In 2021 I completed a wordless artist book for my little granddaughter, who was about a year old at the time. I produced it by converting a discarded kid’s library book, using the same process I’ve used for similar books in the past.
Look here if you want to see more about how I make these books and to view one of my past books.
This particular volume does have a story, though. I had been working on it off and on for a long time and getting nowhere. Other projects kept coming along. One day I took it out to see about finishing it up and to consider what I might write to accompany the images. It struck me that it was fine just as it was, without words.
And I thought my granddaughter might like it when she is a little older, and she can make up stories to go with the pictures herself.
Like the content, the cover has no words. The book has no title. I guess it can be called whatever the reader wants.
Here are the next two pages. Want to make up your own story?
*********
Claudia McGill and Her Art World 
Both illustrations are wonderful. I think there is a dialogue between the two pages too. It seems to me that the birds are picnicking just as much as the humans are. I think the white details are particularly successful in the human picnic page.
Thank you. I was inspired by a real picnic, one we did when our son was a baby, while imagining now he can do it with his own family. I love how you connected the pages with the picnic theme. I hadn’t thought of it that way but I certainly see it.
So cool, sometimes your paintings have a retro feel to them. For whatever reason this picnic reminds me of art from the early 60’s
Thank you. That’s interesting to me. Maybe it’s the limited colors and lines. I remember lots of books when I was young along those lines. Printing technology leading to a simplicity in illustration that is really appealing.
Birdia and Birdina were chatting in the park and Birdia said: “Would you like to go and spy on a family having a picnic a couple of trees over? We can dive down and get any tasty morsels they drop”. Birdina was excited by the idea and they flew over and perched on the perfect branch above the family on the lookout for morsels flung about.
And since this picture represents my family (one million years ago, my baby son in the picture is now 34) well, I am sorry but the Birdinis would get nothing, because our family…we will eat every bite! Oh yes!
Awesome 🙂
I love how you enter into the spirit of the book and made up the Bird family story, too.