Sisters artist kickstarts quest to 'Dream Again'

Dennis McGregor is well-known in Sisters for being the artist who painted a whole bunch of Quilt Show posters - 14 of them in all. He is also a songwriter and now an aspiring children's book author.

All those talents come together in his book "Dream Again," the story of a young woman named Annie trekking the Oregon Trail on a wagon train accompanied by her faithful horse, Grace, and a precious quilt made by her grandmother.

Without spoiling the story it can be said that the quilt goes missing and has many adventures while Annie has a few of her own as she tries to become reunited with the sole reminder of her family and happier times.

McGregor figures his target audience is grandparents and parents who either make or posses quilts and love to read with children aged 8 and up. The book has some lessons on perseverance and the value of heritage. The illustrations are vibrant and move the tale along nicely. McGregor recently read the book to a class of fifth-graders at Sisters Middle School and the response was enthusiastic.

The backstory of the Dream Again project is a sweet one. One of McGregor's most popular posters was from 1994 and showed a wagon train comprised of wagons covered not in canvas but colorful quilts. The connection between quilts and pioneering history struck a chord with many people, McGregor included.

He owned an old quilt and got to thinking about the places it had been on its journey to his home. He painted a few pictures over the years that reflected the theme and the story formed in due time. This is not the usual way of planning a book, McGregor acknowledges. Many of the techniques he used to bring the book to life are non-traditional. Friends were his editors and locals served as models for the quirky characters in the book.

McGregor's partner Kimry Jelen put her hair in braids to be Annie as seen from the back.

Laura Curtis, former Americana Project student, modeled the facial views of Annie.

Katie Cavenaugh is the model for shopkeeper Greedy Mrs. Greenwell.

(McGregor is quick to point out that Katie served as only the physical model.

Mrs. Greenwell's nasty personality is entirely her own.) Brad Tisdel jumped on board as mountain man Gallatin Brad.

Three people served as the model for Native American character Scare Crow; Myra Fisher's glossy black braids provided the back view and Willie True and Dale Largent donned breech cloths and leggings for the other illustrations.

Nugget editor Jim Cornelius modeled a split personality character whose details are best discovered by reading the book.

And Grace, Annie's beloved horse, was modeled by three different equines; Jeep, owned by Gayle Walker; Lexi, owned by Carla Inman; and Rosy, at the time owned by Suzi Lewis.

McGregor is taking another non-traditional route to publication. He launched a Kickstarter campaign on March 1 which runs until April 9. Kickstarter, according to the website "is a funding platform for creative projects."

Project creators post a video and written description of their endeavor along with incentives for prospective backers. A certain amount pledged by a backer guarantees a tangible reward ranging from a heartfelt thank-you to original artwork or a host of other bonuses. The creator sets a funding goal and timeline. If the goal is reached within the time frame, backers' credit cards are charged. If the goal isn't met, well, it's back to the drawing board for the creator. Many projects have further plans for if the goal is exceeded, McGregor included. Watch the video to find out what he has in mind.

McGregor chose to go this route because he wants to produce a quality product, "A good, old-fashioned solid book that'll last for generations," he said. The book will be hard-bound, with thick, quality pages showing the detail of the illustrations.

To contribute to McGregor's Kickstarter campaign and pre-order the book, go to http://www.kickstarter.com and type "Dennis McGregor" into the search box.