Inside My Great Walls Marking Time

I’ve trapped myself again inside my great wall of “i can’t draw this page! I need LOTS of time to learn how to draw four people in action poses!’ And I filled all the spaces of time inside my ‘too busy to get it right’ fortress and that led me to…”So I won’t even attempt it!” How’s that for my great mind talk!
Though on rainy days, my lil story is a great “listen” if someone has talked themselves into boredom. And for now here’s an earlier illustration for page 4.

Inside My Great Walls, written by Ann Gordon, audio by John Gordon

Martha Julia Agnes Adele Part I: Audio & Illustrations

John Gordon did some other wonderful recordings of Martha Julia Agnes Adele in Three Parts. I am presenting it on my website in the three parts with three posts in consecutive order. If you can’t access the other two by scrolling down after this post, go to the category on the left, called Martha Julia Agnes Adele and you should be able to scroll through them consecutively, I hope! Here’s the Audio with Illustrations. for Part I:

Martha Julia Agnes Adele, written and illustrated by Ann Gordon, audio by John Gordon
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Part II audio and story illustrations continues on next post. Go to left side of website page and click on the category, Martha Julia Agnes Adele, and all three posts with the audio will be there consecutively.

Martha Julia Agnes Adele: Part II Audio & Illustrations

Martha Julia Agnes Adele, written & illustrated by Ann Gordon, audio by John Gordon
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Continue to page 20 and audio Part III on next post.

Martha Julia Agnes Adele: Part III Audio & Illustrations

Martha Julia Agnes Adele Part III written & illustrated by Ann Gordon, audio by John Gordon
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THE END of THIS LEARNING ADVENTURE at The Hillock!….until next time… Martha Julia Agnes Adele!

Inside My Great Walls, Page 5

This painting was the original image I had in my head as I starting writing Inside These Great Walls. It’s my image of our two grandsons in China stuck inside their apartment for over two months in self quarantine. They have three window seats in their high rise apartment in Beijing. Their ‘schedule of the day’ included time at the windows to get some vitamin D sunlight. I think it fits best in the story for page 5. Thankfully, now after almost 3 months, they have finally begun to venture out again. Now it our turn in the U.S. We will move beyond all this someday. Meanwhile, my heart goes out to so many families and those living alone and dealing with this Covid19.

Inside My Great Walls, by Ann Gordon, read by John Gordon
Inside My Great Walls, Page 5

Inside My Great Walls, Page 4 (revised)

Thank you! Thank you! to all of you answered my call for help on ideas for this ‘little guy’s’ hopeful harbinger for when he once again will be free from his time of staying at home! I appreciate your taking the time and sending me your very creative and thoughtful ideas! After having fun imagining your ideas with pictures in my head, and after pondering what would fit things already in this story, and of course after thinking about my grandson, Joe in China and his favorite flying symbols, I decided to go with his scooter and cape and save the rest of your great ideas for frolics in the future! You all really gave me enough harbinger ideas for many books! Thank you for your encouraging comments on my website and also on Facebook!

Inside My Great Walls, written by Ann Gordon, read by John Gordon
Note: I have revised last two lines of page 4 text to make adjustments in the meaning of the story. This revision has not yet made it to this audio version.
Inside My Great Walls, Page 4 (final version! I think!)

Hopefully this will be the last update for this page for awhile. I also was not too happy with the color cirulean blue I had first used for the sky. I tried altering it some with water and cobalt blue! I’m still experimenting with sky colors. I can now move on to sprucing up page 5, which was my original illustration when I first thought of this story.

Inside My Great Walls, Page 4

Finally I have a Page 4 illustrated! and changes made to the text! I’m still wanting to add something next to the little guy’s cocoon that is a hopeful indication of what is to come after his quarantine here imagined as his cocoon. The caterpillar is transforming into a butterfly and will freely fly off to new heights and happenings after being in a cocoon. The little guy? What would feel like freedom and adventure for him? I’m thinking I could put a few hints like him sitting on a bicycle (maybe only showing the seat with him sitting and the back wheel.)? And perhaps I could put one of his favorite capes on his back (superhero?) or a pirate hat on his head? Any suggestions?

Inside My Great Walls, Page 4!
Inside My Great Walls, written by Ann Gordon, read by John Gordon

Inside My Great Walls, process of Page 4

When I started setting up my drawing for page 4, and I read the text to Alex, it became clear that something about this line didn’t quite fit: “I pity caterpillars inside their cocoons.” Plus Alex pointed out that caterpillars in cocoons are getting ready for some wonderful transition. So I decided to change the text to “Is this how a caterpillar feels inside his cocoon?” This also meant I needed to change “inside my rooms” to singular, which fortunately worked out fine. So at least I decided to go ahead with my idea for the drawing. Here it is in Ink sofar.

Ink Sketchout for Inside My Great Walls, Page 4

Next came painting the small details, which could be a bear with my hands that go numb pretty quickly. So I decided to go ahead and use the Masking Fluid. This would protect parts of my drawings from colors that I don’t want to accidentally mess or from color bleeding of the watercolors. Took me a little longer but it is kind of a fun, magical process.

Inside My Great Walls, Page 4, Masked and Ready for Color!

I LOVE peeling off the mask when the paint is dry and then applying the next color! Taking masks off on a watercolor, is a freeing thing! I imagine it will be SO freeing for those having to wear masks all the time because of Covid 19 Situations! Feeling so much gratitude for all those who are supporting the common good…delivery people, medical workers, caregivers, those growing, preparing and raising food, and on and on! Thank you!

Hillock Infrastructure: The Bench at the Hillock


TheBench@Hillock

The bench that I destroyed on a wild mowing spree, is now propped and primed for another ‘sit-a-spell’ moment to come.4wayBench

It’s been seven years now since the hillock bench was refurbished with new wood and then propped up on a boulder after I ran over one of the beautiful wrought iron legs. Now the treated wood has grown beautiful lichens and taken on the earth’s hue. And the middle board has broken through from all the years of use. It’s time for the powers that be to get more wood milled and holes drilled to replace the weathered and worn.

Meanwhile, there are other ‘sit upons’ nearby for the smaller visitors to The Hillock…Francklin often spots lizards sunning on the cedar relic near the pond. This lizard thinks he’s picked a landing high enough to avoid his 3-year old stalker, Francklin! Little does he realize that Francklin is like a two-pawed centaur when he goes for the high places!

Where’s Lizard?”

Mermaid Moves Into The Hillock

During our rainy indoor day yesterday, Alex and I discovered there was mail in the tiny mailbox down at The Hillock. It was addressed to The Wonderful Road Helpers, which we knew must be Nora and Andrea,

Here’s one of the tiny letters from The Hillock Fairies:

Page 1 of Fairies’ Letter
Page 2 of Fairies’ Letter

This morning, the girls ran down to The Hillock to look for the new Mermaid resident who had moved there! Then they laid the beginnings of the road to her house! Now she can have visitors! There are so many dwellings and new members of this community, that I may have to have auditions for next book characters! Already two frogs have moved in since we refurbished the pond, and hundreds of tadpoles!

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