Painter and illustrator Mary Lundquist is the featured presenter for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center on Saturday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. Lundquist, the illustrator of nine picture books, including as author of “Cat & Bunny” and “The Little Forest Keepers,” discusses her life as an artist and her journey to becoming a published children’s book creator.
Lundquist has worked with publishers such as HarperCollins, Random House, and Bloomsbury. During her talk, Lundquist will show her illustrations, fine art, comics, and ongoing projects while weaving in personal stories.
“I don’t know how to be a person without creating. I hope my presentation and the discussion inspires people to consider why creativity and community matter, especially in trying times,” Lundquist said.
In addition to children’s books, as a fine artist Lundquist paints with watercolor and acrylic, and she draws with colored pencil. She explores themes of home, landscapes, and woman and children. She also creates auto-biographical comics, “Dirt Baby Comics,” which reflect her experience as a parent with young children.
“My two-year-old son, Calvin, wanted to name his soon-to-be-born baby brother ‘dirt baby’ — but we stuck with ‘Dylan.’ It turned out to be, however, perfect for the comic. The quickly drawn comics gave me an outlet during the exhausting time of pregnancy and parenting. They make me laugh, and I know others can relate,” Lundquist said.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Lundquist graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Since then, she has lived in many places including southern California, northern Vermont, three different cities in the U.K., and the mountains of North Carolina. She currently resides in Princeton with her husband and three kids.
As the featured artist at Princeton Makes, throughout March, Lundquist will have her work displayed in the front window and available for purchase. Her work also can be viewed on her website at marylundquist.com and on Instagram @mary.lundquist and at the Princeton Makes Artist’s Co-op.
The event will begin with a reception and light refreshments at 6 p.m. The “Inside the Artist’s Studio” talk series, part of the cooperative’s programming initiatives, offers the public a monthly opportunity to learn about and from its creatives. Artwork by all cooperative artists will be available for purchase.
Princeton Makes is a cooperative of more than 40 local artists who work across a range of artistic genres, including painting, drawing, stained glass, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry. Customers can support local artists by visiting their in-store studios and shopping for a wide variety of art, including large paintings, prints, custom-made greeting cards, stained glass lamps and window hangings, jewelry in various designs and patterns, and more.
Additional information is available at princetonmakes.com. You can follow Princeton Makes on Facebook and Instagram.
