MA(r)Y
<img class=”alignnone wp-image-1739 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/exteriorwindow.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com ” width=”584″ height=”333″>
Well, I knew at some point I’d have to write this here post, and let me tell you – I didn’t want to do it. You see, I’ve built up all sorts of layers of denial that our library will be losing a wonderful member of our team: Mary. And May is her last full month with us. Thus, we dubbed the month of May “MA(r)Y” which we really didn’t share with the public, but our staff knows it. And the main celebration of MA(r)Y is Mary’s passion: art. So our scavenger hunt and <em><a href=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/2014/05/15/drawn-to-puns/%20” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Great Wall-o-Puns</a> </em>celebrate art (I’ll post those a little later within the week and/or month).
Basically, I gave her complete creative control of the front window this month and told her to surprise me. And surprise me she did. She basically made the front windows into a giant picture book celebrating spring.
Here are some other pictures for your enjoyment:
<img class=”alignnone wp-image-1740 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/interiorwindow.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”300″><img class=”alignnone wp-image-1741 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/boy.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A young boy walks a dog in the giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”765″><img class=”alignnone wp-image-1742 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/doggie.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A cute dog takes a walk within the giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”383″><img class=”alignnone wp-image-1743 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/flower.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A flower in the giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”716″><img class=”alignnone wp-image-1744 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/girl.jpg?w=584″ alt=”A little girl swings within the giant picture book celebrating spring in our library’s front entrance | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”927″>
How awesome is all that?! And we’ve had a lot of patrons compliment her on this (and she deserves it). It creates a ginormous impact from the street. Also, as a bonus for the staff, it helps block the super-hot and bright sun in the morning.
The other amazing thing that you may or may not have realized is that because this is in our windows, then both sides of the paper needed to be painted. Yeah. She drew and painted both sides. Again, she deserves all of the praise she’s been given and then some.
I had fun with her work a little bit more and took a picture of her girl on the swing before that panel went into the window. I then did some <em>Photoshop </em>magic and faded/inserted her into our monthly calendar:
<img class=”alignnone wp-image-1745 size-large” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/calendar.jpg?w=584″ alt=”Taking part of Mary’s art and inserting it into our monthly calendar | Hafuboti.com” width=”584″ height=”497″>
Truly I am grieving that I’m going to be losing her and her many talents soon. Both Brittany and I consider ourselves somewhat artistic and crafty, but Mary truly is <strong>the </strong>artist among us. Neither Brittany nor I can paint half as beautifully as her. Seriously, I took a college intro to art course and the professor told me (and I agreed with him on this) that I drew best with my feet. But, to truly prove to you that Mary’s wildly talented, I must share with you her <a href=”https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryrist” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Etsy shop</a> where right now it’s a bit barren because 1. she’s sold most of her stuff, and 2. she’s currently crazy-busy with commissions.
Thankfully, this won’t be the last post where I’ll be highlighting her work. We have her heading into June, and then she’s agreed to come back and volunteer her talents now-and-then (mainly for our big summer photo prop). I will hold her to that, by golly!
