Collecting wild things was an exciting part of my youth. My siblings and I were collectors of frogs, field mice, dandelions, acorn caps, and a few edible items like raspberries along the fence line and hickory nuts from the pasture. Of course we had to watch out for the ones that were crusty with cow leftovers.
These are the memories that I draw from for my art and in my writing.
Author Bruce Handy wrote in his book, WILD THINGS The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult, about how Beverly Cleary and Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote from their life experiences, as many writers do. His wit and research combine to make an enjoyable read about many of the books you had loved from your youth, and thought you knew. But had you taken them at face value, and had you missed some of the deeper meanings as a child? Perhaps you should go back and take a look. But first, check out Bruce Handy’s book, it’s a collection of his interesting introspects on a variety of books that were, and still are, beloved by youth growing up. I highly recommend it.
And check out my collection of fruit set up for a still life done in pastel.
It’s a beautiful day. Perhaps I’ll go out and see what other wild things I can collect.