I've been a fan of Maira Kalman's illustrations, particularly her whimsical New Yorker covers for some time, but it was her love letter to George Washington in her Pursuit of Happiness blog that made her worthy of idolatry.
George and Martha entertained constantly. Martha wore fancy shoes. They loved each other. Martha would join him at winter camps during the war. They had many dogs. One of them was named Sweet Lips.
Her first museum exhibit will arrive in LA in the fall, but luckily I didn't have to wait that long and caught the show in SF last week. I was giddy with anticipation, and thankfully it did not disappoint. Hundreds of Maira's quirky, imperfect illustrations were on view. Giggles could be heard from the galleries. Although her drawings are childlike her subject matter is never trivial. Kalman refers to her work as a form of journalism, an ongoing account of the world as she sees it. I'm deeply inspired by her blend of wit and insight, wrapped in meandering narrative, executed in gouache.
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