NEWS & EVENTS
DOWNTOWN DEVIL
LOCAL ARTISTS CREATE CHILDREN'S BOOK BASED OFF PAINTINGS, CREATIVE PROCESS
"Local artist Michele Bledsoe always knew she wanted to create a children’s book. And this year, she finally did. With help from her husband, artist Richard Bledsoe, Michele created “The Secret Kingdom,” a children’s book based off her artwork that incorporates poems she and her husband wrote."
ARIZONA HEART
THE SECRET KINGDOM - CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW
"Each image draws the viewer into her world, a world of dreams and imagination. A world built for children of all ages to enjoy, by someone who has been able to retain that spark of creativity, light, and joy that is often sucked out of us as we grow in to adulthood.
The poetry is light and child friendly; written around and after the paintings. Each sentence invites you along on a whimsical journey through the beautiful illustrations. Guiding you through a dream world you’ve never seen before."
ARIZONA MUSEUM FOR YOUTH
THE AUTHORS OF THE SECRET KINGDOM "DREAM ON" ART EXHIBIT AND BOOK SIGNING EVENT
Experience "The Secret Kingdom" with exhibiting artists Michele & Richard Bledsoe. Create fun art with this fantastic duo while chatting aabout your own masterpieces. The accompany them to their artwork on display in "Dream On ..." to hear about the personal inspiration that led to its creation. Purchase your own copy of the book on location and get it signed by the artists during this "sure to be a spectacular time" Meet-n-Greet!
THE ACADEMY
THE SECRET KINDOM - BOOK REVIEW
"The Secret Kingdom, a new children's book of poetry by Michele and Richard Bledsoe features over 20 years' worth of Michele Bledsoe's artwork. Michele Bledsoe's original art has been featured in art galleries- and finally, is now made available to readers of all ages in this incredible book. This ambitious piece of work is destined to become the next children's classic, earning its place with the beloved works of Silverstein, Sendak, Mother Goose and A.A. Milne. In fact, I believe no children's library will be complete without this book."
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORS OF THE SECRET KINGDOM
What is the process for jointly writing a book?
"I chose the paintings I wanted to use for the pages of “The Secret Kingdom”. Every day, I would select one painting for Richard to think about, and one painting for myself. We would then write a poem inspired by the painting, and share them with each other that evening. It was a wonderful experience. We kept doing this page by page until we were done."
TINY TOT SOCIAL AT URBAN BEANS
BOOK SIGNING AND ART EVENT
The authors of The Secret Kingdom spend the afternoon talking about making art, and drawing pictures with a group of children in Phoenix, AZ.
FAMILY READING TIME CREATES SPECIAL MEMORIES
FUN FIND BY ARIZONA AUTHORS : Husband and wife Michele and Richard Bledsoe of Phoenix co-authored a children’s book called The Secret Kingdom, which features a collection of paintings and poetry celebrating the world of dreams.
