Artwork by C.E. Spangler
Artwork by C.E. Spangler
The fruit of our labor!
When I needed an illustrator for a children’s book I was writing last year (random, but true), I knew just where to turn–to the friend with whom I was once trapped in a sandy tomb for two months in the middle of the desert.
Dodging bats and swatting flies together in the cobwebbed corners of a tomb can make fast friends–or enemies–out of anyone. So I breathed a sigh of relief on my first day of doing epigraphy at the Great Pyramids with Christina Ean Spangler–when it was immediately clear how talented, kind and creative she was.
e·pig·ra·phy ( -p g r -f ). n. 1. Inscriptions considered as a group. 2. a. The study of inscriptions. b. Decipherment, especially of ancient inscriptions
Our mission together at the Great Pyramids and in the Egyptian Museum was to trace (and decipher) all of the hieroglyphic writing and reliefs from our site in the western cemetery. While I was responsible for training others in this patient and antique art–Ean had been invited to join the epigraphy team for a unique talent that none of the rest of us shared. As an artist who graduated from RISD, it was her skilled hand that was responsible for inking–without a single mistake–all of the penciled drawings the rest of us could make.
Emily O'Dell and C.E. Spangler doing epigraphy on recently returned objects to the Egyptian Museum
It wasn’t until our adventures in Cairo had concluded that I was introduced in person to Ean’s inspired and whimsical art. The reason why she was the obvious and ideal illustrator for my children’s book is because of how easily she can capture the expressions and posture of young children in her art. Ean is also gifted at creating furry creatures (like the one pictured above) which are small in size–but big in spirit. As a long time admirer of stop motion animation, I’m of course charmed by her magical moving images–and it’s been a delight to witness how her laborious process works. From the 1950s-styled image on the top of this post, you can see there are no limits to the style and subjects Ean chooses to explore…
Artwork by C.E. Spangler
For all of the artists I’ve covered in my blog, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have sat for them while they paint and sketch. Sometimes, I swear I can feel their pencils and brushes tracing my skin–and it even tickles. One night in Cambridge, in the middle of a blizzard when all the shops were shuttered and the power was flickering in and out, Ean came over to my apartment to sketch me, while I rested on the couch with Anubis and watched the snow fall. Because Anubis is so zen–peaceful and poised–he already had experience with sitting still for artists to practice their trade.
One of the reasons I love sitting for Ean is because I get to watch how the process of sketching unfolds–what colors are used, what details are noted, and what mood is conveyed. Now that I’m an ocean away, I’ve been enjoying Ean’s quirky animations and clever creations from afar–and I’m looking forward to seeing them again in person one day soon…
Artwork by C.E. Spangler
