Moss Whispers

Little Guy knows how to climb this tree very well! I just can’t quite draw all his twists and turns so that they represent his agility. For now, he’s going to have to accept my inadequacies and be happy that we all made it to his ‘bedroom branch’! I know I’M ready for a nap even if he isn’t! Now the magic comes in ‘the details’. Better get a good night’s sleep!

As I reach my branch
By my bedroom door…
This jingling sound,
I can’t ignore!

My fingers feel something
Curved and flat.
No jingle could come
From one thing like that!

Today this little guy and I had a long ‘sit down’ talk. (NOT in a tree!) I needed some hint from him of where he was headed on his adventure so that I wouldn’t paint myself out on a limb trying to keep up with him! We came to some understanding, and I began to sketch ahead since there were some architectural feats to overcome. I also needed to rework the text to stay true to his story. Hopefully, in the long run, this will help, but for today, it took a huge amount of time and watercolors just had to stop their flow and wait til tomorrow to fall into the mix. 

When I reach the branch

At my bedroom door

My pocket starts jingling

More and more!

I’m posting this painting until I come up with a better rendition of this little guy’s upside-down position!  He doesn’t seem to want to wait until I learn to draw, and is already moving on! Finding that jingling sound seems to be what is calling him. Also, at some point, the bird that has been following him will find his place on this page as well. Meanwhile, I’m starting to address what’s ahead for this guy as he keeps climbing.

I reach to the bottom.
Wiggle my fingers around.
I hear it again!…
That jingling sound!

Today has been a day of climbing and not getting very far! Seems I’ve been stuck swinging’ on a branch with this little guy! The higher he climbs in this tree, the more complicated are the poses and positions he takes.  I spent virtually all day trying to draw this little guy in this awkward position where he’s almost ‘skinning the cat’ hanging over a branch trying to see what’s in his back pocket without falling out of the tree. After searching for toddler climbing images, sketching up reams of poses, almost hitting my head on our brick floor trying to strike the pose myself in a chair upside down, making a paper doll and bending it over a pencil posing as ‘the branch’, and then losing the last 3 years of photos on my computer, I finally got a peek at him, lying limp over the branch, trying to look into his back pocket, without falling out of the tree!                                                                                                                                                                                       ..aghh! and now after first part of my watercoloring, he looks sort of ‘dead’ hanging on the tree upside down! This little child is “leading me” where?!!!! Breathe, Ann!

It’s time for me to take a painting and writing break! After all, it IS Saturday! So I’ll give you a glimpse of what has been happening ‘down at the Hillock’ in the meadow… Someone has been hard at work!

From what I can gather from ‘MossWhispers’, this is construction of CobbleStoneTrail which is branching off of CobbleStoneWay, which is the wider roadway at the bottom of the picture. Maybe someday I’ll try painting it, but for now, it looks like a mighty lot of stones to paint!

He’s climbing higher in the tree! The illustrations are getting harder for me as ‘the plot thickens’. Need more sleep! So does he!

My p-o-c-ket keeps jingling…

I’ll look there and see.

hmmm…lots in my pocket…

Which thing could it be?

I kick off my boots…
Pull my hat from my head…
No, it’s not in these…
Must be elsewhere instead.
hmmm….

Mr. Jingle is still climbing his up to his room. Almost loses his hat while he’s trying to locate that jingling sound… And I lost a lot of sleep just trying to help his legs stay together in one body! Gotta work on drawing…perspective, proportions, body ratios, or whatever you call those painting techniques! And need to work on developing ‘his pocket’  (hint) as the paintings as well as his perceptions (and ours) develop….aghh! so much to do! and I do love the process!

It ringles and jingles
Each step that I take
I must find it soon.
Lest it keep me awake.

This little guy keeps appearing at the big tree. He’s a character for sure and evolving like ME! It’ll be  fun to see what he’s up to!

Something’s jingling!…What IS it?

That bird in my tree?

No…it’s closer than that!

It’s somewhere near ME!

A tiny snow person appeared on the north side of The Hillock today. This was surprising to me since all the snow had melted…hmm..