I just need to write it.

Book ideas. Wow, they plague your mind and send you in a tailspin of day dreams. The advantage to being able to draw is that I can transpose my story idea onto paper in form of sketches and illustrated pages. I love my Super Brothers and have been creating a story them for it. My 3 boys are constant inspiration for the piece. I am also quite fond of my lost ant, Andy. He has been with me since that tickle to create something for the children's genre began to take its hold on me. Then there is Krumpy.  He is a little tree sprite with hopes to inspire love for the earth. I have a strong love for the earth, nature, birds, and the wildlife that live there. How does someone create when all of these ideas are stirring? Which one should prioritize your time first? I have outlines for all of these stories. My illustrations also help fuel the stories. I am thinking of recreating some illustrations of my Super Brothers. There is an illustrative style I want to try. I may give that a go this weekend if inspiration hits. I am also working on a logo of a lion for a website. This is exciting because I am forced to step out of my comfort zone and try new styles of art. Today, I am going on a super hero adventure with my boys as they patrol the neighborhood to stop criminal activities of all kinds. They will investigate rocks, catch frogs and release them near the pond, and point out all suspicious ant hills and relay cautions to any who may walk near by.
Here is a collage of some of my inspiration! :)

New paints, new inspiration

I recently bought some new paints. I have been working in watercolor and have been flirting with the idea of working in Gouache. Well, I bit the bullet and bought a set of gouache. I also purchased a separate tube of white zinc for blending. I let them sit on my desk for two weeks as travel and family business became more of a priority. truth be told, I was a bit nervous about experimenting with them. The rules are a bit different with gouache than water. Well, truth be told, I don't really follow the rules and paint from the heart. I wanted to showcase color and get to know these new colors. Inspiration led to drawing a jester. It is the perfect canvas to explore colors and this new medium.

the sketch

 

This is still a work in progress, but it is coming along. Tomorrow, I plan to add background to it and finish up any details. I hope to get it scanned and edited this week. It is a great piece to demonstrate the necessity of great paints. I am using Winsor & Newton Designer Gouache. It is so smooth and well pigmented. It blends well, too. 

I finished the piece. It is a tribute to the renaissance fool. A friend of mine plays the part at a couple renaissance faires in California. I call it "The jester's fool"