My Book Jacket.....

      I'd like to share with you how the cover art came about for  my new book. In an effort to encompass the main themes of this story within the book jacket, I designed the art to show the reader  the following: My 2 main characters, the time of year, and what Mamsey's special talent is. 

I've used Autumnal colors to represent the fall and the coming of winter,

with acorns (still green), rosehips  burnt sienna mushrooms and little squirrels.

 The carved wood is repeatedly used throughout the book, along with birch bark and much rusticity.

  

On the jacket, I have used "stitched" birch

bark along the spine of the book, as well as the little section used for author text.

  With the use of needle and thread, a basket of twist, a needle in Mamsey's "pocket" and  embroidery throughout, it is easy to see what particular talent Mamsey has, and it is a skill she uses throughout the story,

till the very end. It is, in fact, the very heart of the story... for this is the tale of a mother's love expressed through a million tiny stitches.

I think my needle working friends will adore this story, and relate to it's premise, completely.

You can see the mode of transport on the BACK of the jacket, surrounded by Mamsey Bear's embroidery.

The two main characters are seen here and on the front cover.
The book flap needed only to be painted once, even though it appears on both ends of the jacket as a mirror image. We were able to duplicate it on the computer for the opposite side.

 I'm really glad, it saved me a lot of time and work.
 This is the back of the jacket, unfortunately, a bar code will take up about 3 vertical inches along the left bottom corner and obliterate the image of the needle worked "oak leaf". I really dislike those ugly bar codes.

  When designing a jacket, you must add at least 1 1/2 inch of extra artwork along all the edges. This edge artwork will scarcely be seen but is necessary for folding around the inside "board" of a hardback book. I learned that the hard way when when I designed my first book cover.
 This is a large book at 12x12, so the full jacket is around 13x34 inches.

 Above, you see the entire jacket minus book flap on left side.

 And beneath, my Book Cover.

 I am actually pretty pleased with it. I think it is much better than my previous book covers.

 
It seems like a long, long time since I first drew this image....
 SO GUESS WHAT??!! I have approximately 4 square inches to paint and my book will be finished. All the artwork has been scanned and copyrighted and I am SO close to sending this on to layout and printing.  I know there are a few people who will be very happy to hear this!
Almost time to celebrate!

Mamsey Bear sews the Purple Waistcoat

It took 9 days.

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 But she  finished it.

My goal in storybook illustration is a combination of realism and unreality... does that make sense?

    . I don't want a cartoonish work, OR a realistic work. I like things a bit crooked, a bit skewed , slightly off kilter and yet, with a hint of reality......suspension of disbelief.( Mamsey bear just wants to get this jacket dismantled so that she can use it as her pattern.)

The candles have burnt down to molten nubs.

 

In some instances I will use proper perspective, and then in other places, I will deliberately abuse it.

 But Mamsey prefers perfection in her needlework 

 

I love old, crooked and ancient stairways... Mamsey's  house is full of these! Painting beat up wood, cracked plaster and   items that seem to breathe of old age, is a fun challenge for me in my books.  It is the world of Hopalong Hollow....aged rusticity.

Mamsey finally lays out her "pattern" on the rich purple fabric... it is the color the night sky.

 at least, it is supposed to be.

There is just enough of it for a fox sized waistcoat.

,None of these colors are accurate on my blog, some were photographs, others were scans .Ah, the trials of an artist trying to "MATCH" her real colors is disheartening.  This room actually has a nice golden glow and the background below, is not the orange color that you see... it is a nice mellow yellow ochre.

  I think most artists will agree, that the one of the biggest headaches we have is in achieving a good reproduction from our artwork.

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   This still has some clean up to do... but you can see where the text will go and although you do not know what on earth this book is about, I think you can get an idea of what this PAGE is about.

 Before I begin an illustration, I record myself reading the words. I listen to this over and over again and become immersed in the purpose of the page.

 It is probably foolish of me to think I can finish a page in a week, I don't like to rush things or I will become sloppy.  9-10 days is more accurate. Quality over quantity.

 

Here is this weeks TEA.....it is Mamseys favorite and she likes it strong, with honey.

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 This weeks soup Is Golden Squash Soup.  This is delicious!
 Here is how James made it:  Using a large Butternut Squash peeled and cut into cubes, 2 garlic cloves, one chopped onion, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp thyme, 2 Tb butter or olive oil, 1/4 cup brown sugar. Roast in oven at 375 till soft. Remove from oven and puree. Add this mixture to 4 cups chicken broth and 1/4 cup CREAM.  Heat to simmer and EAT IT UP!

Here is the drawing I must paint this week...

  We'll be back  in 9 days!  Or, maybe 10....

 We bid you Adieu, tell we meet again.

A painting a week... and a full pot o' soup

I am on a mission to finish this book at last. Some of you know that it has been 2 years in the making. already. WHY?? Maybe because I did 26 art events last year. It is difficult to get back into the groove of detailed, intense illustration when I have to leave  town , thus, my art table, for days at a time. 

 
So now, I have 4 glorious months of solitude and home- sweet- home-ness. My intention: Finish painting the last 12 illustrations AND learn a new soup recipe every week,  (actually, James will be cooking the soups that I choose). WHY SOUP? Sipping soup from a huge pottery mug, with  a pot of tea on the radiator, at the ready, helps me stay focused my work, instead of my stomach. Besides, what is more comforting in the cold months of winter than SOUP! I am hoping you will cheer me on to the finish line with this book.  Each week, I will post the page I am working on, and we shall see where 8-10 hours a day of painting has gotten me by the end of that week.
My process for creating a book is thus: 1.) Write a story.. 2.) Fill sketch books with art ideas, book layout, and rough sketches. 3.) Draw, in detail, each illustration directly upon my watercolor paper. This includes endpaper art, book jacket, and 36 pages of artwork in between the covers. 4.)Paint EVERYTHING!

I had my drawings completed long ago and nearly 3/4 of the paintings. Here is the one I have on my table today.

 The page actually consists of 4 separate illustrations. This will become 2 book pages, but I'm painting it as a full spread.

MY books are rather large in size at 12"x12", and I fill every nook and cranny...in fact, I must remind myself, "LEAVE ROOM FOR THE WORDS!" I have written 8 books for this "Hopalong Hollow" series. This is book 3. 

I started painting this illustration the day after Christmas.
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  And as you can see, I still have a long way to go.

These images are rather blurry, and you probably cannot see the tremendous amount of detail that I put into each and every object.

The masking tape along the edges is used to protect my borders, but I also use it as a palette of sorts. I use the following watercolor paints: Sennelier, Windsor Newton, and Schmincke-Horadam

 The Mother bear, as you may observe by the artwork, is quite a Mistress of the Needle. In this illustration she is dismantling a shabby little red jacket, to use as a pattern for a lovely NEW purple jacket. 
Since my dear bear is a Mistress of the Needle, I feel impelled to finish another project, at the same time as I finish this book. Of course, I can only spare a few minutes a day on this:

But I think even a dozen or so stitches per night, will be enough.
I also want to finish this piece as a companion to the gorgeous one you see behind it, a treasured gift from a wonderful friend.
SO THAT IS THE ILLUSTRATION I MUST WORK ON THIS WEEK
AND HERE IS THE
 "SOUP OF THE WEEK"

From this great cookbook...



 This weeks TEA...

 
See you next week... with a completed piece of "BOOK".

Back to the book...

For two years I have been working on these drawings, at every available moment... at last they are finished.

This pile of pencil drawings represents 36 pages (12"x12") , end paper art, and a book jacket (front, back, flaps) for my third Storybook.

 I am so happy, at long last, to line up the paintbrushes, the pens and watercolors, to begin the last step in finishing this book....

 by painting each and every one of these persnickety drawings.

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 I would love to show you a few bits and pieces of some of these drawings. I 'll  present a few full pages when they are completely painted.

Above, is a "slice" of the book cover...

and below is a "piece" from an inside page, Mopkin's garden.

 

  And here is a "glimpse" of dear Fiona, Goosefeathers.. you do remember Fiona, don't you?

 She is so excited about being painted in full Technicolor... well, watercolor actually.

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another "peek" at Mamsey and Mopkin at bedtime.

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Oh, and I must show you a few of the little wood folk...

Gathering acorns, of course.

And here is look at  Mamsey's kitchen, where she whips up bowls and bowls of "bangers and mash",

 brews pots and pots of Irish Breakfast tea,

and is sometimes surprised by a little guest in the pantry.

Perhaps you recognize this fellow?  Sir Percival... a dapper, but landless gentleman.

 He looks somewhat short without his top hat.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you will recognize these little creatures. It is the only piece I had painted thus far. It is the title page.

  Now, I am working on painting the copyright and dedication pages. Here you will see  the house in which the two bear dwell.

This should be complete in a few days, and I will show you my process from start to finish.

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I have loads of movies to "listen to" as I work.

 

I am really trying to stay on task. I must finish this book in the next few months. 

 We here in the Hollow will keep you posted. Mavis Mudd (head chicken lady) may have to take over  the Gazette for a wee bit!

 In the meantime, I thank those of you who visit me here, and a special thanks to those who leave comments!

 See you soon, IN COLOR!