Of Harlequin Ducks and Poetry Books

For more than a week now I've been contending with the worst cold-like virus I've had in ages. It just won't let go. So everything (especially me) is moving slowly and I have a serious case of cabin fever. Yes, it's true. I'm grumpy.

But there have been one or two little bright spots. Monday, when I foolishly thought I was getting better, I went for a little expedition to find harlequin ducks.

Seriously, what's not to love about a harley duck?

These critters were invented just for printmakers, I think, and I'm itching to do a lino (or ten) of them. But I had never seen "harley" ducks until I moved to Maine, and they're only here in the winter, so one has to go find them when one can.

It was a nice day, and I got some good looks at them and some nice reference photos, but Tuesday I learned the error of my ways when I woke up feeling worse. Ugh.

Enter the second bright spot! Last autumn I was contacted by a picture editor for Macmillan Publishers UK, who were interested in using one of my images on a book cover. Of course I said yes... and then was more delighted later when they came back asking for a second one to use on the back cover.

Since the books were being published in the UK, I didn't hold out much hope of being able to get them here, but was delighted when a parcel arrived from London with a couple of copies in it. Yes, linocut fans. There are linos on the cover of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." My brush with fame.

"Leaves of Grass," Macmillan Collectors Series

The lovely surprise since then is the discovery that the book is available through Amazon here in the US, which means it probably ought to be available through at least some local booksellers. Fun, eh?

I'm really hoping to get in to the studio for a little while this afternoon... keep your fingers crossed I can manage to stay upright! But if I have to go back to bed again, at least I have something new to read.