Page 5
I've completed quite a bit since last I posted here. My show schedule last year was just too much! 26 events does not leave one much time at the art table. James and I always had a plan. When the 3rd book was complete, we would take a new road.... away from self publishing. Not that I haven't loved the independence that it has allowed me... and the fact that we have sold over 45,ooo books, on our own, is very nice. But I would rather have the time to create more books than shuffling all over the country all year selling them. I would like to let someone else do the footwork for a change.
Let me show you a few bits and pieces from the last few months.
There she is, little Dimity!
When I started painted my bears noses, I took plenty of photographs of my dog Ezra, because a bear nose and a doggy nose, are remarkably similar.
a slice of Mamseys Kitchen
Another view of Dimity... she has a very important role in this story
One of the things I am really enjoying about this book, is the fact that I am going to be painting 3 seasons, summer, autumn and winter. This is a wonderful relief from painting dozens of shades of greens and blues, which my previous books required. I can hardly wait to paint Autumn golds, russets and ochres!.
I have 11 more full page illustrations to paint.. these are just a few of the "parts of pages I have completed so far.
below is Yesterdays finished page.
These colors that you see are not accurate. My original is much more golden and warm than this photograph. I need to clean this page up a bit, and perhaps I will work a bit more on the rugs. The area for the text may need a bit more differentiation on the left side. I repeated the pattern of the birch bark used on the "trunk by using the "branches" to separate pages and text area on the right side of page. The main branch is in the "gutter"( the center of the book, where the page is sewn).
Let me show you what I will be working on this coming week, January 4 2013.
My first step in painting a page is the color of wash to use. Is this a warm page or a cool page? In this case, the cellar is cool, so I will put a blue wash over this section. The outside of the house is warm and I will use a yellow wash. The kitchen.... I don't know yet, probably warm.
Here is the other side of the page.
There is much that I want to accomplish in these two pages.
This spread actually consists of 4 separate illustrations, but I must tie them together somehow.
Here you see Mopkin planting bulbs. The little bulb are already sitting underground. Beneath the bulbs, you see the ant tunnel.
These tiny workers are making a special "delivery" to Mamsey. who is up above in her pantry.
To your right of the ant tunnel, you see the cellar.
The text will be placed in the "faded" area above Mopkins head, and in the cellar,
placed atop the clear glass bottles.
I love my little ants casting big shadows on the wall.
Today is Feb. 11,2013. I see the light at the end of the tunnel! I am moving along so well, without sacrificing quality. I will give you a few sneak peaks of the illustration is just completed.
Here is a piece I had really been looking forward to. The panorama of Mamsey gliding down the river.
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Little things mean a lot, and the red honeysuckle in the corner is something I spent a good deal of time on.
This is just a portion of the page, a little more than half. It turns out to be one of my favorite illustrations so far... We are printing it as a lithograph, in addition to being a page in the book.
If you want to see the entire illustration, visit my You Tube station, I made a video clip of it.
Todays palette....
Todays hat....
Todays model..
My Beautiful Fionna Goosefeathers: Dream model
I love Fionna...
Don't you??
I think she should have her own book...
She is very particular about her clothing colors, we are still discussing it.
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Here she is, quite pleased with her choice of pastels. Very romantic and feminine.
April 19th 2013
So much has been completed since last I posted here. I'm nearly finished with the last two full page illustrations and then on to the bookcover, endpapers and bookplate!
June 16th Book jacket art is complete! I will move on to my endpapers now. I want to tell you... it is the BEST book cover I have ever done.
BOOK IS FINISHED! !
Books are now available for pre-order and I will start shipping them out on December 18th,
I am excited... I hope you are too!
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