Collect Raindrops: The Seasons Gathered

by Nikki McClure

Collect Raindrops celebrates the important the change of seasons, slowing down the world for a moment so we can actually taste it, looking up at the stars to dream. Artist Nikki McClure’s delicate images exude an optimism that revolves around community, sustenance, parenting, and appreciating both the urban and rural landscape through a visual language that is uniquely her own.

Armed with an X-acto knife, McClure painstakingly cuts out her images from a single sheet of black paper, creating a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture. The delicate nature of her work draws the eye, as each element has to be connected to the one next to it in some way, creating a fragile network of shapes and lines.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Nature

112 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Nikki McClure of Olympia, Washington is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful paper cuts. Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture.

Nikki McClure is a self-taught artist who has been making paper-cuts since 1996. As one of the more prominent visual artists involved with Olympia-based record labels K and Kill Rock Stars, as well as the Riot Grrrl movement in the early nineties, her work still embodies the fiercely independent fire that fueled the passion and creativity of that time period. She lives in Olympia, Washington.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki's art has a clear agenda, but thankfully its an agenda I can get behind.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Last chance. Last peach. Last watermelon seed to spit. There is a quickness to everything now. First slippers, first sweater, first blankets wrapped around while reading."

[Laura Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a visual dictionary of Nikki McClure's gift. I saw this at a shop below my work and I couldn't help myself. I have purchased a few of Nikki's calendars in the past and kept every page for one art project or another. The combination of the beautiful graphic images and inspirational words makes me want more! Luckily she is keeping it coming.

[Katrina Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite artist, and I had no idea she'd created books. A treasure discovered!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the art in this, but the words/inspirational sayings that went along with them were really hit-or-miss for me. ("Eat more kale"? No thanks.) But even so, it's a beautiful book and I'll definitely come back to look at the art over and over.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A uniquely effective balm for the tired eyes, and tired mind, of this city dweller. The same feelings of peace and calm wash over me, when I flip through this book, that I get when I take a walk through a quiet forest.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely papercuts in a moving collection.

[Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collect Raindrops: the seasons gathered, is a collection of cut-paper art by Washington graphic artist Nikki McClure. The collection evolved out of calendar projects and the illustrations are arranged into four seasons each preceded by an essay alive with the sounds, smells and other sensory associations of the season. As a poet I felt that each page read like a poem, a short but vivid tribute to the natural surroundings out of which McClure takes her inspiration. I don’t have a coffee table otherwise I’d have a copy lying there, instead this will be added to my essential inspiration library in the Yab Yum Shack. To view sample pages from Collect Raindrops, go here. Reminds me a lot of the quirky vision and clean design style of Juneau’s own Sarah Asper-Smith’s Smack of Jellyfish work. While I’m on a design kick (yes this is my first post in the graphic design category and yes i’m a wanna be graphic designer with no ability what-so-ever) here are a couple of sites worth checking out, Design Observer and Bolt City (graphic artist, Kazu Kibuishi’s blog).

this review source is from my blog, where there are links to Nikki McClure's site and others mentioned in this review.
http://jonaslamb.wordpress.com/2008/0...

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned of Nikki McClure from her collaboration as illustrator for Cynthia Rylant's recent picture book, All in a Day (a nourishing, beautiful book for all ages).

I was smitten and immediately went foraging in the library catalog to find if there might be something else illustrated by Nikki. I was rewarded with this collection taken from her calendars (www.buyolympia.com) and arranged seasonally with Nikki's own evocative prose for introduction.

You can also 'meet' her via YouTube...just put in her name.

I highly recommend both books as quiet moments for your spirit as a reminder of the things that matter most. Share either or both books with a child, an elder, a friend.

I'm sharing All in a Day with 4's and 5's at story time this week.

Enjoy!

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki McClure's art is *literally* everywhere in Olympia, so you would think I'd be over it by now. I mean, it's like a full immersion experience but I kind of like it. Anyway, SO, here's a giant oversized collection of some of Nikki McClure's treasured papercut pictures from the last 10 years or so of her calendars, organized by season . It's a nice opportunity to revisit her work if you've watched the pictures pass by month by month, and a fantastic collection if you're experiencing her work for the first time. Most pictures have a single word or phrase for embellishment (Collect. Preserve. Etc). McClure's art is based on families, children, nature and seasons. It's a nice way to think about the year.

[Kaitie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Nikki McClure’s art. There aren’t a lot of styles where you can point to it and say “there’s nothing else like it”. I’m always blown away by every piece and try to figure out which parts of the construction paper are connected, thinking of how it was cut and how they got items like flowers and water to look soft in that medium. This collection was the only copy in my library system and it hadn’t been checked out since 2011, so thanks to whatever library worker threw me a bone to not weed this lol. It’s an oversized book, not everyone has a desk to read it on like me, but I’m glad I got my hands on it for the art.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are beautiful illustrations. After awhile, I started to feel preached-to by captions like "eat more kale" and "create your own economy." I think there might be a sense of humor in some of it though, so it's cool. I find it uplifting and even appreciate the typography. But then, I'm very open to this sort of thing and love McClure's art. I can see some people reading this and wanting to gouge their eyes out even people who are in line with the whole everyday revolution thing. I think I'll get a copy for mom.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning--if you haven't got McClure's calendars, this is a lovely way to catch up. It's not the writing here that's the thing but the papercuttings, which reflect the exacting process by which they have arrived and yet never seem pre-meditated.

The book is somewhere between keep-it-pristine-on-your-desk-heirloom and let-the-little-one-thumb-through-it-at-will; both elegant and organic, the images are rebellious, spirited, unexpected and always wholly germane.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess introduced me to Nikki McClure with a gift--the *First 1000 Days Baby Journal* The journal is so intimate, so sweet, so inviting. I've been taken with McClure ever since.

This book is beautiful and hard to capture with words.

I want McClure's work all over my house. And when he's older and can tell me stories, I'd love to have Max look at the images in this book and read it to me.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

so beautiful.
buy-it-to-cut-it-up-and-hang-it-on-the-wall beautiful.
which is exactly what i'm going to do when baby girl has her own room someday.
or, when i have my very own studio.
or both.
hmmm.
two copies needed.
(now, why isn't my husband on goodreads so I can drop some birthday hints??)

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book for my sister who is a new mother and living in a place she does not get to experience the seasons. The images are so strikingly simple and beautiful as is the message about slowing down and appreciating all the seasons. Beautiful book.

[Angie]

One of my favorite artists from the Northwest...
Olympia, WA to be exact. Her work is amazing!!!
She takes pieces of black paper & cuts out these exquisite images with such fine detail & then overlays them on light colored paper.

[Lauren Simcic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a feast for the eyes, especially keeping in mind the precision of her paper cutting and the way she's able to develop depth in such a flat medium! Really just a lovely book to sit back with an enjoy for a couple of hours.

[puck · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my new favorite book. i love nikki mcclure. i can't help it. it won't stop.

[Steph Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay--not a read, but an incredible compilation of seasonal art by a favorite artist of mine.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of Nikki McClure's art. Organized by seasons, this book is a wonderful piece to pull off your shelves and marvel through every now and again.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have some of the artwork as posters hanging around our house. My daughter appears to enjoy these as much as I do.

[Megan K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautiful. It's meant for adults but I love love love to give it to children.

[Barrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very pretty illustrations. not really a book, but some real nice designs and thoughts to flip through.

[Conniejoneso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!
A pretty fast read...ha ha

[Alyssa Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki McClure is my favorite.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess that if I buy this I can then throw all the old calendars of her's that I've been holding onto.

[Hayley DeRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely lovely -- a great in-one-sitting read for any time of year. Poetry for the eyes and the mind.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nikki McClure's simple,yet evocative art

[The · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice.