It's been a pleasant mixture of sketching, dreaming, and holiday shenanigans this past week...
Here's a small snippet of a stork and a baby.
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse 5"x7" Watercolor & gouache on paper
Oh to be a few inches tall, then you could crawl into the walls of a miniature dollhouse! That is where the town mouse makes his home in the city, within the toy house of the little children who live in the building he takes shelter in. It makes for very lavish mouse-size living quarters, and I am a bit jealous of them!
The country mouse seems to be a bit uneasy and awkward as she stands atop the table holding her china plate. A cup has fallen on the floor and shattered amid the hustle and bustle of city life. This is perhaps my favorite of the two paintings, mostly due to the awkward positions they take while sitting at the miniature toy table.
This Aesop's fable was such a fun thing to interpret, but they were also a present to my Mother for her birthday as we have always called her and her sister "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse". My mother is a country mouse, and I am as well. Although, I could be tempted to take up residence in a local dollhouse if one could be provided or I could find a drink similar to Alice's when she shrunk in Wonderland. Keep me posted if you come across anything of that nature!
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries 5"x7" Watercolor & gouache on paper
I have been working on a companion set of paintings to illustrate the classic Aesop's Fable, The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse. The first one takes a peek though the briers and brambles into the modest abode of a little country field mouse. She has invited her well-to-do cousin, who lives in town, to visit her. He happens to arrive during blackberry season, and so he is just in time to partake in the art of preserving the harvest in the form of jams & jellies. Glancing over his shoulder, spoon in hand, he is looking to his cousin for instructions on the recipe.
I will admit that I am a bit of a country mouse myself. Nothing like having bare feet in the grass reading a book, or snacking on wild fruit.
In the next illustration (coming soon!) she will be visiting her cousin's home in town.
Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel 22"x17" Watercolor and colored pencils on paper
The famous fairy tale siblings, Hansel and Gretel, must have known happier times in their childhood before they were abandoned in the woods with a loaf of bread. This is my rendition of their story, at that time.
Due to my own Dutch heritage, I altered the story's setting from Germany to the Netherlands. I'm sure that the Brothers Grimm wouldn't begrudge me the opportunity to dress these sweet children in wooden clogs (klompen) and place a windmill in the landscape.
Welkom to my interpretation of Grimm's Hansel and Gretel!
Watercolor WIP
Building soft layers of watercolor. I can't think of a better way to spend the winter days and nights.
Geese WIP (Work In Progress)
Sneak peek of something that is currently in the works. Now that the sketch is completed, the paper is finally ready for the first kiss of watercolor.