In an acrylic painting by Otsego-based artist Shawn McCann, titled, "Watching You," a young boy tries to see a bird up close. Little does he know that a blue jay is perched atop the binoculars he's using.

Meanwhile, two of the boy's friends, who have spotted the feathery creature, are smiling. "They're so excited about the bird that's right there," said McCann.

The humorous scene is one of many such imaginative works that are on exhibit at the Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts in Fridley as a part of its holiday showcase, "Gifts for all Seasons," that runs through Dec. 17.

It features a dozen artists who belong to the Children's Book Illustration Guild of Minnesota, which meets regularly in Minneapolis.

The guild, which draws its 30 core members from all over the state, offers enrichment opportunities for established and emerging children's book illustrators.

Periodically, the group puts up art exhibits in various venues, as one way to keep its name out there, according to McCann, who joined the group six years ago.

At the Banfill-Locke, their theme is "children and nature," which comes across in various forms, from the charming to the comical.

In one room, there's everything from painstakingly detailed pencil drawings to highly stylized digital paintings, along with a wide range of subjects.

The Banfill-Locke's executive director, Lia Rivamonte, said the eclectic show brings viewers into the process of "creating the mood and voice of a story."

Although each of the pieces stands alone, "It makes you want to know more about what the story is," she said.

Taking creative license

In a vivid pastel piece called "One Enchanted Evening," by New Brighton resident Barb Bjornson, a scholarly looking frog sits at a desk on a lily pad, scribbling away by the light of a full moon.

"You never know what can happen during the full moon," said Bjornson.

A frog might pound out a great novel, thanks to the full moon's magical powers, she said.

Similarly, a ballerina frog makes its debut appearance onstage in a separate image.

For Bjornson, who has a background in realism, it's hard to say exactly where she gets her material, except that it all comes out of her head. "I have a lot of fun with my characters," she said.

Another experienced children's book illustrator, Scott Spinks, who lives in Champlin, also personifies animals in a funny way, although he does so digitally.

His cartoonish piece, "Dreaming of Greater Things," depicts several dogs that lounge in the shade on a summer day.

It's part of a story that he wrote and illustrated called, "The Legend of the Bone Tree."

The dogs, including one that closely resembles his Coon Hound, Dutch, have decided that their bones are no good. As such, they've come up with a plan to "bury them in the hopes that they can get a tree full of bones to grow," he said.

In the process, they rip up the neighborhood.

Additionally, some of the other works in the show portray "Minnesota Nice" as it might play out in the animal kingdom, deep-sea diving with a big fish, Alice in Wonderland with the Cheshire Cat, and a duck family outing at the beach.

Illustrators' support group

The guild, which originated in the 1980s, is "a great opportunity to get together with like-minded people," Spinks said.

Occasionally, it organizes workshops and field trips, or gets the members together to brainstorm ideas or sketch.

"It helps keep our hands loose," said Spinks. "It keeps everyone's mind fresh," he said, adding, "It's an opportunity to stray off from work and do something more creative."

For Beth Rapatz, who is relatively new to the field, the guild has been a huge resource. For example, when she was hunting for a studio space in the area, "I already had a network of people I could talk to about that," she said.

Rapatz, who's also a recent transplant to Minneapolis from Boston, added, "It's been fun to meet illustrators of all different levels and times in their career. It inspires me in my illustration work."

Anna Pratt is a Minneapolis freelance writer.