Books & Cards
Winged Willow Press, established in 1998, is my small independent publishing house, under which I have published six books to date.
BOOKS AND CARDS FOR WOMYN
Through the years since my art first began to be published, many womyn have told me that when they saw my pen and ink drawings reproduced in a book, calendar, magazine, or journal, they wanted to add color to them, but didn’t. They hesitated, I imagine, because we are all such “good girls” and do not color where we are not supposed to.
The two books in my coloring book series, The Coloring Book for Big Girls and The Second Coloring Book for Big Girls: Spirits and Goddesses, now give you permission. In fact, they invite you on a journey, an opportunity to travel into yourself, to seek and discover the great wealth of creativity unique to each one of you. With these books, there are no rules. There are no limits, and most important of all—you do not have to stay inside the lines.
My Dreams & Shadows Illustrated Blank Journal offers even more creative freedom. Create your own beautiful artwork or capture your dreams, poems, and stories in this 200-page spiral-bound book which includes 50 pen-and-ink drawings of goddesses and empowered womyn to inspire you. Come, dance with your muse among its pages!
I fulfilled a longstanding dream when I finally brought Journey Cards: Multicultural Goddesses and Imagined Saints for Guidance, Epiphanies, and Revelations into the world in 2011. This deck of cards combines pen-and-ink drawings of goddesses that span my entire career with the paintings of my own, all-female canon of saints. Where are you in your journey? Let these cards illuminate your path! Each set includes 55 cards—19 full-color Imagined Saints cards and 36 pen-and-ink Multicultural Goddess cards—and a 132-page illustrated book with descriptions and interpretations of each Saint and Goddess, as well as suggestions for incorporating the cards into your daily rituals and life design. Wherever you are in your journey, the saints and goddesses inhabiting these cards will light your passage and empower you with grace, awareness, integrity, and strength.
NOTECARDS
Brand-New for 2013! 21st Century Renaissance Paintings by Sudie Rakusin. This set includes 8 cards (two each of 4 designs) and 8 envelopes. These notecards are reproductions of original, multi-media paintings on canvas by Sudie Rakusin. For each painting in this series, the artist begins with a stretched canvas, then cuts and attaches plywood covered in canvas to the frame to create an irregular edge. She builds up the canvas with various media, including using papier m?ché to sculpt a flower that erupts out of the canvas or to create a shape to hold a crystal. A butterfly, feather, the stamen or pistil of a flower—you never know what is going to stand away from the surface of the painting. The artist maximizes the interactive elements of the artwork by cutting holes in the canvas, creating pockets, or adding doors that open and close to hide some small, painted treasure. Finally, to finish off the piece, she adds beads, crystals, glass, ribbons, fringe, LED or fiber optic lights, or the words of a favorite quote.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
The series Dear Calla Roo…Love, Savannah Blue came about from letters I wrote to my niece, Calla Ruth, from my Great Dane, Savannah Blue. My sister, Amy, urged me to do something with the letters. While I had never considered myself to be a writer before this project, I accepted the challenge of trying something new and have written and illustrated each book myself. In December, 2007, I released the third book in the hardcover series and am working on a fourth. The children’s books also include Savannah Blue’s Activity Book, a dual-language English and Spanish softcover book that offers children the opportunity to draw, color, and write letters, while practicing their reading skills in two languages.
Dear Calla Roo…Love, Savannah Blue: a letter to a pen pal
Dear Calla Roo…Love, Savannah Blue: a letter about getting sick and feeling better
Dear Calla Roo…Love, Savannah Blue: a letter about my birthday
Savannah Blue even has her own website for children! Visit http://www.DearSavannahBlue.com with your child to read Savannah Blue’s blog, download pictures to color, become Savannah Blue’s electronic pen pal, or find the monthly art challenges for kids—even upload your child’s artwork directly to the site!
As a North Carolina author and illustrator, I travel around the state offering readings and workshops in schools and libraries. To learn more about the programs I offer or to request a guest appearance for your school, library, store or club, please click here. I’d love to share my passion for art and books with your community!