This calls for some giddy internet babbling… but I’ll spare the lot of you. I can officially call myself a ‘professional’ now (so why is it I feel more noobish than ever?) for I have been published in one form or another! Watch out, guys; I’m serious business. Okay, here’s the scoop.
Recently, I had the privilege of participating alongside other artists in a project with Jenny Lam of Jackson Fish Market, and now that love baby has finally been born. A Story Before Bed is a website that combines modern technological capabilities with old-timey, homey storybook reading. Kind of like webcomics, only it’s interactive. …Seriously, just go there and check for yourself.
Anyway. Last December, I was one of three students from Wesleyan College who were offered the opportunity to board this ship by my professor, Lindy Burnett, who herself was working, both with her Portfolio Center students and Jenny, in order to pull this together on the illustrator’s end. So, for the next few months, we plotted and planned and finally executed the final illustrations.
My role in this endeavor was in illustrating Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. (I’ve had some of the spreads up on my gallery here for a while, but I’ve been waiting to talk about them until now.)
The paintings are mixed media–specifically watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on some really awesome paper heavy Strathmore paper. The procedure incorporated multiple layers of paint, fixative, and matte medium.
My idea was to approach the poem from a sort-of-literal-but-taking-liberties-as-my-artistic-license-permits angle, which seemed to me to be the essence of the poem anyway. The main character is a woman instead of a boy, and the Jabberwock is (I think) beautiful instead of burbling. The poem is English in structure, but the imagery is Asian-inspired. The words are jibberish, but a story still manages to unfold. Ha ha.
I send out my congrats to both Amanda and Betty! Your books came out great. Also: Frances and Lindy — thank you so much for kicking my you-know-what into gear. And Jenny, it was awesome working with you.
One final round of links, and this entry is done.
Jabberwocky
A Story Before Bed
Jackson Fish Market
All images © Jackson Fish Market.
