IF - prepare

As carnival is not so far away now ;) my son has decided on the costume he wants to wear: it has to be Hector Barbossa from 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. Fortunately we already have some of the required pieces, but I still have to sew a few things. So I have prepared for this since Sunday by adapting patterns and looking for appropriate fabrics.

Of course I want to do the monkey who perches on his shoulder, too. This is a bit of a challenge, because the only patterns I could spot so far have been for sock monkeys which this one is definitely not going to be. I'm really looking forward to creating the monkey, though.

To prepare the above illustration I made a very quick sketch that I also want to show you:

Right now I try a few different approaches from my usually very realistic one. Not because I don't like it, but sometimes it's simply too time consuming. Also I feel the need to develop. I am already excited about the outcome.

IF - grounded

Grounded again - the first post for IF for quite a while now.

It shows a pylon standing in water that is standing about 50 m from our house. Right now the river I'm living at (which normally can't be seen from our house) has flooded all the adjoining grassland so that it looks as if we were living at a big lake. I love this sight! Fortunately our house is built on a much higher level so that there's no risk of water in the basement. The pylon itself is built on a concrete base that emerges about 2 m above ground - under normal conditions, that is.

IF - launch

This teapot is launching its whistle like a rocket.

That is somehow like I feel at the moment. I can't find the patience to do my usual colour pencils that take so much time and control. Whereas I sense such an impatience and restlessness that I have to work quicker or physically (I've been cutting boxwood spheres all day yesterday, though this was not exactly spontaneous either).

So this time I did a very quick watercolour which took me only a tiny fraction of the time I usually need for such an illustration.

IF - stir

What more does it take to stop this lethal technology?


Initially I wanted to draw swirling coffee in a cup, but with the events that are going on in Japan since friday it seemed to me to be almost offensive to ignore the stir they cause in my mind.