paperswans

Monday, June 22, 2020

Spider Magazine

Digital collage illustration for Spider Magazine.

Layers and layers of textures come together in a

moody night scene.

susanswan.com

CITY TIGER

by B. J. Lee

Stray cat, stray cat, eyes so bright

slinks along through darkest night.

Asphalt jungle's fearless stalker,

chain-link fence and rooftop walker,

you don't want us coming near.

Your tiger eyes have made that clear.

Monday, June 8, 2020

Fireflies

Digital collage illustration for

Storyworks Magazine ...

lots and lots of fireflies!

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Storyworks magazine

In Scholastic's Storyworks magazine

my illustration for this powerfully evocative poem

Early Explorers

by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Susan Swan

No place on earth

is ever undiscovered

Even in Antarctica

where whole mountains are hidden

under ice

penguins already laid shambling tracks

in the snow

before we traveled there

The hottest desert

the deepest jungle

where none of us have ever been

all have been crossed

and crossed again

by wings whirring or silent

feet furred or scaled

hoofed or bare

By adventurers we will never know

explorers who will never tell us

what wonders they have seen

My portfolio

Monday, December 9, 2019

Faux raku, faux ceramic, faux glass

I'm not sure what to call the beads that I've been making (that I wrote about in the latest

Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine feature) ...

faux raku, faux ceramic, faux glass?

Anyway, I'm in love with the organic, earthy textures

and subtle layers/tones of color.

And because they are built on a paper core they are extremely lightweight and perfect for jewelry.

Here are some more examples newly listed in the shop:

http://www.rocksandpaperswans.etsy.com jewelry

http://www.paperswansandthings.etsy.com paper bead supplies

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Belle Armoire Jewelry mag. news

I'm featured in my favorite jewelry magazine again!

The photographers at Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine do such an amazing job, I am thrilled with how they presented my pieces!

The feature includes some brief explanation of technique and a list of supplies. As usual the magazine is chock full of inspiration from some amazing jewelry artists like Susan A. Ray and Teresa Kiplinger.

Two of these pieces have sold and are already on their way to their new home in Canada.

My paper beads are in my shop paperswansandthings

Friday, June 21, 2019

Jimmy Carter and STRETCH TO THE SUN

How cool is this?!

To Carrie Pearson,

Thank you for sending me a copy of Stretch to the Sun and thank you for helping to spread the

love of the natural world to future generations. Rosalyn joins me in sending you our best wishes for continued success.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Carter

Monday, June 3, 2019

Storyworks Magazine

Poetry

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Spider Magazine

Another fun assignment from

Spider Magazine.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Classroom of happy readers

Look who's enjoying some of my books! These three classes of second-grade students from South Walker Elementary School in Walker, LA really love to read! Their tutor is a remarkable and enthusiastic Cathy Bucher. Thanks, Cathy for sending the photo!

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Zazzle

Lots of illustrations are available as cards, or posters,

or practically anything else for that matter,

at my store PAPERSWANS, on Zazzle.

Please come visit.

Redwood Forest - Early Days Card
by paperswans

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Early reader!

This may be my youngest fan! We haven't met, but I received this pic from her aunt who says her niece loves having this read to her multiple times a day. The BUTTON board-book series was done so many years ago I can't even remember, probably in the mid-1980's.

So sweet!

And now my very newest book has arrived on my doorstep!

Friday, August 31, 2018

Celebrating September

A happy poem for Storyworks magazine

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Fun poster assignments

These large posters were for Heinemann Publishing

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

More surface treatment experiments

This is addictive. I love not knowing exactly how these will turn out except that they will be magic ~ beautifully intriguing ~ mysterious.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Experiments in color

Playing with surface treatments on my beads:

washes, drips, spatters, layers on layers of paints, inks, patinas, glazes, powders to create something new. Plus even more layers of polycrylic to give some of them a surface that's glass-like.

Totally gorgeous colors.

www.paperswansandthings.etsy.com

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Paper, paper, paper

Lately I've been on a paper bead kick ~ using my stash of painted papers, and designs I have made just for bead making ~ and have made boxes full of pretty patterned beads all waiting to become used in a piece of jewelry.

These are works in progress: