Today, when many thoughts are turned to love, I wanted to share with you a lovey-dovey illustration I created for a children’s magazine.
Clubhouse Magazine, a publication for kids put out by Focus on the Family, hired me last year to illustrate a story they were running in their 2016 February issue about the love between our second United States President John Adams and his wife Abigail Adams. Before he was president, John Adams was a lawyer who courted Miss Abigail Smith, and a big part of their courtship involved written letters. Even their life as a married couple spending time apart from each other in the tumultuous early days of our country included written love letters.
Yes, John Adams is taking a selfie with Abigail surrounded by all their inscribed mush. To some of you, this image may cause you to reflect on a piece I did for President’s Day two years ago of Abraham & Mary Lincoln. (CLICK HERE to see the image in question.) I had sent that out as a greeting card, and the fine folks at Clubhouse Magazine remembered that image when this assignment came up. I was very happy to add to my portfolio of presidential selfies by creating this early American Polaroid just for them!
So, remember, the written word can be a powerful thing, especially when written by hand. I wrote a card that led to a job. John Adams wrote a young lady that led to a wife. Write your loved one a special note today to let them know what you really think of them. Who knows, maybe it will lead you to become president, too!