Sir Frederick Minor

I have this feeling that does not go way- I need to draw ! All my life I have worked with oil paintings only and when I did that I never draw prior painting . I used my brush to mark the subjects and get the proportion right but oil painting is very forgiving because one can layer and adjustments can be made during the process.
For a long time I wanted to illustrate books using wool as my *palette* , I wrote two children's book and did the illustrations and when I was ready to send out to get it printed , I changed my mind. Since then, I have only wanted to draw and I think is because I want to use watercolors for my medium and drawing is very important, in this case.
The illustration above came to me one day when my daughter , Kate, told me that she was planning to write a children's story. Kate has written many poems and stories. She helps me translate my own stories and she does much editing as my English is not good enough. I believe that she is very gifted with both composition ( music ) and writing (stories). She is not very interested to write, at this point of her life . Kate is very different than me, she focus on one thing at a time , and I like that on her!
Anyways , although she is not planning to write a whole story soon ( one never knows, ) she wrote a summery about her first book . The story is about a musician mouse named Frederic Minor, well, he is better know as Sir F. Minor! I can't tell you more (yet) but I am hoping Kate will begging to write soon... As she read it to me , the picture above was formed in my head and I told her : "Wait! I have to draw!"
One would think that I have plenty to do already ... it is true .. I am making dolls, painting , making animals and yet this desire does not go way ... so I am following my heart!

I am adding a picture of my new little creature - A hedgehog! He is waiting for his Pixie to be ready and both should be on eBay shortly!
* picture was taking at night , not in his favor, I must add!

Musician Mouse

Some of you that knows me , thinks , based on what I have said in the past that my first art was oil paintings. Honestly it was not , because the first time I used oils , I was about 8 years old. You would *think* now, because I am sharing my latest drawing that it was drawing- no, not that either!


I am sure I drew a lot of pictures but what sticks to my mind (as far as memories) is sculpting.


I remember vividly one day , I think I was in kindergarten , but it may have been first grade, when the teacher called my momma and told her that I was a problem . My heart was beating and I couldn't remember if I had done something wrong . Well, momma came home with her hands full of little soldiers that I had sculpted from chalk. I remember that the tool I used was the lid from a pen. There were 23 of them. The teacher told my momma that I was not paying any attention to the class and now she knew why.Opps!


Momma was not happy about that but it was not long after that she let me do arts.


I don't ever remember doing much of drawings. I have always been afraid to try it... I don't know why. I have done many , many oil paintings... so many that my walls does not have any space left, grin, but I never draw before I paint , it comes from the brush. I do need some guide and my best work will be if I use a picture rather than the real scene because the lights and darks are determined. I believe the artist improves as its eyes improves. I often need to leave what I am working on and do something else so I can truly be refreshed . If only work with one medium, you would be seen much less work from me.*grin*



Anyhow , I faced my fears and worked on few drawings. When ever I finish something I look and I just about always not sure if I like it or not, or it should be changed or not , so my way to know is I start showing to the children and watch their first response. The body language tells me a lot and I have to be careful because my children tends to *love* everything I do, however Gabriella is very honest about her feelings so I normally show her first.*grin*
This little fellow received all the " ohhh, awww, so cute, I love it " comments !
I hid him from my eyes for few days and today I picked him up and looked and fell in love... what do you think? ( I would love to hear from you)
Now I wonder if I should paint him or not! Decision, decisions!*smiles*