Goodbye Spring
After a year of searching for the right artist to illustrate a children’s book, a chance encounter in Bliss Hall led to the discovery of Justine Mitcham, a YSU senior from Poland majoring in Interdisciplinary Art.
But Patrick O’Leary, associate professor of Human Ecology, didn’t meet Mitcham at first. It was her artwork, created from layered paper, that caught his eye as he walked past a display case in Bliss Hall, home to YSU’s Cliffe College of Creative Arts and Communication. He knew right away this was the style he had been seeking for his book, Goodbye, Spring!
“It was not painted or drawn but cut. And it was made of construction paper – perhaps the most childish material available. What a perfect medium for a kid’s book!” he said.
From there, O’Leary contacted Christine McCullough, professor of Art, to identify the mystery student artist, and the interdisciplinary collaboration was born.
Mitcham created the illustrations within a semester during her Studio Problems Drawing course using simple tools – construction paper, an Exacto knife and glue, capturing O’Leary’s vision in the form of the book’s main character – a jovial young girl, whom she based on herself as a child. Throughout its 18 pages, Mitcham showcases the girl’s bittersweet journey as she says farewell to her favorite parts of spring, such as flying a kite and splashing in puddles.
The final piece that remains for Mitcham is to create the cover. “Justine is a great student and worked hard to bring this story to life. She may have made it look easy, but creating and maintaining a character is anything but,” said McCullough.
Mitcham’s major allows her to develop a wide variety of artistic skills and versatility that McCullough says is important for contemporary artists.
“In the past it was common for someone to classify themselves as a painter or a sculptor; whereas today artists are more likely to use whatever medium best conveys their idea,” McCullough explained.
Mitcham’s artwork is featured at the McDonough Museum of Art from Nov. 22 through Dec. 14 as part of the 2019 Fall Graduating BFA Exhibition. Though Mitcham isn’t sure exactly what’s next after she graduates in December, there is one thing she knows for sure...
“I have always wanted to do something creative, and the Interdisciplinary Art major opens up all kinds of doors for me,” Mitcham said.
Now that the concept is complete, O’Leary is working with the local public library to help find the right publisher for the book.
