"Lillian Pitt - She Who Watches" Published!

I am thrilled to announce that the children's book I've been partnering with Carnegie Picture Lab to create, Lillian Pitt - She Who Watches, has finally been published and printed! "Written by Carnegie Picture Lab’s Program Director Tracy Thompson, the book chronicles the historical significance of Celilo Falls, the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent, Ms. Pitt’s awakening to her cultural history in her 30s, and the legend of the petroglyph, She Who Watches." -- Union Bulletin

Select page illustration of Lillian Pitt in "Lillian Pitt - She Who Watches"

Lillian Pitt - She Who Watches is being circulated among the Walla Walla Valley's elementary schools as part of the Public School Districts art curriculum. "The book, which is a learning tool for those students, talks about [Lillian Pitt's] life and explains the historical significance of Celilo Falls, east of The Dalles on the Columbia. Tribes gathered there from time immemorial, using the spot for fishing, trading and communing." -- Union Bulletin You can also find copies of it at the Walla Walla Public Library.

I've found working with the Carnegie Picture Lab to be a culturally rewarding experience. Illustration is a field that requires more from the artist than simply pulling an image out of thin air - I've found myself doing extensive research on environments, historical figures, attire, customs, and the like to bring accuracy, believability, and intrigue to each page. Conducting illustrations for this project has enhanced my understanding of our surrounding Native American history as well as allowed me to become better acquainted with the most widely acclaimed Native American artist in the Pacific Northwest, Lillian Pitt. It is a magical moment to realize that the work that has been accomplished in this book will bring a similar cultural enrichment to our elementary school students!

You can explore the impact of Lillian Pitt - She Who Watches on the Walla Walla School Disctricts here and view the construction process in a prior blog post, here.  Make sure to check out all the completed page illustrations as well!