Best* of the Beatrix Potter Exhibit
*according to me! Take my hand, I'll be your docent. Plus, an illustrated summary of my trip to Savannah, GA.
A few weeks ago I went to the Beatrix Potter exhibit at The Frist, here in Nashville. It takes you through her whole life—from her early years being a headstrong kid, to her adult years being a headstrong illustrator/farmer. (She really, REALLY loved farming)
Everyone knows she created Peter Rabbit and a load of other beloved children’s characters. Instead of writing more about that, I want to share five of MY favorite takeaways.
One: Her Dad’s Sketchbook
This sketchbook is one of first things in the exhibit. It belonged to Beatrix’s father. I looked at it…and I started to tear up. Seriously right by the entrance and I’m already crying in front of multiple families.
I’m not exactly sure why; I felt overwhelmed and an odd connection at seeing this sketchbook from the 1800s. It felt so similar to my own. All these years later and humans, artists, are still just trying to observe and understand the world we live in. (Looking at, appreciating, and drawing the same weird things 💛)
Two: Kind Encouragement
As a kid Beatrix received this encouragement from painter Sir John Everett Millais:
“Plenty of people can draw, but you…have observation.”
I didn’t remember his name, but I do remember this painting!
Can you imagine getting this type of encouragement as a kid?!—and from a working artist and non-family member no less!
I stood there wondering if Beatrix was a prodigy. Or did she simply have good support and ample resources? Both could be true. She was definitely talented, but she was also lucky. Her family had money, connections, and supported her interests.
Three: Her rough sketches
Seeing an artist’s early, rough sketches is like getting a glimpse into their brain. It demystifies them, for me at least.
In illustrating, creating work is rarely one shot, perfect, BOSH, done! That’s why seeing these sketches was such a treat!
Beatrix Potter’s final pieces and published books are so imprinted in my brain. The thinking and editing she’s doing here with pencil (and ink) on paper is a good reminder that it all starts with scratchy lines and iteration. Thanks B!
I wonder what Beatrix would think of us looking at her rough sketches? When I’m dead, feel free to look through all my trash. :)
Four: A Dream of Toasted Cheese
A bunch of mice take over a lab at night to toast a bit cheese. Were they successful? I’m not sure. The cheese appears to be on fire.
Beatrix illustrated this for her uncle, and prominent 19th century chemist, Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe. It was a gift to congratulate him on his publication “First Step in Chemistry”.
This piece stood out to me not only because Beatrix was still a CHILD when when she illustrated it (wow!), but of how she combines her love of science, nature, and humor. (that’s the “triple threat” combo my brain often wants to make. 🤓)
This is my favorite piece in the whole exhibit—their little expressions, the painted (in color) focus on the mouse in front, the sketchy chaotic mice in the background, the hand lettering! 😍
Five: Pets
Beatrix had quite a few pets throughout her life—rabbits, dogs, hedgehogs, mice. I’m not going to talk about them. I want to briefly mention two others that caught my attention.
Okay, so technically this bat was her brother, Bertram’s pet. Beatrix kept him while Bertram was away at school. In one of her letters she wrote to her brother that the bat was sick. Bertram wrote back “if he cannot be kept alive as I suppose he can’t, you had better kill him, and stuff him as well as you can.”
And…she did.
Beatrix also had a lizard called “Judy”. I don’t know any specifics about Judy other than she was green, and Beatrix drew scientific studies of her. I just think Judy is a good lizard name. 👍
My key takeaway of the exhibit was the word “observation”. I want to take more time in seeing the world around me, not only in the visual details, but in the interactions that often go unnoticed.
(As I type this I notice there is a spider living inside a miniature, decorative birdhouse in my studio…cool!)
Bonus Tidbit:
Cool, old magazine alert! From 1865-1893 there was a publication circulated monthly called Hardwicke's Science-Gossip Magazine. Isn’t that one of the best names you’ve ever seen? On top of having a dope ass name, it was an “illustrated medium of interchange and gossip for students and lovers of nature”. ME! 😭
A quick trip to Savannah, GA (and Tybee Island)
At the end of July, beginning of August, we spent 3-ish days in Savannah and Tybee Island (on the Georgia coast). I reeeeealllly wanted to visit the ocean and jump over waves; this was a drivable distance for a quick trip. (about 8 hours from Nashville)
Each night I recounted everything we did into a small sketchbook. But rather than type up all that, here’s an illustrated summary of the highlights. 😎
On a full-day trolley and boat tour to Tybee Island we saw brown pelicans swooping and diving into the water; and dolphins having lunch. The dolphins were stunning fish with their tails, then eating them. I saw one smack a fish so hard it flew 6 feet out of the water.
We had lunch at The Crab Shack and shared the sampler platter; swam at the hotel pool; and noticed a large portion of downtown Savannah is part of SCAD.1
We got coffee out everyday, Savannah Coffee Roasters was by the hotel. We could get cocktails to go; Savannah’s open container policy allows people to carry around alcoholic drinks.
There were tiny parks with beautiful statues every couple blocks, the largest being Forsyth Park (it has a cool fountain with funny looking geese statues). We took a trolley tour around the historic district. (Legally, you can’t leave until at least 3 people tell you Forrest Gump was filmed there.😅)
The lighthouse on Tybee Island is the first lighthouse I’ve ever seen in person!
E. Shaver Booksellers was a big highlight. It’s Savannah’s oldest bookshop AND there are shop cats!
We spent a day at Tybee Island on the beach. I felt more relaxed here than I have in a while. I wave jumped until I was prune-y and it started to rain. I wish we could have spent more time here playing in the ocean and looking at birds.
Husk takes it for best meal of the trip. (fresh oysters, shrimp and grits, chili crisp cabbage salad, and a sunflower peach tart with cinnamon Thai basil ice cream.) None of the other food stood a chance.
Talk soon everyone, thanks for reading! I have loads more posts planned that I think you’ll enjoy—Plus extra process videos and q+a for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping me focus more time here, so I can experiment more and chat with you all. 💛
Savannah College of Art and Design
This exhibit sounds amazing, thank you for sharing some pictures from it! I had no idea Beatrix’s father was also an artist, you can definitely see that her style was very influenced by him!
Ahhh! I loved reading all of this! And sign me up for a Science-Gossip Magazine any day!