Anatomy of an illustration

Perusing my computer files , I ran across some photos I had taken whilst illustrating "The Journey of Bushky Bushybottom", a few years back. I am so glad I saved these!

The Drucilla P.Possum page...

   These illustrations were done in Watercolor on 140lb cold press Fabriano Watercolor paper. 

Deja Vu... I have met these sneaky little critters before..

 

 As you can see by her Tartan and Love knot,  Drucilla is a Scottish Possum... hmmm, I wonder, do they even HAVE Possums in Scotland?

  Well, no matter, I like  Scottish folk, and  this book includes an audio CD which I narrated, and I did use a Scottish accent to read her lines.

 Here was the development of the Crow Chums painting.

  The two Crow Chums, Crusty and Icky.... "were lookin' for trouble"

   And they found it.

 This is what happens when you try to steal from the Honeybee Community.

     Just ask the Crow Chums.

   And Sir Percival...

   HAH!!!

,

Because I paint right on top of my detailed drawings, I take dozens and dozens of photographs to capture the pencil work forever,  for my own records.

    You may recognize the lovely Trudy Webbytoes?

 

Or the 3 little Bushkys?

 Seeing these makes me very anxious to get back to work on a book. 

 3 more art shows to go and I am done for several months! HURRAH!!!

  Have a wonderful week!

The little possums on moving day...

    

There were 4 little possums here in the Hollow that were becoming a nuisance. They had taken up residence beneath this old house. WHY? Because something smells  yummy and just a hop, skip and a jump.away... through the tunnel, along a dark, twisty stairway, meandering along the alleyway, and up through a mousey doorway is a tasty bowl of

GREAT TASTING BITE SIZE KIBBLE BITS AND PIECES OF FISHY, BEEFY AND CHICKEN FLAVORED DELIGHTS. 

  In other words, CAT FOOD.

In the MUD room, is where 4 possum tykes gather in the wee hours of the night.

 It is time to take action. We catch the sneaky little thieves one by one, day by day... 10 days in a row! We take them into the woods, but they keep returning.

,

  We decide to spray paint the tip of their tales to determine whether or not we are capturing the same possum over and over again. Blue, green yellow and red tailed possums.

The little red tailed possum came back 3 times!

 So we took him further into the woods.

 

What self respecting adolescent possum would not love to live here??

 Moss, mushrooms acorns and seeds!!! 

Little possums timidly cross the threshold

and discover.... 

the sheer joy,

and happiness,

Of TREES!

 I bid the possums a fare thee well, wish them the best of luck and tell them,

" No offense, but, I never want to see you again!"

Update: It is 11:00 in the evening, and so far, so good.