Warning: This Book May Inspire the Desire to Create

 

I saw a very large black snake when I was biking yesterday. It was early evening and he was stretched across the road warming himself in the waning light. Instead of recoiling in horror, (my usual M.O.), I felt a sort of friendliness toward a fellow traveler. Perhaps because I'd seen him before in the very same spot. Or perhaps, having read this book with its simple poems and delightful illustrations, I feel more grateful and tender toward the world outside my window.

Author Nicola Davies says of writing "Outside Your Window": "I cast off my grown-up self and found the me I was at five or six." Flipping through the pages reminded of a time when the simplest things could inspire awe; an early morning spider's web in all its glittering geometry, the flick of a squirrel's tail, the tip of a seedling peeking up through the soil in a paper cup, the smudgy gray of a pigeon feather, a tumble of broken seashells scattered by a wave.

Mark Hearld uses a melange of cutouts, pastel, paint, pen and ink, woodblock print and colored pencil to create his juicy, layered collages. Detailed borders and backgrounds add even more dimension. I was so uplifted and inspired by his images, I could hardly wait to paint, draw and try my hand at carving a small woodblock.

It is Hearld's art, most of all, that gives proof of the rich gifts nature offers; the treasure trove of sights, sounds and seasons that wait "Outside Your Window". Davies' simple poems provide the perfect grace note.