Thursday, December 4, 2014

L's first fantasy map

Linden was captivated by a promotional map for a YA fantasy book that was lying around at her school library called "The Land Elyon" which you can see here. She copied it in part, making enough changes for me to justify calling it her own world. "The Land of Magic".

While the "Dark Wizard's Castle" and "The City of Goodniss" are naturally intriguing places, it's "The Dark Cave" along the shores of "The River of Magic" that I'm personally most curious to explore.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

It's almost Halloween...

...and L decided to scratch out these quick little sketches of a princess. Being tortured.
In the first image she is trapped in a cage, her arms and legs, and even her hair are taped to the wall and someone has put a snake on her arm! Later, she is out of the cage but now her eyelids are taped shut (seriously) while long mysterious arms reach out to cut off her hair. Also she's bleeding from a wound in her neck.
When asked who is torturing the princess L replied with a mischievous grin, "me".
I think she's getting a little into this whole Halloween thing.



PS please do not call child protective services just yet. I swear she is a healthy well adjusted little girl. Most of the time.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Elsa

It has been way too long since I posted anything here but L has been super busy. And she doesn't really need me to color for her anymore.

If you don't have or don't know any kids it's conceivable that you are unaware that every girl and half the boys from preschool to K6 have been obsessed with the movie "Frozen" for the last 7 months or so. L says she's tired of it now and doesn't even like Elsa, one of the central characters whose song "Let It Go" seems almost completely unavoidable. She says she hates the song now too. Oh how fickle is fandom. She did not feel that way when she drew this rendition of her a month or two ago.

I hope to add more drawings and possibly some collaborations soon.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

An Owl and a Snowman

I haven't had a chance to do any new collaborations with L's art lately. But here's two doodles that need no coloring from me. L did this distinguished if somewhat weak-kneed owl


And H rendered this interpretive take on Frosty the Snowman. There must have been some magic in that old cross hatch technique.


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

A castle, some teasing, and 2 abstractions

L drew this castle just yesterday. Three princesses in their towers like the boy at the gate but they are afraid the soldier will lock him up in a cage. Their smiles apparently belie their grave concern.
(you can click on the images to view them larger)


In an earlier piece L depicted a moment most children are sadly familiar with; someone else making fun of you. I forget the reason for the mean girl's taunting jeers. Perhaps it has something to do with the jacket that the other girl has tossed aside. And what exactly is the mean girl saying? One can only imagine.


H in the meantime is not much concerned with doing the sort of drawings her sister does. She continues to eschew figurative work in her search for a more open ended form of expression. Lately she's been exploring grid-like patterns that resemble a fertile cross between early Mondrian and Cy Twombly. To see a very different approach check out the previous post.



Tuesday, September 10, 2013

2 year old abstractions

I'll have more narrative work from L soon (I promise). But her sister is really taking off in a different direction. At this stage L was starting to master her early figures. H doesn't have that skill yet, but she has a way of using color that is on a par with anything her 5 year old sister can do. I know she'll move onto pictures of things and people soon (according to her these already are) but for now I think they're wonderful little abstractions.
oil pastels

color markers

color markers

Monday, August 19, 2013

Aquabats!

Has anyone else ever seen "Aquabats"? They're a band. They're superheroes. They have a show.
Anyway this drawing is done from the perspective of an evil robot. That's right, you are the evil robot. Those are your evil robot hands reaching out toward three of the Aquabat team members (there are actually five altogether).  But you will not defeat the Aquabats. They each have little bags of little tiny hearts that they will throw at you and those little tiny hearts will turn you from evil into good.