2015 was a productive, warm, and creative year. I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting back on it (along with the last five years) to get a sense of where life has been pushing me. I’m excited about what’s ahead. Here are a few moments from the past, present, and future:
- This past November, incredible cartoonist and educator Sarah Leavitt invited me to give a talk to and run a workshop with her students at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. It was so energizing to talk with these comix artists-in-the-making. We had a great time!—and it was so good to catch up with Sarah, her partner D, and their sweet Papillion Jackson. Sarah is hard at work on her next book, which is going to be incredible.
- Look! I did a strip for the Seattle Weekly! A chicken strip!! I’ll get some copies of the print version in the next couple days. I’m excited to see how the strip looks in the paper itself. An interesting cycle: Making cut paper comics out of newspaper and then printing them in a newspaper. Kelton Sears at the Weekly has been a huge support to the Seattle comics community and I’m looking forward to working with him again.
- In February, I will once again teach a workshop for the Creativity Inspiring Conservation program at the Seattle Aquarium! In addition to teaching approaches to cut paper art, this time I’ll be taking students through a paper-making activity. It should be loads of (messy!) fun. As an added bonus, my session will be focused on the Puget Sound orca populations. I am grateful to be a part of this enriching program. Headed up by Kate Burnley, it reaches out to high school-aged artists and is totally free. If you know anyone interested in any of the classes offered (the schedule should be out soon), I encourage you to have them apply.
Lots of plans are in the works for the upcoming year. Excited to see how 2016 will unfold. Stay tuned.
Mita Mahato 