Shennen Bersani's Weblog

Boston Globe Scholastic Awards

Bethany photographing her print, Sink or Swim.

Bethany informs me that her piece was hung upside down - this is how she created it.

On Sunday, while I was in NYC, the Boston Globe had the ceremony for the Massachusetts Scholastic Art Awards.

My daughter, Bethany, won a Silver Key this year for one of her prints.

Today we went to see the winners on display.

Winning is becoming a family tradition. In 2004, Karlene, my eldest daughter's photography portfolio won a Gold Key and was sent to NYC.

Which brings me to me. I credit where I am today because of my own winning roots. It wasn't enough to be a straight A student in art all through high school, I wanted to attend art school and my mother disagreed. She sternly stated her opinion; she said that I didn't have the talent, that I wasn't any good. Somewhere, deep inside of me, I disagreed with her. Getting chosen by Scholastic solidified my resolve, commitment, and determination. I felt that if they thought that I was talented, then my mother was wrong. As a high school student, seeing my pen and ink drawing on display in Boston was a life changing experience for me.

I took out school loans and put myself through the Art Institute of Boston. I believed in myself. I chose to follow my heart and my dreams.

I don't regret my decision for a moment. My mother passed away shortly after I finished up at AIB, before my career began....

Today, years later, I have a successful career as an illustrator. And I have been hired numerous times by both the Boston Globe and Scholastic. So, Miss Bethany, I could not be more proud of you! Follow your dreams, my angel, and allow them to take you to new heights. I'll always be there to support you.

Playing Tag in the Playground

I've been catching up with lots of school visit paperwork the past two days; and ignoring Barbara's tag. Barb and I were roomies in NY, and I listened to her as she read her email, and as she 'tagged' me. I immediately tried to think of six people that I could tag back... June, Liz, Monica, Janee, John Nez quickly came to mind... who else do I know with blogs? Donna? Paula? Janet? Ruth? Do they have them, do they still keep up with them?

I sighed wearily as Barb typed and smiled, "I tag Shennen, John, Liz, Janee...."

....my hands in prayer here, ...please don't say Monica....

"Monica...."

"You can't have June, she's mine!" I spoke out!

Unless I randomly tag strangers with blogs, the best that I can do here is tag June Goulding I simply don't know many bloggers other than the ones Barb took. What can I say, we travel in the same circle of friends.

The idea here is to post six obscure things about myself and then tag six friends and tell them to post six obscure facts about themselves.

I feel like I am breaking a chain letter :-(

Here goes: My Six Obscure Facts

1. My mother's mother was born in the town of Shenandoah Pennsylvania. Her name was Ruth. My mother named me after that town, just changing the spelling slightly, so my name is Shennen Ruth. My grandfather was a coal miner.

2. My mother's whole family was Pennsylvania Dutch. She was a night club singer in Pottsville, met my father, a Master Sergeant in the Army, married him and moved up to Massachusetts with him. I came along eight years later and grew up in the town of Weymouth, MA.

3. When I was about six years old my father won a pony for me in a gas station raffle. The gas station was in Jackson Square, Weymouth, about where Brady's Package Store now is. The pony whinnied late into the evening when my father came home from working second shift. A senior citizen neighbor often called the police, complaining. ...so funny, for my father was a cop. We ended up boarding the pony at Margett's in Hingham. (I know that these guys are septic cleaners, but they also had horses back then, maybe they still do...)

4. I was a Camp Fire Girl for two years; second grade and third grade.

5. In the sixth grade I sang a solo in the William Seach School Spring Concert, I Could Have Danced All Night.

6. As a teenager I had a green O'Day Widgeon sailboat. I used to bring friends out and we would run it aground or tip it over. I sold it to help pay for art school.

So, there you go! June, and anyone else who would like to jump onboard needs to post six obscure things about themselves and pass it along to cough, cough, six people.....

Big Apple weekend

I had a Big Apple weekend!

It started on Friday - I visited three schools in Middletown RI; the Aquidneck School, the John F Kennedy School, and the Forest Ave School. This was all part of Salve Regina University's March into Reading program. Wonderful librarian Renee Kaminitz was my guide for the day. I have to say that the children in Middletown are just delightful! It was my pleasure to be a part of this literacy program for two years in a row. The author/illustrator luncheon was fun, I got to meet up with my friends from last year, Stacy, Kitty, and Pat - and of course an old friend and colleague, David Biedrzycki.

I returned home to find a new book contract in my inbox. I'm thrilled to announce that I will be illustrating a new book for Mitten Press to be released in 2008.

And then I raced off to New York City for the annual Midyear Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Convention.

For my Showcase Art Exhibit entry this year I thought that I would challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone by using acrylics instead of the usual colored pencil. Above is my entry, "The Great Cookie Robbery". Barbara Johansen Newman loved it, and I thank her for purchasing the original.

Barbara and I roomed together and we took the Acela home. I am telling everyone - Nothing beats the Acela First Class. I totally recommend it!

No Trans Fats

I painted these mice for a promotional postcard to bring with me to New York City later this week. New York, where I can eat trans fat free cookies and donuts!

Why does it seem that all the tastiest foods are high in trans fats? I'm bummed about Land o Lakes Country Morning Blend; those trans fats never tasted so good. It must be a good 25 years that I have used nothing but that product.

ho hum

If you would like one of my postcards, send me your email address and I'll be happy to get one out to you! There's a surprise on the other side!