Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains: An Artist's Journey
Artist Rosalie Haizlett kicked off her book tour over the weekend and celebrated the official launch of her new book, Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains, in her hometown of Elkins, WV. Tiny Worlds features Rosalie’s hand-drawn exploration of the region’s smallest creatures and plants--a celebration of biodiversity and an invitation to slow down and appreciate nature’s hidden wonders. It’s also an adventure travel story, the result of Rosalie’s journey throughout the Appalachian peaks, trails, and rivers from Alabama to Maine to Canada. Along the way, Rosalie looks closely at the earth, discovering luna moths, earthstar mushrooms, pickerel frogs, showy orchids, and more.
Exploring national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands, Rosalie met with biologists, ecologists, and rangers to get an insider’s look. Tiny Worlds draws readers into her sketchbook of vibrant colors, textures, and original maps for an unforgettable journey through a treasured mountain range.
When she first dreamt up the idea for this book three years ago, she knew it would be more of a passion project and not a strategic financial move. But the idea of making this book lit a fire within her and she couldn’t ignore it.
“Every time I thought about the project, it felt like I was falling in love – butterflies in my stomach, sweaty pits and all,” she said.
Rosalie said her dream was to make a book that allowed her to deepen her knowledge of the natural world in the Appalachian Mountains, the region she’s always called home.
“It was to translate what I learned into a book so vibrant and playful that even a reader who was uninterested in nature would be compelled to care a little bit more deeply about the flora and fauna here,” said Rosalie.
A beautiful book that would resonate with readers who would treasure it – that was the goal. After several months of pitching her book proposal to publishers, she was grateful to find Mountaineers Books, a non-profit nature book publisher, who helped bring her project to life. After a year of editing and working with the talented team at Mountaineers, Rosalie received her advance copy in July.
“I held it in my hands and felt such a deep gratitude that the project had worked out, and that they’d believed in my vision enough to make it a reality.”
Now, Tiny Worlds is officially out in the wild and books are being shipped around the world. Rosalie said that she’s had conflicted feelings when friends and family ask her how it feels to be on this side of the process. In the trenches of promotion, she admitted that it’s been a struggle to feel as though she’s done ‘enough’ to promote the book. But at the end of the day, she gets to define her own definition of success.
“When I zoom out and think about creativity in general, I know in my soul that a project is successful when a maker does the best they can do and then releases into the world,” she said. “No matter how exhilarating the project, the act of making the work is difficult, the act of releasing it is vulnerable. When you’ve done both of those things, the mission is complete.”
We are so excited to get our hands on Rosalie’s beautiful new book! This shipment is enroute and should arrive before First Friday. You can grab a copy in the shop, order online, or grab a ticket to one of Rosalie’s upcoming stops on her Book Tour! Her next event is Saturday, September 7th at the Clay Center in Charleston, WV, where she’ll be giving a talk, signing books, and exhibiting original artwork. Click here for all of her upcoming events and book tour stops!
Photography and Trailer by Rosalie’s sister, Clara Haizlett