The World Of Dahlov Ipcar
"I find it hard to explain my art, but then it doesn't really need explanation. It may seem mysterious or challenging, but all you need to do is to open your heart to the joy and excitement of a new visual experience, to accept a new vision of a world full of the unusual, a world of the creative imagination."
Dahlov Ipcar - Seven Decades of Creativity...
Contact Dahlov?
Send your comments and queries to my NEW email address :
Bob Ipcar
e-mail: bipcar@gmail.com
I'll be happy pass them on to my mom.05/19/13
UPDATES...
Georgetown's Citizen of the Year...
Dahlov Ipcar received the Citizen of the Year Award at the Georgetown Community Center in Maine, March 17, 2013
Dahlov "Full Circle" Calendar for 2014
Islandport Press announces a gorgeous new calendar featuring 15 "Circle Paintings" by DahlovTwenty-five years ago, legendary Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar was fascinated by the images she saw looking through a kaleidoscope. The then-71-year-old, who regularly seeks new inspiration for her paintings, set out to bring that same dramatic look to her art. To accomplish her vision, she painted circles within circles, making sure each new layer pulsated with energy, color, and patterns. The result was the breathtaking "Cat Mandala," the first of her so-called "Circle Paintings, which she unveiled in 1988.
Over the following 23 years, she created fourteen more circle paintings, each featuring a different animal theme ranging from the real to the imagined to the fanciful, from Australia to Asia, merry-go-rounds to blue moons. One critic called these paintings "a rich visual feast, an experience full of zest, color, and magical imagery." Islandport Press will feature all fifteen of Ipcar's Circle Paintings in "Dahlov Ipcar Full Circle," a 2014 calendar that offers a remarkable year-long visual treat.
There will be a calendar signing at the Georgetown Historical Society in July (see below)
Dahlov Receives DFA
Maine College of Art Gala Honors:
May 9th - Dahlov was among the recipients who received the Award for Leadership as a Visual Artist and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.
Dahlov Exhibits
Family note: We would rather not have Dahlov sign books during exhibit openings. For one thing, she's more comfortable doing signings while seated at a table, not on her walker. She also prefers her own marker pen which is more comfortable to hold. And she's mid-way past 95.
But often her books are for sale during exhibits/shows of her work and they may have been pre-signed. A BIG thank you for understanding... and do introduce yourself. She will be happy to see you.
For official book signings, see below.
Maine Farmland Trust
Belfast Gallery
CELEBRATING THE FARM:
A Retrospective of original illustrations & lithographsOpening Reception Friday May 3, from 5:30-8pm
The show will be on display from May 3 - June 4, 2013.
Dahlov Ipcar books and gift items can be ordered at www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/store/
Tell Me A Story About Maine
July 26-November 23rd
University of Southern Maine - Atrium Art Gallery
http://usm.maine.edu/atriumgallery
Lewiston, Maine
Many of Dahlov's illustrations will be included in this exhibit.
SPARK: Inside the imagination of Maine's iconic illustrators
Aug 23 - Octobe 5th; opening August 25th, 2-4pm
River Tree Arts
http://rivertreearts.org/
35 Western Avenue
Kennebunk, Maine 04043Dahlov's illustrations will be included along with Chris VanDusen, Matt Tavares, Wade Zahares & Scott Nash among others.
Dahlov Book Signings...
Georgetown Historical Society
Dahlov's "Full Circle" Calendar SigningJuly 6th from 10 am to Noon
20 Bay Point Road
Georgetown, Maine
Prices TBA
2012 November Book Release
Maine Alphabet
Written and illustrated by Dahlov IpcarIslandport Press
$10.95, Board Book
ISBN: 978-1-934031-87-2
This book is near and dear to Ipcar's heart, serving as a kind of love letter to her home state where she has lived and worked for almost 75 years. Her affection for Maine rings true in each letter, from "A is for animals, wild and free," to W, "for woodlands of wonder for you and for me." In the last illustration, which the 94-year-old artist did especially for this edition, she invites young readers to "Walk in my woods and you will see / X, Y and Z high in a tree." The new art depicts squirrels, chipmunks, deer and birds in and amongst trees whose branches deftly hide the letters X, Y and Z..
Stripes and Spots
Written and illustrated by Dahlov IpcarIslandport Press
$17.95, Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-934031-70-4
A young tiger sets out on his own to explore and hunt, determined to catch things with stripes. A young leopard sets out on his own to explore and hunt, determined to catch things with spots. And when the two youngsters meet, their adventures more than double!
In this delightful children's book, originally published in 1961, Dahlov Ipcar uses the playful cats to depict the exuberance and innocence of youth. And when danger looms, perhaps they are not as old or as brave as they think they are. Ipcar's incomparable signature artwork has never looked bolder or brighter.
More Dahlov books...
Dahlov Ipcar Children's Rugs & Pillows... additional designs for 2012
Barbara Barran, President of Classic Rug Collection, Inc. has just annouced a licensed line of children's rugs and pillow's featuring designs from Dahlov's children's books. Consisting of chain stitched wool thread on natural canvas, the pillows and rugs in the collection are made by hand in Kashmir.
Ordering information is available at ShopClassicRug.com
Dahlov Posters & Prints...
Like to own a Dahlov Print or Black & White Lithograph?
We have limited edition prints of three posters available; three full color Giclée reproduction; as well as a few black & white lithographs, all numbered and signed
Bob Ipcar
e-mail: bipcar@gmail.com
Dahlov On Video...
Maine Masters Project DVD video about about Dahlov. Now available through Islandport Press
Short Film about Dahlov, c. 1976
Actually this was shot by her son, Bob Ipcar, for the US Information Agency. It was directed by the late John Clayton. Have no idea how it turned up on YouTube.
Credit Youtube user historicfilms: http://youtu.be/wBwQpP9XZ94
Dahlov T-Shirts by Liberty Graphics
Located right here in Maine!
Fox & Geese Black & White Cats Entwined Garden of Feline Delights
Visit The Dahlov Store On-Line
In past seasons we've had wonderful fun making up family gifts with Dahlov designs through CafePress.com, so as an experiment, we're throwing it open to the public. Here you'll find a few t-shirts; kid's t-shirts; tote bags; coffee mugs & even a mouse pad (with a cat on it). The three designs we've put up are: the cat from Dahlov's book The Cat Came Back; Cats Entwined from an oil painting of the same title; and The Gingham Dog & The Calico Cat - also an oil painting. We've found the quality of CafePress products to be excellent.Note: Dahlov retains the rights to all reproduction of all her images
Book about Dahlov
(Finalist for the 2010 Book Of The Year Award- arts catagory)
The Art of Dahlov Ipcar, edited by Carl Little.
Downeast Books - released June 2010
10 X12; 124 color plates; $50Available at the Georgetown, Maine Historical Society
email:
info@georgetownhistoricalsociety.org
OVER THE SUMMER...
WOOLWICH SCHOOL MURALcondensed from article by Kitty Wheeler, Coastal Journal contributor
WOOLWICH - The Gathering, a large mural attached to the entry hall in the new Woolwich Central School, is the latest accomplishment of painter John Gable. He has completed 20 murals for East Coast restaurants in the past 17 years, but this school mural represents his first chance to benefit from the One Percent For Art public funding program, in which one percent of the cost of a large public project is set aside for art to adorn that project. Gable's mural depicts 10 Maine artists who illustrated storybooks for children in the 20th century... Gable, a well-known national artist who lives in Woolwich, is delighted with the finished product...
The following artists and their book themes are incorporated into the mural: Dahlov Ipcar and Lobsterman; E.B. White and Charlotte's Web; Barbara Cooney and Miss Rumphius; Margaret Wise Brown and The Runaway Bunny; Chris Van Dusen and A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee; Robert McCloskey and Time of Wonder; Melissa Sweet and Love & Kisses; N.C. Wyeth and Treasure Island, The Deer Slayer, Robin Hood, and The Boys of King Arthur; Kevin Hawkes and Weslandia; and Ashley Bryan and What a Wonderful World.Read the entire article by Kitty Wheeler
PAST EXHIBIT...
Dahlov's 2011 Fall Exhibit has moved to Frost Gully Gallery in Freeport
1159 US Route 1 Freeport, ME 04032
(207) 773-2555Frost Gully Gallery - Thomaston, Maine
"Recent Paintings" - solo exhibit
November 7th - Dec 10thTwenty new oil paintings done over the past two years
A bienial not to be missed.
Opening Sunday, November 6th with Dahlov 3-6pm
(New)
Frost Gully Gallery - Thomaston, Maine
150 Main Street
Pnone: 207-865-4505e-mail: frostg@comcast.net
See Dahlov's work at: www.frostgullygallery.com
More Past Exhibits
World Wildlife Fund
As part of the World Wildlife Fund's 50th anniversary celebration in 2011, the image of Dahlov's Biosphere will be incorporated on some of their anniversary materials. Biosphere now resides at the WWF's Washington DC offices, a gift from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.
Biosphere", oil, 4ft x 6ft 1996
November 2009
Frost Gully Gallery
1159 Route 1
PO Box 202
Freeport, ME, 04032
Phone: 207 - 865 4505
e-mail: frostg@suscom-maine.net
See Dahlov's work at: www.frostgullygallery.com
exhibit Images & pricing
December 200725 recent oil paintings... (below)
"... If ever an art opening had a rock-star feel to it, this was it."
Check out Bob Keyes' Review of Dahlov's 2007 opening
Enchanted Mountain - oil on canvas 2007
Merry-Go-Round oil on canvas 2007 -
(Now available as a Giclée print)
Black & White - oil on canvas 2007
Other Exhibits
A partial listing of Dahlov's exhibits within the past decadeAWARDS...
2012 Maine In America Award Presentation
On July 19th, Dahlov was honored by the Farnsworth Art Museum, an honor given to an individual or a group who has made an outstanding contribution to Maine and its role in American art. Previous recipients have been, Alex Katz, Robert Indiana, Andrew Wyeth, Paul Caponigro, John Wilmerding and Will Barnet.
2011 - Dahlov Wins Moonbeam Award...
Islandport Press
Farmyard Alphabet - The first ever board book by legendary Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar has been honored with a bronze medal in the Board Book category of the 2011 Moonbeam Children's Book AwardsThe Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to celebrate children's books and lifelong reading. "This year's Moonbeam award winners confirm that books can change children's lives," says Moonbeam Awards founder Jerrold Jenkins. "They've already had a big impact on the judges and the kids that read them, so we know these books were created to enrich children's lives." Dahlov's previous book-related awards include the prestigious Kerlan Award in Children's Literature in 1998; the Katahdin Award from the Maine Library Association in 2001; and the New England Independent Booksellers Association President's Award in 2010.
NEIBA Award...
Dahlov received the President's Award from the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA). This prestigious award is given annually to recognize outstanding contribution to arts and letters. Dahlov joined Robert McCloskey as the only other children's book author/illustrator to receive this award.
"Dahlov Ipcar's lifelong body of work is entirely inspiring. That she has so beautifully created books to draw children, in particular, to the joys of language and art is further testament to her genius. Readers of all ages have delighted in Ipcar's work for many years and because her work is so timeless, they will do so for decades to come." Dick Hermans, NEIBA Board President
NOTEWORTHY...Grew Up With Dahlov's Books?
We are constantly reminded by Dahlov's fans how much her children's books meant to them when they were small children; how the first editions that have survived are now seeing service with grandchildren.
Sci-Fi Trilogy by her son, Bob Ipcar, now available on Kindle eBooks...
Recent addition to the Kindle eBook store is the Children of Orion Series by Robert Ipcar. Here you'll find memorable woman characters who are forced to hit the ground running when unforeseen events overtake them - castaways on a distant world spawned of a collasped black hole. See www.childrenoforion.com for descriptions of each novel as well as character excepts...
Dahlov Ipcar Hooked Rug (not public domain)
Tiger & Leopard
Original design hooked by Dahlov Ipcar in 1974
Just to set the record straight...
We have been made aware of a hooked rug design floating around entitled Tumbling Cats that may have been copied from an original design hooked by Dahlov entitled Tiger & Leopard that appeared in the 1975 publication, American Hooked and Sewn Rugs; folk art underfoot, by Joel & Kate Kopp; published by Plume (page 117 #202). This book was copyright protected and identified Dahlov as the originator of the design and the year 1974 as the date of creation.It's proper to ask Dahlov for permission to reproduce this design; credit must be given to her as the creator of this design. It is not proper to be using her design for commercial purposes e.g. selling patterns, kits or rugs because Dahlov claims copyright and does not permit it.
Original work in artist's bedroom (2010)
Dahlov (age 95) is not a hooked rug artist per se. Tiger & Leopard represents a "one of a kind" creation. Her children's book, Stripes & Spots, 1961, depicts a similar cover arrangement of a tiger and leopard as well.
In 1977, Dahlov also painted an oil on linen Tiger & Leopard, 36 X 50
Portland School Promotes "Reading with Families"
When Connie Ortolani saw that Maine Reads through their "Read With ME" initiative was giving all Kindergarten students a copy of "The Cat at Night" by Dahlov Ipcar, she thought that this would be a perfect start to the school year; get families excited about reading to and with their children. With the assistance of IThe Literacy Specialist, Ann Hanna of the East End Community School, Connie presented the book to all their Kindergarten families.
What a turn out! 20 families and lots of kids; all were familiar with the story since Connie had already read it to their individual K classes. She gave them a cat picture to color when they got home and they all promised to read the book with their families.
Post Office Mural Restoration
LaFollette Mural
Summer 2005 - from Bill Teaster, Postmaster of LaFollette TN...
"Your mother painted the mural for our lobby in 1939. We were just commissioned to have our Mural restored due to water damage and overspray of paint when our lobby was repainted. Elizabeth Parma out of Chicago was commissioned to restore the mural through Dallan Wordekemper who is with the historical preservation society in Washington. We would love for your mother to be a part of this or at least be aware that it is happening. .... I thought everyone might like to see the Mural during the restoration process. "
Notice the cleaning process. Lo and behold, the hunter's shirt isn't gray - it's white!
Contact Dahlov?
What, Dahlov own a computer?While Dahlov's word processor outlived its own manufacturer - Smith Corona - by a good fifteen years. We've since weaned her onto an iMac (her second upgrade actually) though only for so long as we call it a word processor. The next big step is e-mail... Until then, send your comments and queries to:
Bob Ipcar
e-mail: bipcar@gmail.com
I'll be happy pass them on to my mom.
Dahlov at 95, by Steve Cartwright
