Moss Whispers

This illustration was a little difficult for me! But hopefully it will help me remember the gist of things! I imagine a true illustrator could express this much more clearly.

This story about Martha was written about 6 years ago. Over the years I have revised and edited it along the way. It’s the illustrations that take me so long since drawing and painting are things I have had few lessons to help me! I mostly have a degree in trial and error for me! Sometimes I write planning notes for myself, like I did on this page. AND often some of the directions I give myself either would show up ‘off the page!’ or would need more expertise than I can muster with my little fingers! Here were my directions to myself:

Drawing tips: Martha is steadying Potter ‘on top of’? Slug as they ‘hobble’ towards Potter’s Tree, which is also not far from OLD CEDAR.

Potter has his hurt knee riding on Slug’s back and is hobbling with his other foot on the ground, assisted by Martha who is leaning to help but also hobbling herself.

Up high in the distance at OLD Cedar sits OWL, half awake, and half asleep, with one eye shut and one eye open. His head is turned to the side, and he’s ‘rubbing one eye?’ with his wing-tip.

As it turned out…only owl’s feet and wingtips made it into the picture, which makes it hard to see one eye open and the other almost asleep, or to see him tucked under his wing. Oh, well, Owl doesn’t really show up til the next page! So a sneak peek is okay with me for now!