week. Kaye Byrnes would have a story time prior to my lesson and frequently the characters from her stories could be illustrated in my classes. I had a June school visit that was so special. It involved catching the mail boat at 6:30 a.m and riding out of the Stonington, Maine harbor to the Island of Isle au Haut about an hour's ride out. The seas were calm with the fog lifting and bird life of guillemots, terns, gulls, eiders and occasionally a harbor seal were so fun to see first thing in the morning. I was invited through a Island Readers and Writers Program established to bring Authors and Illustrators to Islands off the coast of Maine led by Jan Coates and Sallie Findlay. We were picked up at the dock on the Island by the school's teacher Paula Greatorex and driven with all our gear and books to be signed. There were 7 children ages 6 to 13 in a one room historic schoolhouse that looked out over the harbor and out to open water. It was truly like going back in time. I loved working one to one with each student after an illustration demonstration and presentation. We then did our drawing workshop and some students were able to begin a "dummy" or mock up of their own stories and experiences. I made a return trip this fall for a continuation of what we talked about in June. It was wonderful to work on a project throughout the day without school bells ringing and then to receive a tour of the Island with Paula after classes. The mail boat ride back was especially beautiful. I just returned from a 3 day school visit at the Helen Thompson School in West Gardiner Maine. I was so happy to see the beautiful farm land and had the good fortune of staying over one night with my Publisher on her farm, seeing her oxen and new 3 week old calf and dog named Trixie who can jump through hoola hoops with such grace. We talked about my next book which I have been writing away on the past month. I worked with Kindergarten through 5th grade presenting the illustration process and more hands on drawing workshops with the help of a wonderful art teacher, Kathie Susi. I have met such warm and giving people during my school visits and have become good friends with them and hope to keep in touch. I stayed the election night with a dear family of four and became especially close to the son of Susan Caldwell, who was responsible for the school visit. A very talented 8 year old boy named Charlie, who loves dragons and draws them with such sensitive detail. He will most likely be one of my models in my new upcoming book. Two sad things happened this year. One that you might have read about was the loss of my 17 paintings in a fire at the Moss Gallery on July 29 in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Good Friends had opened this beautiful gallery in a historic building the previous year and had just finished remodeling the second floor for more exhibition space, with care to tradition and character of the building. Several of my pieces had just been hung the very day of the fire. I thank those of you for your kind words about my work. I am thankful to keep painting, new ideas are coming everyday and I hope there will be a new gallery in that area in the future. The second thing that has been hard is this past Oct. 24th, at 11:30 a.m.,I lost my two white beloved geese of 15 years to a bobcat who had pushed their door to the ground and squeezed through as I was teaching a private class. I heard their honk which sounded different and ran to the window in the next room to see one goose down and the bobcat on top of the other. I interrupted the attack, but was too late. I have many times heard the sound of the geese when there is danger and found a fox or dog or other bobcats running along the outside of their fenced in yard. I have lost many chickens who would fly out of the yard to graze, to the bobcats. I love the wildlife here so very much and need to live in a place like this to fuel my paintings and sculpture. I feel that it was nature that took my geese and I would of felt differently if it was a stray dog. I miss their blue eyes and orange pink beaks and the way they, even though were domestic geese, seemed to be a bridge to wild life for me. I could tell when a hawk or eagle flew overhead by the sound of their honks, a stranger or new animal in the yard, a car pulling up in the driveway, and the trust that developed, sitting quietly beside me when I worked outside. I will paint them and sculpt them as they are still with me so very much in my heart.
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August 1, 2008
Rebekah's show goes on at Handworks Gallery, Blue Hill Despite the loss of art work in the Northeast Harbor fire on July 29, 2008 Rebekah is opening her show at the Handworks Gallery in Blue Hill as planned. The opening is Thursday July 31st from 5 to 7 PM. Take a look at the paintings page and the sculpture page on this site for a peak at what she has showing.
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July 31, 2008
Art Work Lost In Northeast Harbor Maine Fire On July 29, 2008 the Moss Gallery burned. Four buildings on Maine Street in Northeast Harbor are a total loss. Rebekah along with many other artists lost art work. Our thoughts go out to all affected by the fire.
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Jan.15,08
Morning after the Storm, 23 degrees We awoke to a pink sunrise through snow covered branches to watch the Mourning Doves trying to find a place to land. A Gray Squirrel leaped from one branch to another blasting through the snow so brave as always with those amazing jumps. Quite a storm last night. I love being snowed in with my Man. We watched two deer in the back yard digging for left over cracked corn that I put out for the crows and other critters. We must have over a foot of snow! I can't wait to go tracking to see who was out there. I have my classes this morning and afternoon. Adults this a.m. and children in the afternoon after school. I concentrate on drawing lessons, as I feel if you are confident with your drawing it will help you with every thing else. I finished a large portrait of a Moose for our favorite local restaurant in Blue Hill," Blue Moose." We have our breakfasts there every Sunday. They are such fabulous chefs and we love them and the staff. They have been showing and selling my prints there for the past 3 years. I have painted the Moose for them as a special thank you. I have started working on a new approach with my paintings. I love using a goose feather quill dipped in ink for drawing. I find there is no room for tightness when I use the goose feather, which are from my own geese who drop them every spring. I am drawing directly on canvas and once the ink is dry I use acrylics and when the acrylics dry, I use oil pastels thinned with turpentine. It has a wonderful loose and expressive effect that I like. I like to see the drawing underneath which is strong from the original ink drawing. My subject matter is a cheetah in a patient and stalking like pose. I was inspired by a beautiful documentary on Public Television's Nature series. The drawing was spontaneous and from memory so anatomy correctness is not as important to me as the attitude of the cheetah. Well, off to shovel paths for the geese and to the bird feeders, may take a while, and be my exercise for the day.
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Two new cards are now available on the site. Dance of the Luna Moth and Crow Thoughts.