A Birthday Celebration for Maxon

Happy 5th Birthday, Maxon!

​There is no occasion like a special occasion! While Maxon's birthday (along with other March birthdays) have already passed, in real time. We, in Tucker Room, are still invested in thinking about our friends through our work as part of a birthday committee. So much so, that three friends on the committee sometimes, as in the case of Maxon's gift, become six friends, who are interested in thoughtfully contributing their ideas, time, and attention to the work. Together, creating a gift that the birthday child can hold onto well beyond the Tucker Room experience. 

Getting to Work: The Birthday Committee Makes a Gift

During our interview with Maxon, he shared key information about his likes which supported the subject of our illustrations moving forward. He professed that his favorite animals are the angler fish, giant squid, goblin shark (yes there is such a thing), and octopus. He also mentioned that he liked regular paper and fruit. 

Our idea (inspired by the surrealist art method "exquisite corpse") became a portrait mash-up of Maxon and his favorite animals. In order to execute this idea, practice was needed with multiple versions and drafts required. We worked on understanding the mash-up and transformation with the animals first. Then we dedicated time to drawing Maxon's face. In the end, with so much investment in multiple drawings, we collectively decided that we would create a book of the illustrations for Maxon's gift. 

Audrey drew Maxon as an angler fish, giant squid 'monster' with whimsical additions of blue bubbles, at the bottom, and "it's raining apples." 

Janie took to Audrey's idea and, as inspired, illustrated a replica of Audrey's Maxon as an angler fish, giant squid.