My Visiting Artist Lecture at the University of Manitoba School of Art

Poster courtesy of Kirk Warren

I was invited by the University of Manitoba School of Art to do an evening lecture on illustrating children's picture books. Life came full circle - I studied art history at the school of art, and now I was lecturing there as an 'authority figure' to the students. It felt like a homecoming.

The painting studios at the School of Art are housed in an old barn that was once used to house livestock for the agriculture department. When the agriculture department had outgrown the building, the School of Art re-purposed it for studios. The vaulted space in the roof is amazingly light, airy and inspiring - the perfect place to learn to paint. The student lounge had cool mural painted on the wall. One wall said [SM]ART FARM, which of course makes sense because of the barn.

The room was packed with people. I had expected maybe one or two intrepid artists to show up, and I would have a little "fireside chat" with them around my computer and portfolio. It was not that intimate, in fact, they even had to fetch extra chairs !

Thank-you to everyone who came and asked questions. It was a pleasure!