This is a lovely book, thoughtfully written by Sherri Repucchi and edited by Jill Peek of T.H. Peek Publications. In 2009 I was approached by Jill about illustrating a new book on organic vegetable and herb gardening for her new imprint Alice Greene & Co. The audience would be beginner gardeners starting gardens in Lower Michigan. The book presents many good ideas, from how to stake tomatoes to when to plant peas to simple recipes using vegetables from your kitchen garden.
The project was an enjoyable collaborative process and engaged the talents of many individuals from the Ann Arbor area. I provided the paper cut and ink drawing illustrations throughout the book. It was the first time I had illustrated a non-fiction work, and I approached to the text in two ways. In the the ink drawings I expanded the text literally, showing how something could be planted or the harmful insects commonly found in the garden. In the papercuts, I tried to summarize or represent the content of the chapters so that they became little windows into the text that followed.
If you are interested, or know someone who might be, Easy Edibles is available in many book and gardening stores throughout Michigan as well as directly from Alice Greene & Co.
