Peacocks in Magnolia Tree

Peacocks in Magnolia Tree
24" X 60" Alkyd and Gold Leaf on Board

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Storybook Illustrations











I've always wanted to illustrate children's stories. Stories I write and stories I love. My mother instilled in me a love for stories and writing from a young age. Everyone in our family loves and collects books. Illustrated children's books, comic books, poetry books, books on birds and beasts, art books, basically if it's got pages, information, illustrations, and a cover we like it. Today's offering of art will be illustrations that I did because I wanted to. I love the poem Wynken Blinken and Nod, and my Mom can recite it from memory. Now my mom has Alzheimer's, but it doesn't have her. She might have short term memory loss, but her long term memory is just fine. She still can remember her childhood, our childhood, and reading. She can't remember recipes, but she's done enough cooking in 84 years and 60 years of marriage so she deserves a rest anyway. She doesn't want a rest, and it ticks her off she forgets what she is doing in the kitchen, but life has handed her some lemons so it's time to make a lemon cream pie.




And this time someone else has to make it. Ha, isn't life grand.




The Wynken and Blinken and Nod are illustrated with Teddy Bears, as is the Rock-a-bye-Baby Bear. They are done from sketches I made up in my head, and the Quilt theme is done with my sister's Yvonne and Carolyn in mind. They both like to Quilt, and are both artistic in different ways with their quilting. Carolyn made my boy's quilts when they were young, and then made Kevin another King Size one for his older age. My other illustrations are a mermaid and then some Traveling Companions I sent on a journey. I don't know where they are traveling or why they are together, but they are friends going on a journey. I don't know why the Mermaid is diving with the fishes, and I don't know if they are guarding her, or bad and escorting her somewhere. I just like to experiment with techniques, and paint what's in my head. Obviously when it looks like I'm doing nothing my brain is busy doing something. One of the things it is doing is dreaming up more art work for me to execute. Today's offering are in my growing private collection of framed art work that is propped up against walls and bookcases and sofas. I will continue to illustrate books, poems, and imaginary scenes as long as the characters in my head want to come out and play across the pages of white paper or canvas. Thank you Mom and Dad for the Love of Books and my love of art. You nurtured this love in all of our hearts, and now our spouses have to deal with our love of books and art. But Art, Music, Theater, Film enriches all man kind, and lifts the human spirit. May your spirit soar daily, and may all my fellow artists be successful in their endeavors. Write when you get work, and continued good health for everyone who is traveling down the path of aches, pain, and undetermined illness. And Mom remember what you forget may be a blessing.




3 comments:

Robyn said...

I love your style. It is so rich and also sweet. For too long, anything sweet was out of style, even for children's books. Things that are grotesque cannot feed the spirit. We need more sweetness in this life. Thanks for sharing some of yours!

God bless you.
Robyn

Anonymous said...

It is remarkable, this valuable message

Emreen said...

Wow... Such a rich blend of colors..I would love to read any story book that has such cool illustrations...!!