Tag Archives: operation opera

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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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Christmas Swing

Now that Christmas break’s in full swing, it’s time to give you readers a ring! (Lest I mislead, this post has nothing to do with holiday jazz, telephones, or bells — although I did play Christmas music on the carillon a week ago.)

Work for the term (writing internship, that is — storybuilding is never done) finished last week, which means instead of squeezing story time between meetings, teaching, and rehearsals, I have to squeeze it between Christmas activities, housework, and moving the cats off the drawing board.

And there are developments! Here’s a smattering:

  • Terry Treble Music Adventures: Books I & II are in the printing queue!
  • Post-November novel “Goodness, there’s a long way to go” revision/keep writing/overhaul process has begun
  • Operation: Opera continues — and hopefully will produce a tighter version of The Antiquary
  • Preliminary work on commissioned art for Centralia Carillon

And so many more things to explore! Who knows? Maybe I’ll wade into the realm of creative non-fiction and write a collection of this Christmas season’s “everyday adventures.” Life is an adventure, after all; we just have to remember it as such.

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Antiquated Faces

Here is a handful of human heads hewn and hatched by my hand. In short, ’tis a sample smattering of several singers to stage my sometimes serious and simultaneously silly script.

In shorter, for those interesting in The Antiquary, here are rough sketches I did of several characters. Roll arrow over for “flavor text.”

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Isabella Wardour

Jon Oldie but goodie
Jonathan Oldbuck
(The Antiquary)

Lovel
William Lovel

 Sir Arthur is not a good warder.
Sir Arthur Wardour

He's blue, daba di daba dai.
A Whigged Tory
Miz Griz
Griselda Oldbuck

Clint Eastwouldn't
Lord Geraldin
(Earl of Glenallan)

It was Lady Joscelind in the hall with the candlestick...
Professor Profile

Miss Mary Mac
Mary M’Intyre

 Uh huh.
An Unimpressed Young Lady

 

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Summer Summary

A week ago I finished the rough drafts for John Churchmouse (very rough, but workable enough to proceed towards more finished art). Then I went out of town and, now back, am ready to advance. Despite the approaching term (which means back to intern work) and corresponding preparations, I can still squeeze some storybuilding into the schedule. =)

Summary of summer projects’ progress:

  1. Completed first draft of The Antiquary libretto
  2. Revised libretto several times to arrive at current and final draft (with obligato perpetual tweaking)
  3. Revised and formatted Terry Treble Writes Rhythm, with subsequent edits to it and Terry Treble & Letter H Write Rhythm
  4. Revised John Churchmouse text (final form)
  5. Completed rough drafts for JC spreads
  6. Thumbnails & other exploratory sketches for Cartage
  7. Watercolor sketches (thistles, daffodils) & note card possibilities (tested tulips)
  8. And, of course, the “Just Married” seashell sign (Congratulations, N&H!)