DRAGONFLIES OF GLASS: The Story of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls

Born into the mid-nineteenth century, Clara Driscoll's grew into a family of secure means during an era in which women painting nature was a respected pastime. Clara honed her talent and examined the fragile beauty of nature in her back garden, but eventually followed her calling by attending art school in New York City with her sister. That respectable pursuit led her to the attention of Mr. Louis Comfort Tiffany, already a highly 

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successful business owner and innovator in the  world of ART glass. The sisters were hired to work in the design department (only single women were allowed to work in public businesses at that time).

DRAGONFLIES of GLASS: The Story of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls is the nonfiction biographic profile of a lesser-credited artist whose iconic designs are among the most famous (and priceless) of all Tiffany glass objects. Clara led a team of women whose designs involved inspiration, sketches, refinement, and many stages of cutting, assembly, and monitoring throughout their creation. Written by Susan Goldman Rubin and illustrated  by Susanna Chapman, this account rises to a very high bar of capturing a complex life and exquisite illustration on the page.

The tools they used  were many, but the ultimate media were uniquely colored and textured sheets of glass. These works of glass art sheets both nspired and limited the ultimate results. From window panes to lamp shades, ranging from massive to diminutive, masterpieces were designed by "Tiffany Girls" under Clara's supervision and guided by her talent and leadership skills.

Abstractions and colorful patterns produced by the glass workers (all men) were impressive, but Clara developed original designs to use them, drawing her images from nature similar to the works she first created in her garden. Her most inspired lamp design featured dragonflies on a mosaic pedestal base. It was immediately requested by customers, but Mr. Tiffany also recognized it as worthy of wider recognition. Until that time, the only name assigned to any Tiffany works was "TIFFANY". But, in the case, this rare and original lamp was entered in an international design competition, and CLARA DRISCOLL was the name added to the Tiffany brand for the design.

If that sounds like I gave Clara's story away, think again. This account takes many twists and turns, and that only references the main text. Throughout the spreads there are also fine-print quotations from Clara and her family members, passages excerpted from more recently discovered troves of letters written throughout her career and life. With family spread across many states, the members used "round robin" letters. One sibling would write and send their news on to the next, who would read and add on, then send to another member until all had read the news and updates. In modern times it was like having a group text spread over many months. generations of descendants saved these letters, and their contents are superb examples of primary sources. These personal notes and Clara's non-artist life story spread throughout her sprawling family. The illustrator created a bottom-of-the-page visual scroll that lends humanity and emotional heft to the remarkably talented woman being portrayed. Back matter clarifies this and more details, including places Clara's work is displayed, photos from her life, and other resources to learn more.

For adult readers, Susan Vreeland has written a very comprehensive and well-researched work that shares even more about Clara, despite its fiction genre:  CLARA AND MR. TIFFANY (Random House, 2012). You can read an excerpt of that novel on Vreeland's website, HERE.

Art Appreciation: Wyeths, Monet, and Oscar

I continue to gather the nominated titles for the CYBILS POETRY category (nominations close 10/15/17). When the list is complete I'll begin commenting on some outstanding titles in these posts, so I'm going to offer a mash-up of picture books in other categories before turning my full attention to poetry. 

What better topic should I start with than ART? In particular, the three titles featured in this post include fiction and nonfiction, representational art and impressionist, expository text and storytelling. In other words, something for everyone. 

Chronicle Books, 2014

Let's begin with a book for older readers that includes reproductions, quotations, sources, and an index:  EVERYBODY PAINTS! The Lives and Art of the Wyeth Family. Written by Susan Goldman Rubin, this multi-generational biographic profile of the Wyeth family is a stunning book, in narrative, in visual content and in design. Widely recognized as the preeminent American family of painters, the abundance of art and anecdotes from which to choose must have been daunting. In fact, though, biographer Rubin has achieved her own masterpiece of storytelling and placement of selected pieces within each chapter. 
Just as the art of each individual (N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth) portrays specific images yet resonates with hidden stories and emotions, so too does the story of this incredible family. 
Rubin acknowledges that the women in the family were comparably talented, dedicated, and distinctive, but the focus in this book is on the legacy passing from grandfather to father to grandson.
Sprinkled throughout with concise nuggets of wisdom ("Study nature, not books.") and intricately woven aspects of real lives with images on canvas, even the most iconic illustrations or individual pieces take on new depth and significance in this reading.

Charlesbridge, 2012

Moving from a century-long triple-biographic profile of artists to a day-in-the-life approach can be a bit disorienting, and yet each works perfectly for its subject(s). 
MONET PAINTS A DAY is written by Julie Danneberg and illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl. My comments about the book must begin with a disclaimer: I'm a full-bore Monet fan. 
That said, I love the multiple text forms used in this book (first person voice, letter excerpts, and expository side bars). 
I particularly enjoy the insights to Monet's personality, the interactions he had with the local children, and the impressionist style used by the illustrator. The author's note at the back extends biographical content as well as addressing the narrative approach used and the reasons for it. 
The Wyeth biography requires an older reading audience, perhaps one with some background in modern American art, or at least a virtual field trip to examine works by this iconic family of painters. The Monet biography could serve a wide range of audiences, with an accessible voice and images for the youngest while providing text features for advanced readers, including an author's note, bibliography, and descriptions of art tools and techniques in the back matter as well as those concise side bar notes on each page.

Charlesbridge, 2012

Finally there is a charming little book, THE ART COLLECTOR, written by Jan Wahl and illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet. Young Oscar knows what he likes. He likes art: watching it emerge from the media, attempting to make his own art, and appreciating specific aspects of art when he sees it. 
His appreciation is expansive, noting the figures, the colors, the patterns, the movement, and the aesthetics of various visual art pieces. There is a role for collectors in the art world, particularly when he shares his work with the public. 
The character/narrative art is consistently 2-dimensional and simplistic throughout, while the framed images reveal a wide array of art periods, styles, and techniques. One strength of the narrative is that everyone can collect art that they enjoy, if they shop wisely, save their pennies, and are willing to pull lots of weeds to make the extra cash. The thought that art collection is not limited to the rich is a powerful message.
There are a few cautions to note in this work, though. First is how easily Oscar's early interest in creating his own art succumbed to discouragement (despite his family's effort to admire and encourage his attempts). Next is the universally white population of the street fair, the frame shop, and even the final museum visitors. The message that art is for white people may be inadvertent but is a miserably clear one from a young child's perspective. If this is addressed directly when used with young audiences it still has much to offer. 

While we're talking something special to offer...
 I'm excited to report that an exhibit of WENDELL MINOR's art that I wrote about HERE ,(including an interview),has been traveling and will open at HERITAGE MUSEUMS in Sandwich, MA on April 14, 2018.There's a remarkable hour-long video interview of Wendell Minor via Youtube, HERE.

So, while fall colors, a changing landscape, or anything else is tickling the artistic impulses of your kids- or your own!- start with these and express yourself!