Mom’s Cabin

Here I was again on Orcas Island for the fourth time. I had dragged my ass back from Traverse City, MI, my car stuffed with art, clothes, and Tullie, my cat, feeling completely demoralized. At the time, Michigan was in the thrall of economic depression and finding work was almost impossible. I had gone there because of a “guy,” but that didn’t work out. With resources dwindling, on a hunch, I emailed my old co-worker at Sound Publishing and was able to lock onto a graphic design job at the Lopez Islands’ Weekly. It didn’t pay much BUT it did pay.

If you haven’t made the trip from Traverse City to Orcas Island, it is a long, long journey. When I drove through Montana, I thought I’d never get out of there. Montana is a big state, over 750 miles across; the weather sometimes iffy. Finally, I reached the shore of Orcas Island and set up temporary housing at my sister’s.

At the time, the book Calvin Splinter & His Splendid Splinter Ideas was in the formative stages. I had just finished my Illustration degree with the Academy of Art University in SanFrancisco, CA. With that came a hard-earned certificate and plenty of art skills. AAU is known for its tough curriculum. To excel there, you have to be good—very good. I was proud of my 3.5 GPA. I had worked hard for six years, carrying a full load and working full time with freelance jobs on the side. Nonetheless, a degree in Illustration doesn’t mean much in the local newspaper world. $12.50/hour for a part-time job, with a commute to Lopez Island, was all I would get that year.

My sister, Libby, was kind enough to let me stay at her place. We shared expenses. I gutted the little 100-year-old cabin next to her Hobbit House and set up a tiny (and I mean tiny) art studio in “Mom’s Cabin.” It was sparse but I didn’t care. I had a job, money coming in and a great idea about a forest nymph.