Highlands School in Birmingham, whose Head of School Kathryn Barr is a friend of mine, asked me to do a sketch map of their campus for their admissions brochure. They're an elementary and middle school, so they wanted something welcoming and artistic instead of just a grid map.

I'd never done something quite like that before, and I chose a place in their quad where I could see all of their buildings and approached it like a street scape. I had to move around a bit to get enough of a view of each building's front (a touch of magical realism, I called it to myself), but I was pretty true to my viewpoint, and I was very pleased with the outcome. I added letters to the drawing to be used as a key for the names and functions of the buildings.

Their campus is nestled in a wooded hill, so the final overview drawing felt lush and green to me, and a little whimsical -- just right for an elementary school. It was a fun trip, and they also asked me to do a couple of close-up watercolors for note cards, so the total project made the trip worthwhile. I also got in a great visit with an old friend who lives down there.

I'll post the results after their brochure comes out. They wanted to debut it themselves, so watch this space in May or June for the final project.