Michele L Moses

The Original Frog (circa 1961)

I haven’t always had a thing for frogs. It started when I was about 10 years old with frog 001, my only frog for a very long time. When I was 25 I rediscovered my first frog rummaging through a trunk filled with childhood stuff that my mother correctly decided I would cherish later in life. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I was very glad to see him, but handled him carefully seeing he was quite fragile. He had a yellow felt crown that had completely worn away. I laughed to myself, remembering my childhood notion that he would one day turn into my prince charming. Worried that he would completely disintegrate, I stored him away once again.

My family was obviously inspired by my childhood frog and began giving me the occasional frog gift. Eventually relatives and friends found anything “FROG”…. T-shirts, garden statues, Christmas tree ornaments, more stuffed animals would be the perfect gift for me. The collection grew in quantity and quality with the very best developing personalities of their own.

As time passed, an entire imaginary world grew around the frogs. This would not have been possible without Kevin Murrett, my best friend and husband. He gives life and personality to the frogs. Without him they would just be cute, but silent stuffed animals.

I decided to celebrate this select group of frogs, sketching them and finally integrating each sketch into a digital collage of color and geometry. These whimsical illustrations inspired a book titled “The Frog Project”, thoughtfully designed by me as a gift for my husband on our first wedding anniversary representing the traditional theme of paper. You will find some of the frogs illustrated here…enjoy!