Ernest Shepard

Last Friday I spent a few hours in the Winnie the Pooh exhibit at the MFA in Boston with my students from the Visual Arts Program at Northern Vermont University. I was awestruck by the beauty of Ernest Shepard's drawings. I had always loved them, but they took new meaning as I looked at the originals.

First, I loved his trees. They are so full of life, twisted and beautiful. I spent time drawing them to get a better sense of how he did it and then I spent time the next day drawing trees from observation. I hope to do more.

 I spent a great deal of time learning from a master. I was astounded by how he created so much personality with a tilt of the head and a few simple lines. It says so much about Winnie the Pooh, who he is and what he is thinking. These are things I will be pondering and applying for years to come.