Second Chances
I-Spy Children’s book of Rescue Animals in Collaboration with Companion Animal Alliance
At some time or another in our lives we have all experienced the grace of being given a second chance. From apologizing as a child for laughing at the back of the class to being given a caution notice by a state trooper on the way to Carnival, there is a certain magic attached to this and ultimately we get to choose how our second chance is to be used.
Every person who has ever adopted an animal feels this magic every day with the love bestowed upon them by their new family member. This book wants to capture and share this love.
In Louisiana it’s hard to say what came first, Porch Time or Kismet, either way this wonderful collaboration with CAA began with a Porch Time story.
And like many an ole story, it started with a cat.
The story of the St. Francisville cat Booksie quickly involved being invited by a complete set of strangers to attend a surprise 50th birthday party for a certain Dr. Gregory Paine.
We hit it off immediately and after listening to his devoted passion and inspiration as the full time veterinarian at CAA I set the intentions for this collaborative book. It is to him that I dedicate this project.
Once our intentions were set the expertise of Emily Jackson and her amazing team at CAA set the wheels in motion. It became clear from the very start that we wanted to create something unique and beautiful, incorporating images of the rescue animals and giving children a chance to engage with the images and dive deeper into the wonders of rescuing animals.
Memory is another gift bestowed from Second Chances.
A photograph, a letter, ashes, perhaps in a bunny urn, fuel the love shared between rescue animals and their loved ones.
In a similar fashion my book illustrations and collage work use a similar toolbox.
Discarded maps, architectural drawings, photographs, letters, menus, all get a second chance to be seen to embellish memories and create anew in a visual way. Whether the rescued animal is a bird or a cat or a puppy or a horse, Second Chances is a testament to the truth that giving an animal a second chance reflects that the world really is an amazing place.
Companion Animal Alliance (CAA) is thrilled to collaborate with internationally acclaimed visual artist and poet, John K. Lawson, on the project Second Chances. Known for using salvaged Mardi Gras beads, items reclaimed from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and discarded maps, photographs and letters, Lawson firmly believes in the power of second chances. And just how these salvaged materials have found new homes, thousands of lost and abandoned animals get the chance to leave their lives behind in exchange for a new one full of love and hope, with the help of CAA. Your dog, cat, horse, chicken, bird, pig, or snake can be honored and remembered through these beautifully collaged, one-of-a-kind works of art.
To provide greater education and awareness around animal welfare, an I-Spy children’s book will be built with the first 30 procured portraits. Incorporating the digital renderings, the book will give children a chance to engage with the creative I-Spy search while diving deeper into the wonders of rescuing animals.
Artist's Statement
In 2017 internationally acclaimed visual artist and poet J K Lawson returned home to Louisiana as the invited artist in residence to help create and open Knock Knock Children’s Museum in Baton Rouge.
During his residency over 225,000 children, teachers and parents experienced hands-on instruction and collaboration with the museum’s Art Garden and Big Back Yard.
In 2018 JK was invited to design the commemorative poster for the Baton Rouge Blues Festival featuring an old friend Henry Grey.
Subsequently, after an exhibition at Ann Connelly Fine Art featuring sixteen portraits of local swamp blues musicians, JK teamed up with the West Baton Rouge Museum, collaborating on an illustrated book (Juke Joint Men) featuring collage images and poems of the musicians with historical text.
Second Chances is JK Lawson's fourth illustrated book.
His two previous books Figures in Jazz and Maker Rebirth–A Mermaid’s Tale—celebrating the life and times of jazz greats and a gothic fairytale are both now in high demand in the illustrated book world.
JK is often featured in Louisiana’s Country Roads magazine and in the Massachusetts online paper, the Berkshire Edge. Lawson’s work is part of the Los Angeles County museum’s permanent collection.
About CAA
Companion Animal Alliance is the nonprofit Baton Rouge animal shelter formed in 2010 to increase the save rate of animals in our community. In partnership with the East Baton Rouge City-Parish, CAA operates the EBR Parish open-intake shelter, caring for nearly 8,000 animals each year including cats, dogs, horses, wildlife, and exotic animals. CAA has increased the save rate of animals to 77% annually from 20% in 2010.