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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
It’s clear to me that these illustrations are mostly to help me visualize the details of the stories I write, and to help me edit and revise and edit and revise! What a learning process for me, both with writing and with my drawing/painting techniques! This little guy’s face has been drawn over and over! What a patchwork endeavor! I’m sure I’ll be redoing this page sometime soon! And perhaps I’ll be adding a calendar to his wall so he can mark the days til he can go back outside. Meanwhile, this poor little guy has hit his ‘flat’ feeling of the day!
We have been staying home in the country together with Will’s family! If this is officially called ‘social distancing’, we’re surely having fun! It has been a little more difficult to work on my writing and painting, though. I now have about 7 pages of sketched illustrations for this short story, yet not necessarily in sequential order. Nothing around here seems to be in ‘sequential order’. I’d call it more High End Chaos and Creativity! Today I had an hour or so to begin painting, starting with PAGE 1! Only to find as I reached for the last piece of watercolor paper, it was already taken. Hence, the walls of this little boy’s room are quite warped-looking! Perhaps that makes his whole room come from his mind’s eye? a little dreamy.
In their Beijing apartment, Joe and Baby Alex have window seats that look out over the courtyard below. It’s actually 11 floors down to the courtyard. Haven’t learned how to draw that perspective of depth yet. At least from these windows they can soak in a little sun/daylight! Can’t wait til they can come roam the countryside and play in the creek!
I’m still experimenting with ways to illustrate this brief story about a child being in quarantine. Our grandson’s Joe and baby Alex and his mom and dad are two of my heroes as they continue to self quarantine in Beijing, going on two months now. I think John took Joe out in their courtyard once or twice briefly for some fresh air. Catherine continues to make the most amazing meals for all of them from food they order and have delivered to the gate of their neighborhood. They have stayed much healthier than I have lately! The made themselves a family schedule that includes exercise time, window sun time, storylines, working, yoga, and so much more.
Regarding this illustration, as with all of them, I become more and more aware of how much more have to learn about perspective, scale, light, shadows, not to mention color and techniques. I may end up doing this drawing over and over. These children are supposed to be on a window seat looking down below from the 11th floor. Instead, my drawing makes it look like they are on the ground level and that these tiny bikes and scooters are merely little toys! Much to learn! Much to learn All matters and manners of things to learn! Loving it!
I wrote so much about this process of starting a new story but it went somewhere in my computer wires and I can’t find it! That’s ONE way to edit! I think I’ll add it tomorrow. This story I wrote while I’ve been sick and also while I’ve been thinking so much of our son, John, his wife Catherine and their two young boys who have been staying in their apartment in Beijing for way over a month now. There are so many other families with children being affected in one way or another, by this Covid-19 virus. I can’t imagine going through any sort of Quarantine, especially if you are a child or with children! Bless them all!
John did an audio read of this story I wrote and posted it on the site where he offers many new ways for people to practice their English. He made my story sound so much better than I ever thought it could sound! Thank you, John! It was healing medicine just listening to you read it!