"Of Gold and Morning Light" Project - Inside Image 4 Final

At long last the image is finished! I have 7 more to do, including a two page spread, which is next. So, keep your eyes peeled! 

Celtic Myth Podshow

Hello, everyone. Please visit the Celtic Myth Podshow. They are wonderful people and harbour a wealth of traditional celtic folk material that you may listen to, for free! So click the link to the right or bottom of the page and give them a listen. I guarantee you'll fall in love with the magic of the Celtic landscape and imagination through the bardic mediums Gary and Ruth.

Faerie Con - The Journey and Our Adventures There

Well, I have returned from my sojourn into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Faerie Con was great! We stayed in The Castle bed and breakfast. It was a large house built to herald the arrival of a successful personage. Go to www.castlebnb.com to see it. I highly recommend staying there. We stayed in the Library Room. If you go, tell Ellie that Justin and Sarah recommended you to them.

Once we got to Faerie Con we talked to many inspirational people. Some of them I hope will remain friends for years to come. Here is a list of those we met, along with their websites (if available).

-Michael Hague - http://michaelhague.com (one whose illustrations will be remembered as other classical illustrators are today. A true visionary)

-Kinuko Craft - www.kycraft.com (she and Mahlon were wonderful)

-Mahlon Craft - www.kycraft.com/mahlon_f_craft.html

-Larry McDougal and P.A. Lewis - www.angelfire.com/art2/faeriedust/larrymacdougal.html (both are lovely people; illustratours sure to be remembered for their beautiful visions. Thanks guys)

-Virginia Lee - www.virginialee.co.uk/home.html (another wonderful illustratour and a beuatiful person. Best of luck to you!)

-Charles Vess - www.greenmanpress.com

-John and Caitlin Matthews - www.hallowquest.org.uk (another awesome creative duo!)

-Ari Berk - www.mythicjourneys.org/guest_berk.html

-Toby and Wendy Froud - www.worldoffroud.com/index.html (Wendy and Toby were there, not Brian)

-Fairy Woodland - www.fairywoodland.com (a wonderful, whimsical craftsman)

-Fantasiation - www.fantasiation.com (congrats on your commission with Ms. Zimmerman!)

-The Mushroom Lady - www.innerfaecreations.com (lovely work! Sweet music choice on your site, too ;p)

-Basement Books - Donna Rankin (very nice lady... if you see this, keep that Wensel dwarf book for me ;p)

-Tate and Company - www.faerieglennj.com

-Claudia D. Newcorn - www.claudianewcorn.com (author of "Crossover." Buy this book!)

-Optivion - www.optivion.net (up and comers. Check 'em out!)

-Meghan - www.corvusblue.com (a wonderful person and artist!)

-Alexa Galtman - http://magichappens0306.deviantart.com (another up and comer. Check her out!)

-Dave Windham - www.thevalkyriewars.com/index.htm (an awesome guy and a great concept! This is going to be a comic. I recommend checking this guy out post-haste)

These are the people I can remember from the many conversations I had. There were many. I hope all of you were duly represented here and may this help bring you some exposure. Thanks for an awesome weekend everyone!

To Faerie Con!

Well, headed to Faerie Con to try my fortunes. If anyone is following this blog, wish me luck. I, too, wish all of you trying to make it the best of luck in all your artistic endeavours always.

Excerpt from "Of Gold and Morning Light"

This is an excerpt from the story "Of Gold and Morning Light." Please, enjoy:

The raven watched the silver haired, child-sized creatures dance, dressed in naught but fur cloths about their loins, and felt the weariness in his bones from his long flight. How nice it would indeed be to rest a while in laughter and song amongst the ancient and beautiful Inir. But the pain in his chest from the iron ring about his heart reminded him of his task. He flew off, leaving the Children of the Dawn to their games and merrymaking.

Next he happened upon a giant woman washing clothes in a large pond. She was old and bent with age and she looked up and smiled when she saw him.

“O’ red bird! Won’t you perch upon my shoulder for awhile and entertain me with tales of thy wanderings whilst I wash my garments?”

“I cannot waste any time whilst my dying friend is suffering. Canst thou not tell me whence I might find the lady of these woods, the Witch of Wings?” replied the raven.

“I shall surely tell thee if thou wilt sit with me and entertain me for awhile with tales of thy wanderings whilst I wash my garments.”

The raven considered this seriously. For he was weary and his wandering in Telnirund had been two days. But the iron band about his heart again reminded him of his charge and he left the giant maid and flew off to look for the Witch of Wings.

"Of Gold and Morning Light" Project - Inside Image 4

Here is an in-progress image. Many of you may cringe, but for these particular images I am using a butcher paper substrate. Not archival at all but it is a fascinating surface. It gives me a soft effect and the tooth is interesting. It lends the images a sense of faerie that I really enjoy. A mistiness that conveys, for me, the idea of another world. Just like the compositional choices I have made convey a looking from one world to another. Sometimes a world of light into dark or vice versa.

Here's the colour study.

Here is the line drawing for the next illustration in the series.

"Of Gold and Morning Light" Project - Inside Images Revisited

Here are the touched up versions of older works from this series.