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"Art is a great uniter of people.
I met author Dana Kumerow through art, and discovered across a table of painting supplies she was a writer. Inside that writer lives a tomboy frog-catcher with an eye for mischief and a determination to be unlimited by gender stereotypes. Dana is quiet and thoughtful in a room of people, but hand her a paintbrush and all kinds of malarkey and eye-twinkling takes place. Kindred spirits, whimsical and full of inner children longing to be released. When the project called for a writer, I knew Dana was the one. I am teary with gratitude that she agreed to our insane ideas." - JEN WALLS |
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"This story began with art. I attended an art show, which led me to a wonderful little gallery that offered classes. My first instructor was Jen who introduced me to the world of “loose” watercolor rand patterned doodling called zentangling ( or JEN-tangling). From there I followed Jen’s gentle encouragement down a magical path filled with collage, mixed media journaling ,and acrylic painting as I rediscovered my inner wild child artist whom I call Scout. Jen was an early and enthusiastic supporter when I began writing a blog where I posted essays, word-play exercises, and imaginary tales. When she proposed that I create stories to accompany her whimsical pictures of girls, I was delighted. It was an art-driven project that carried me on and adventure unlike any I’ve ever experienced." - DANA KUMEROW
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"Brit is a ball of fire tearing across the earth in a blaze of paint. Her daughter is all that with a sharp wit on top. I was teaching a class in Charlotte where Brit worked when I met her, and was blown away by her fierce determination. When she asked me to collaborate, it was an easy "yes". When it became something personal - something to uplift her own daughter and others like her - the project became a love child. Yes, Brit and I have a passel of art children together, and they are all of the paintings in this book. Feeding them is a mess, but bath time is worse." - JEN WALLS |
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"Artists be crazy. And they make others lunatics with their antics. But they are also professional inspiration seekers and idea generators.
This book of stories helps one girl find her own - oh yes! And it inspired a new way to create a novel through collaboration and a backwards process (illustration first, then writing) which freed us from preconceived formulas and launched a wild maelstrom of creativity and energy and occasional hair-tearing but ultimately birthed this beautiful mash-up of whimsical art and storytelling. Collaboration is daunting, terrifying and process-stretching. But it's my favorite way to create. And sometimes there are cookies afterward. " - JEN WALLS |
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Rush hour in Crumpler, NC with author Dana Kumerow.
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A little storytelling by Brittany Tate and daughter Yasmine!
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