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A farewell to Dahlov Ipcar

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Maine artist and picture book author/ illustrator Dahlov Ipcar died last Saturday at the age of 99.  Her two sons described the day of her death as follows:

“Dahlov spent the morning as usual at her easel working on her latest painting; she fielded a few calls with her son, Bob, pertaining to a sit-down interview for a publication and worked with her son, Charlie, on a number of projects related to her upcoming exhibits.”

Ipcar has left behind a wonderful and extensive legacy, both nationally and here in Maine. The exhibit of her paintings at the Portland Museum of Art some years ago was one of the most captivating I’ve ever seen. Locally, Ipcar painted a remarkable mural along the hallway walls of Kingfield Elementary School.

She produced many enduring children’s books of course such as Hardcrabble Harvest, The Cat at Night, and Wild and Tame Animals, which were orignally published by Doubleday and which are now republished by Maine’s Islandport Press. Nonetheless I do have a very clear personal favorite.

The disarming fact that Ipcar worked up until her last day, calls to mind another hard worker, Big Betty, the one horse of Ipcar’s classic picture book, One Horse Farm. One Horse Farm delivers a perfect example of Ipcar’s timeless illustrations, their exquisite palatte, quietly expressive figures and sublime backdrops offer an absorbing visual narrative.  This is the story of Big Betty, who was born the same day as the farmer’s son, Jonny. Betty grows up faster than Jonny, and the book shows its readers all the things Betty does on the farm, from hauling logs and blocks of ice in the winter,  to pulling wagon loads of apples in the fall, and plowing fields in the spring.

Betty also grows older more quickly that Jonny. One day, noting that Betty is getting too old to do the farm’s work, Jonny, who has now taken over running the farm, decides to get a tractor.  Thoughout the story we have only seen Betty at work but now Ipcar shifts gears and shows us Betty’s thoughts.  After the Tractor has been purchased an auction is held to sell off all the items, the wagons, the harnasses, and the plows that pertained to horse drawn work. This auction is a source of anxiety for Betty. Here is a the pivotal page from the book which I have read and re-read many times.

One Horse Farm exemplifies Ipcar’s particular genius. She understood the art of picking your spots, of pivoting suddenly from narrative description to an invaluble life lesson. The  value of integrity, responsibility, appreciation and caring, is reinforced in the reader’s mind by our attachment to Betty’s legacy of steadiness and hard work. Jonny’s decision to let Betty live the rest of her life on the farm kicking her heels up and eating the best hay is as important as it is moving.  Unsurprisingly Ipcar later shared that One Horse Farm was her most autobiographical book. “It was the life I lived,” she said.

I love One Horse Farm as much today as when I first read it as a child, and the childhood copy we have in our personal library at home is one of the books that my wife and I treasure the most. Selling her books at DDG to new generations of children is the epitime of job satisfaction.

When I think of Dahlov Ipcar’s legacy many things come to mind, but her concern for personal character and integrity, so deftly and powerfully expressed, are something for which I will always carry a grateful memory.

This essay first appeared in Publishers Weekly’s Shelftalker.

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10 Comments

  1. UMF’s Mantor Library was the fortunate recipient of one of her paintings as well as a fairly complete collection of her books which are in the Archives.

  2. I have been a fan of Dahlov Ipcar’s work for many years. I made a quilted wall hanging titled “Stripes and Spots” that was inspired by her book of the same name and every year at the Kingfield High School Reunion, held at the elementary school, I get to admire her mural again!
    Virginia Morrell

  3. Each time an Artist passes away from earth…a little of each of us dies
    with them…
    Warm thoughts to her family.

    William Rice
    Wilton, Maine

  4. I was fortunate to meet this incredible lady a few years ago at Curtis Library in Brunswick. She touched me deeply with her awesome zest and appreciation of and for life. Her legacy will live on through our children who will continue to know her thru her wonderful stories.

  5. What a beautiful description of a life well lived, a life of giving and one loved by many! I never met this precious lady but could relate to the page from the book! Having grown up on a farm as well, this page speaks to my heart as I am sure it has many others.

    My sincere condolences to all during this time.

  6. It was inspiring to meet the artist and writer at an autograph session sponsored by Islandport Press during the rerelease of her children’s books. She was calm, cordial and conversational; the real essence of an artist wishing to offer her work to us who wished to share it with our grandchildren.

  7. I also had the pleasure of meeting the amazing Dahlov Ipcar on Five Islands. She talked about her writing and I got a short visit with her while she was autographing her books for my grandchildren. She was so
    generous about sharing her story and talents.

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