Tag Archives: books

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Hopping Happenings

It’s hard to believe we’re already more than halfway through June! Things are hop-pening as I bounce between many projects every day. Here’s the latest.

Do You Have a Pebble in Your Pocket?: Met with the author last week to review rough drafts. No major compositional changes are needed–hooray! The author also explained her vision for the artwork, which was helpful as I finalize the spreads before painting. Consequently, I borrowed some field guides from the library to research what plants, animals, etc., I could incorporate. Learning about regional wildlife is fun, too.

Alice Moran: After a lot of sketching and rethinking the composition, I’m ready to start painting.

Cartage: My graphic short story project (“graphic” as in “graphic novel,” and “visual,” not “gory”). If you’re wondering what a graphic short story is, good question! It doesn’t actually exist as a genre yet. I came up with the idea 2 1/2 years ago and recently resumed figuring out just how it works. Last month, I submitted Cartage (text only) to a short story contest; in the meanwhile, I decided to move the art part along–currently designing characters and learning to draw a Mojave Wrangler. It doesn’t look like this. =)

Splugger

Other Story Endeavors: Completed a rough draft of a children’s book about a seagull and a spoon, which has turned into a bit of an odd bird (the book, not the spoon–the seagull is already an odd bird). It could either end up demonstratively quirky for elder children or significantly reduced for younger ones. Or both. We’ll see where, if, and when it goes. For those of you who are familiar with the event that sparked this story, yes, the spoon is plastic and orange.

Additionally, I’m working on plot outline for a new script and revisiting some John Churchmouse; once some other projects are nearer completion, it’ll be his turn again to hop on the scene.

Hop, hop, and away!

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Goats, Boats, and Other Notes

Goats:

Spent several hours this week sketching rough drafts for another illustration commission, Do You Have a Pebble in Your Pocket?, a book to teach small children counting through representation. The premise: A farm boy keeps a pebble for every goat he has in his pocket; then, when each goat returns to the barn, he places a pebble in a pouch. At the end of the day, he still has one pebble in his pocket and sets out to find the missing goat.

Here are clickable splendid scribbles of the present cover and title page designs:

GP-rd_cover  GP-rd_titlepg

Boats:

Started work on the next tugboat commission. The Alice Moran is taking shape on the sketchpad. After working out a few more details and drafting a background of New York Harbor, I’ll do at least one more clean draft, then transfer to sturdier paper and bring out the paints.

If you haven’t seen the final, framed M. Moran painting (or images of the earlier stages), you are welcome skim through prior posts in the Captain’s Log (click and scroll down).

Other Notes:

At this point, Terry Treble Music Adventures I & II are still just for sale through me or MusicLearningCommunity.com staff directly. (No online order form just yet.)

I plunged into yet another revision (the fifth major one) of my opera libretto, an adaptation of The Antiquary by Sir Walter Scott. Good things are happening: crisping up some dialogue, incorporating more rhymes and wordplay, and reworking some arias. It’s nearly finished!

Among other projects started and standing, fleshing out and finalizing, I began reviewing two stories I’ll intertwine for a film script. But mum’s the word for now and awhile since it’s just getting underway–that gives you incentive to come back!

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Terry Treble in Print!

Good news! Last night, I spoke with Bill Hermanson of MusicLearningCommunity.com, who picked up the long-awaited prints of Terry Treble Music Adventures on Monday. Once the MLC site is updated to include purchasing information for Books 1 & 2, I’ll add a link to Draws the Eventide. Stay tuned.

Also, in case you haven’t explored this site within the past few weeks, you might sally over to the Art Portal. I added two new sections:

 

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Rhyme & Season

The snow and sun in Elsah shine whilst I have art to fill the time.

You may have noticed that literary devices occasionally make appearances in the Captain’s Log. This week’s adventures are brought to you by rhymes. (Two weeks ago, it was alliteration.)

Boats
I started a painting of the M. Moran, a sea-going tugboat. The image is based on (a photocopy of) an old newspaper photograph, or rather, part of a photograph, since the stern of the tug is cut off. (At least I assume it is a colorized photograph; it looks like an old tinted poster or postcard but does not have the same graphic quality. At some point, I’d like look into it and learn about printing press graphics.) At one time, the M. Moran (designed by my great uncle) was one of the most powerful tugboats in the world. It traveled between Korea and the continental United States, stopping only in Hawaii.

Goats
As I practice drawing goats for my latest illustration commission, Do You Have a Pebble in Your Pocket?, a counting book for very young children, I am discovering how much goats, despite being ungulates, resemble dogs in certain respects, not exclusively a penchant for chewing.

Quotes
More accurately, quotation marks, which make regular appearances in the fantasy/science-fiction novel I am editing for an acquaintance. 7 chapters down, 15 to go.

Notes
A divertimento from visual art — music notes. (Not a surprise, given rehearsals and practice, plus playing the Chapel carillon before church & before hymn sing this past Sunday.) Again, when MusicLearningCommunity sends word about the Terry Treble print run, I’ll post information about purchasing Terry books 1 & 2.

Coats
We may soon abandon them — today was a tropical 30-40 degrees! Also, over the next couple of weeks, I intend to upload more art — flora, fauna, and merry weather* — to Draws the Eventide. I’ll include concept sketches from my ongoing projects so you can get a tiny taste of what’s developing (beyond general progress reports).

*Any Sleeping Beauty fans in the audience? Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are the three good fairies in Disney’s take on the classic fairy tale. Merry weather would also eliminate the need for coats.

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Wintry Week One

Just more than a week has passed since I came back to the bluffs at Principia College, and what a week it has been! Things are swiftly scurrying along (squirrels and shivering students as well as writing work & program development) as afternoon temperatures approach Arctic averages.

Arctic alliteration notwithstanding, this wintry Week One bore witness to several art-tic adventures.

  • Terry Treble: After examining the proof copies and consequently editing them more extensively than expected (there’s that alliteration again — I assure you it shan’t abate), Terry Treble Music Adventures Books 1 & 2 are ready for their first official print run. I’ll post details, including how to order them through MusicLearningCommunity.com, once I receive word from MLC that the books are printed and bound. In the meantime, click here for a preview.
  • Centralia Carillon: (More alliteration!) As you may know, I was commissioned by the director of Centralia Carillon to complete a drawing of the bell tower to place on their programs. After comments and clean-up, ’tis complete! Right there’s the thumbnail. (It’s larger in life, about 5″ x 9″.) CentraliaBellTower_frame
  • New projects: (Alas, less alliteration.) Illustrating a counting book for young children featuring a farm boy, goats, and pebbles.
  • Website work: (Additional alliteration!) Modified a few things and set up… *drumroll*

Captain’s Log Subscriptions! Readers can now subscribe to updates via the subscription page or the sidebar. If you subscribe, please check your email for a message from Draws the Eventide — read it and weep confirm. (Kidding about the weeping.) Cue 18th century fanfare.

Also, as articulated in a prior post, I made another paper Olaf. As promised, he dons his “In Summer” hat and carries his cane. If he’s feeling dapper, he can hang his cane on his arm. (It’s not glued.) My brother is very pleased with his happy snowman, but perhaps not the room traffic he now gets — clusters of Frozen fans knocking on his door and exclaiming. But it’s worth it.

PaperOlaf2A

PaperOlaf2B

Big post. Bigger smiles.