FINISHED AT LAST!.

 I have finished my book. You have no idea how contented, calmed, and relieved that makes me!
I looked on my website where I had been chronicling my progress on book 3 and was amazed to see that I actually began work on this book in January 2011. This seems like a very short pile of art for such a long passage of time. Why look, it barely causes my satchel to bulge.

Not even 2 inches thick piled on top of one another. 

I scratch my head in wonderment at having "accomplished" what seems like such a small amount of work in such a very long time. Some of these paintings I hadn't  looked at in months.

    Upon closer examination, I now remember why it was so time consuming. I guess it was the little things that devoured the minutes, the hours, the weeks and the months.   The images below are just Parts of pages,for full pages are 12x24"and actually stuffed to the edges with artwork. Besides, I don't want to show you everything on the page since I want to leave the rest to your imagination.

 Tiny details are my thing..

like little ants casting shadows,

  worn, cracked and ancient wood,

artistic expression of the beaver folk,

  small creatures covering the ground,

and sleeping deeply in the good earth.

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It's funny that even though I finished some illustrations ages ago, I can still remember what was occurring at the time I was working on the piece. For example, whilst working on the dream page above and below, I had the Lord of the Rings trilogy DVD's running back to back over 3 times. That's about 18 hours worth of Tolkien... (Obviously, I don't watch, just listen; I LOVE THOSE MOVIES!!!)

  I remember my lovely husband cooking new soups for me each week during the winter (so I could stay warm in my chilly studio); and bringing the puppies up to see me throughout the day so that I could snuggle them.

While painting the bear's home  I listened to audio of Jane Austin stories and wondered if the Bennets lived in such a house. Then I listened to Charles Dickens tales on Librivox
  and could imagine Miss Haversham glancing out of an upstairs window.

During the process of this book 52 chicks and 8 ducklings were hatched and Jemima the donkey was born. I raised the injured baby starling, Esther, as well. She was my studio companion for many weeks, sitting on my pages, my head, my shoulder.  

Her little image appears in my illustrations many times over. I will never forget her.

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 Our old hound dog, Ezra,  passed away, but I will always think of him when I see the Bears nose because Ezra's wet nose was the model for it.

 Working on this painting in the month of January reminded me that I had yet to plant the 500 narcissus bulbs I had purchased months before. I interrupted the work and planted those bulbs and they all came up in the Spring!

 Looking at this page I counted over 82 diminutive characters and wonder how on earth I had the patience to do it. I wouldn't want to paint it again, but the first time it was sheer joy!

My peacocks would fly up on the porch roof and watch me painting through my second story studio window. They would sit there for hours, like me. I like to think they were cheering me onward, but is more likely they were admiring their reflection in the glass.

To be fair, I did not continuously work on the book. But in between the 60 art and book events we participated in, my one focus was "Finish this Book", and that is how I spent most of my "free" time. Realistically, it takes me about 3-4 weeks to complete a piece and with 20 full page illustrations, (that's 2 pages in a book), that still amounts to nearly 2 years of full time book-work.

 It's odd to get up in the morning without thinking," I need to go work on my book".
What on earth will I do with my time now?

WELL, I am going to clean out my poor neglected garden,

Pick up a needle and thread and work on that sampler I started last December,

Go clean out my garden shed,

and put away all the bee keeping supplies. Next year, I WILL have my bees!

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I may even have time to read a book!

Or glide down the nearest river

and play my harp under the silver stars... if I can remember how!

Perhaps I'll even get a good nights sleep...
 how sweet that would be.

Oh well, Who am I kidding?! Although this artwork is complete, we have a lot of work yet to do. Completing a book is just the beginning of a very long process. Now we must promote the book at book festivals and library events and art shows.  It will be at least 2 months before I am actually holding  A BOOK in my hands, and then it is a matter of selling books everywhere!

 Sometimes I question my sanity while tirelessly painting away in oblivion on these projects, but then, out of the blue, I get a heartwarming email or a lovely comment that answers that question for me. When a person approaches me at a show, for example. and asks, "Is the new book finished?  We love your books!", I feel so grateful and delighted and thrilled, that  people are actually urging me along, I then realize why I spend 2 years working on these books. And I thank those of you who encourage and appreciated this work!

For now, I'll relax with Dimity Doormouse, sip tea and bask in the satisfaction of a job well done.

   I will continue with the  Hopalong Hollow  Book series. I have a wonderful Christmas story starring a Moose, and a marvelous Cat story as well. BUT I also have dozens of short stories which do not warrant a large book, but rather a Beatrix Potter sized book. Therefore, in between the Big Books, I will be working on a set of "tiny's". That way, at least I will have new literary goodies to offer my very faithful readers, every single year.

As soon as the "Mamsey Bear and Mopkin" books arrive, I will post in

 HUGE LETTERS 

on this blog and on my website so that you can order if you so desire.  Realistically, 2 months from now. I wish to thank those of you who followed along towards this journey of completion! You've been more of an inspiration than you know.