click to enlarge
I finished Great Expectations a few weeks ago. It is my most ambitious illustration to date. And a lot of imagination went into it. I was inspired by the art work for the May/June SCBWI bulletin by John Rocco. He illustrated carp-shaped kite balloons to represent the Kodomo no Hi national holiday in Japan. It was his kite perspective that I tried to incorporate into my piece with the hovering butterflies. His cover was the best darn SCBWI bulletin art to date.
I worked on this piece all Summer. I had many beautiful drawing sessions outside at lake Harriet. And there is so much going on that it is best viewed at original size. Sorry, you can't do that over the internet. My favorite part is the big dandelion puffs in the foreground. I painstakingly tried to get some realism there. And look at all my labels. I guess there were a lot of wedding guests! I hope there is a happy ending.
P.S. Be sure to plant your toes firmly in the ground and read my last post. You might have won an award!
