art of the masses

bridge water emporium

2012-01-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

day Twentyfive

2011-12-25T04:21:00.000-08:00

To play the calendar through from day one or to leave a comment, see the post below

Your browser does not support iframes.
This interactive December calendar countdown to Christmas featuring Zoe and Dante is a work in progress and may not always be up in time or bug free, but if it's not working please check in later and hopefully we'll have sorted it out.

The advent calendar is part of a collaboration I'm doing with a fun gal from New York called Wei. Eventually it will be polished up to a rosy shine. But seeing as that may not be until spring, and melting snow tends to make Santa’s festive attire smell of wet wool and cinnamon (a romantic notion in theory but a bit of a turnoff as you prance through the daffodils) I’m posting it now.

If your device doesn’t support flash I’ve also included videos of each animation. To watch the video animations from older days please follow this link to ‘A very Zoe and Dante Christmas’ where I’ve collected them all for easier viewing.

And again to play the calendar through from day one, see the post below.

day One

2011-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Your browser does not support iframes.

If your device doesn’t support flash I’ve also included videos of each animation. To watch the video animations from older days please follow this link to ‘A very Zoe andDante Christmas’

trees & clouds

2011-11-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

I’m working on a little movie and I thought it might be fun to share some of the set components I’ve drawn so far. We’ve got your average fluffy clouds, snowy trees and some tree sweaters including birds. A small penguin paperclip snuck in while I was documenting the sets. He stems from a box of penguins I bought in Tokyo and is so cute I didn’t have the heart to oust him.

and now, some penguins

2011-10-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking of penguins lately, penguins in sweaters to be precise! It’s almost become something of an obsession, as doodle after doodle features a flappy sea bird in a finely knit jumpers.

It all started with the call for knitters to aid the oil exposed penguins in New Zealand. And seriously, when you see a picture like this (link to image), tell me you don’t feel the urge to draw handsome penguins too.
So here is a little charmer getting a soapy scrub down as his friend is distracted by a suspicious scarf.

PiBoIdMo

2011-10-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

November rises and that means, it's Picture book idea month! YAY!

I loved participating last year and on top of a slurry of new ideas, I won the delightful book you see below donated by Jannie Ho. So again, YAY! Tomorrow I start the 2011 PiBoIdMo and I can't wait to see where it takes me.

contraption

2011-10-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

meet freckles

2011-08-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

my process

2011-07-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I just got back from an inspiring visit to Montreal & New York, and I am more than ready to get back to the drawing board. *smiles* Just wait until I introduce you to Freckles the alligator!

But first, just before leaving on my trip I did an interview for InspirU Coo Coo and I’ve included below my answer to the question ‘describe your illustration process’. For the full interview follow the link.

Hugs everybody. Good to be back, and I can’t wait to go visit you all soon.

1 - I choose a theme

‘scruffies’: term I use for the comfy and by no means sexy clothes I wear when working in my home studio.

2 - Research and inspiration

3 - I draw a thumbnail sketch... here is an example of an actual thumbnail sketch and the respective final image

4 - I scan the thumbnail and enlarge it, then print it out and use it as a backbone for the detailed drawing on the light table.

5 - I figure out the perspective points (if relevant). I often tape multiple extensions to the image for the perspective points and use really long rulers.

6 - I draw the basic image in pencil

7 - I then ink the image

8 - Finally I fill in the texture. I sometimes scan the image and test different lighting gradients on my computer before applying them in ink.

My tools

However when I doodle, I just put pen to paper and try not to think too much.

Have a great day, and again you can find the rest of the interview here.

slightly speedy sketchbook peek...

2011-06-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

speeded up flip through of my 2011 sketchbook project sketchbook

I’ve been busy as bees! This is great for me, not so much for my little blog. I’ve been doodling over at boy in a bear suit, but it’s not the same. I thought I best idle the time here by sharing more of my 2011 sketchbook for the sketchbook project. It’s a bit speeded up as it was too long. On the upside I kind of like the old super 8 feel where things go just a smidge too fast. Enjoy.

boy in a bear suit...

2011-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Tuesday that feels like a Wednesday!

I don't have any big lovelies to share just yet but in my blogging absence/abstinence I started a doodle blog on the side.

Boy in a bear suit is a blog to host a little challenge I’ve set up for myself. The criteria are ‘keep it simple’ (i.e. just characters), ‘post daily’ and ‘no bunnies’ (sorry Zoe and Dante, I still love you!)

And do not fret Zoe and Dante will be sharing lots more adventures right here as usual!
Hugs!

journey

2011-04-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

A bunch of months ago I was visiting Tammie’s blog and one of her delightful photos immediately caught my attention. I commented that I could see Zoe and Dante having an adventure in her landscape.

To my delight I got an email shortly after with the photo in question attached, giving me permission to borrow from it! I was flattered and thrilled! I started the image right away... but it just wasn’t working out and in the end I put it aside.

Then as it so happens, this week’s IF theme is journey, and I thought of that failed image. It was perfect. If only I could get it to work... I guess time gave me the distance to see it with fresh eyes, because now, after some tweaking (ok a lot of tweaking) I think I found my way.

undead toys 'too'

2011-04-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Or as the delightful Bella puts it: 'they are not undead, just misunderstood.'

I did a second version of the undead toys, just to see how it would look in a different setting. I think the bunnies pop more in this one, but there is a quality I like in the first one too. I'm glad I did both.

I've got some wonderful projects going on at the moment. One of which is a collaboration with a really talented friend on an animated short. I'll do some updates here as the project unfolds. Oh... and yes, it will contain my bunnies.

Sweet dreams, and don't let the undead toy keep you up... they just want to play.

undead toys

2011-03-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

swarm

2011-03-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

SAVE the LIBRARIES

We all need stories from time to time to carry us away!

below are three of the layers I drew to create this 2d/3d illo

waters... layers

2011-02-28T04:33:00.000-08:00

belated IF illo for the theme layers...

tree sweaters with bird pockets

2011-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

New tree sweaters now with handy pockets to keep your birds warm

be my valentine...

2011-02-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

dirigibles & submersubles TWO

2011-02-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

It’s February and officially the Year of the Rabbit! Trust me, Zoe and Dante are not letting this one slide by unnoticed. Zoe first insisted that we should celebrate every day this year like it's their birthday... but when I argued that it would make her out to be in her mid 300s by the end of the year she decided that one birthday a year was just fine.

Here's the second of three peeks into the making of my Sketchbook for the sketchbook project 2011. I hope you like it!

dirigibles & submersibles ONE

2010-12-14T03:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this sketchbook for the 2010 sketchbook project.
And it almost goes without saying that Zoe and Dante are in on the adventure. So please, enjoy the first sneak peak!

one little bunny...

2010-12-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

It's December! Time to spread the yuletide bunnies!

November was crazy between work and PiBoIdMo (Which was amazing by the way, oodles of new story ideas have been scrawled into my writing book and I even discovered a new character that isn't a bunny! Don't fret lots of bunny tales where discovered too.)

This month will be big with the drawing though! I have a sketchbook project book to fill and naturally I'll be posting some of the pages here! Yay!

beneath...

2010-10-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

Beneath the waves things were still as the grave as though the sea had turned to plastic and above the foam and the deep blue brine the mystery thickened respectively.

sipping an old fashioned...

2010-09-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Dante has been watching mad men again…

star gazing

2010-08-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

giant robot...

2010-07-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

based on a fantastic robot my friends Ola and Romina gave me for my birthday (seen below)

ripples in dark water...

2010-06-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

The image is hand drawn in pen and ink using a 2 point perspective then digitally rendered.

turn that frown upside-down...

2010-06-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

As cosmic timing would have it, my oldest friend booked a trip across the pond earlier this spring neither of us knowing she would be here for a time when I would need her the most. I've deeply enjoyed having her and her baby here... a new life in the flat felt oddly comforting. But time flew and my friend is back across the pond and I… I am loving the joy of getting back into the inky delights of drawing bunnies...

And it's about time! Don't you think?

(This little rascal is a bunny tribute to my friends baby, whose greatest relish was finding carpet fluff to eat...)

in my absence...

2010-05-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago my world was shaken in a way I will feel for the rest of my life... My mother was diagnosed with stage 1 cancer... but it was extremely aggressive and by last week it was a stage 4.

My beautiful mother Merrilyn died on saturday in Arizona at 2:37pm, it was a beautiful sunny day.

I am sorry that I haven't been able to answer comments or post much since I got her diagnosis and I hope to get back to that and drawing bunnies and stuff soon...

lots of hugs,

SPX 10, fairy bunnies and robots...

2010-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I went to the Small Press eXpo 10 this weekend and bought lots of goodies! Unfortunately I've been too busy to post about it till now. So here comes a sprinkling of my favourite buys...

As soon as I found 'The Gigantic Robot' book I fell in love! It is written and illustrated by Tom Gauld and is simply poetic and wonderfully graphic. What doesn't come across in my photos is that the book is printed in superb quality and just the tactility alone makes this purchase worth it!

My other favourite buy is a Swedish mystery graphic novel called 'mumiens blod' (the mummies blood) written and illustrated by Ola Skogäng (book seen at top) sadly I don't think it has been translated to English.

linked by a string of lights...

2010-04-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Dust-bunny nests in the wild are often connected, seeing as they are quite social creatures but easily scattered by the wind. This colony of nests for example, is linked by a string of lights. (because I’m sure you were wondering ;)

rescue a dust bunny... don't spring clean!

2010-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

time flies... but spring is apparently crawling…

2010-03-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I’m really looking forward to spring getting into full swing... but alas as recently as last Sunday it snowed… I guess all my balcony garden dreams will have to wait just a bit longer. The bunnies are getting restless but I’m keeping them busy as I work on a new post-apocalyptic illo… sneak peek can be viewed above.

'brave' bunnies of the North Sea...

2010-03-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

one banana... and a movie...

2010-02-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

I just finished a new Dante short, which is now posted over on Zoe and Dantes blog… I hope you take the time to go have a peek! The animation is hand drawn on drafting paper…poked at digitally and assembled in ‘movie maker’. I’m really happy with this one… but of course I’ve got lots of new ideas to make the next one even better!

Hugs!

/Emily

getting muddy...

2010-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

There are two kinds of people in the world,

those who love getting muddy and those who don't...

clumsy bunny...

2010-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Please click on image for a better look!

Distracted by the oddity of the Dead Frog Band Dante didn’t see the microphone chord till it was too late… Clumsy bunny!

A Zoe in the wilderness...

2010-01-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

please click on the image to get a better look!

I got really excited about this weeks IF theme ’wilderness’... the wild places are close to my heart and I started to dream up lush foliage and how I could infuse it with bunnies… in the end it was Zoe who took me to one of her favourite haunts… I hope I did it justice!

Confined to the library...

2010-01-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

(in the good way)

Zoe and Dante spend the nights confined to the library, nestled in among rough tweed pillows and dusty books. The city, now voiceless, has been muted by a thick blanket of snow… but Dante doesn’t trust this quiet truce, he knows the urban grit with all its mysteries and necrotic personalities are still there under the cold pale guise… just waiting, patiently, for the thaw.

Click on image to enlarge!

Under every rock...

2010-01-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

No need to keep looking under every rock; I was only taking some time off from my computer over the Holidays, but now I’m back! I have some shiny new illustrations which I hope to post soon and Zoe and Dante have a multitude of curious adventures they can hardly wait to share…

So here’s to 2010!

To our visitors, We love and appreciate you all! : )

Lots of hugs!

Emily, Zoe and Dante

busy as a Christmas bee......

2009-12-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

Alas December has been …murder! ; )

I have been doing a lot so far this month, which honestly is great! My absolute latest is a new Zoe and Dante movie… well just Dante really… anyhow it can be viewed here and over on Dantes blog, along with a few other movies, so if you haven’t been over there yet go have a peek at my cheeky little bunnies, quick! Quick!

On an extra note it’s snowing outside, which has resulted in me bouncing around the apartment all day, trying to resist going out and bombarding strangers with snowballs!

fish food draw...

2009-12-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

No peeking Dante!

and the winner is... ALE BALANZARIO!

Dante... wait!

um... ok there was only supposed to be one winner but in all the excitement Dante seems to have drawn 3 extra names so they will be getting a little something in the post too!

congrats... HOLLY JENEA and AZADEH (xovika)

this and a surprise...

2009-11-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

Right to the point… I am having a little give-away contest. If you win... this one of a kind original pen and ink strewn envelope will travel all the way to your door! And inside there will be a little surprise as an extra bonus! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and your name will go into the hat! Dante will draw the winning name from the hat on the 1st of December.

/Emily

things that happened on Thursday...

2009-11-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

I went to a release party yesterday... it was for a Christmas album and now my head is full of sugarplum fairies... they must be affecting my judgment because I’ve chosen to post a photo of myself from after the party! And in the spirit of Christmas, I added some of the holiday cards I’ve illustrated, which can be purchased over at MOO if you are so inclined!

I also launched a new blog yesterday in collaboration with Dante... you can see it here. I wanted to give him a space of his own where he can be a bit more personal and silly… he will post stuff once a week, that will not appear here so make sure to pop over there from time to time, I know he would like that!

Well Back to writing! Have a great weekend everybody!

Emily

now in living color...

2009-11-16T04:18:00.000-08:00

fall blur...

2009-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

the shadows...

2009-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

The city may seem abandoned but are the streets really empty… Who is Rhubarb, and why is he such a filthy squirrel… And will our heroes really find sanctuary on the roof-scape?

beads in the wind...

2009-11-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

I got some lovely beads by snail-mail today from Janne in Norway! She has a dreamy page called spindlemaker that is definitely worth a peek! As you can see Dante has already strung together a dashing necklace...

Följ min blogg med bloglovin

happy fathers day...

2009-11-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Today is swedish fathers day… so this one is for you daddy!

skinny alphabet...

2009-11-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

every proper school kid should have one... : )
part 2 comming soon!

happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:40:00.001-07:00

coo... coo... ratatouille...

2009-10-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to draw an image for IF based on this photo I took in 2007 in Hanoi... thought it would fit the theme… alas I just wasn’t ‘fast’ enough! : )
On a happier note, I have a new Zoe and Dante illustration in the works! I’m almost done with the pencil work and will start inking tonight… so come back soon!

For now…I leave you with a quick sketch from my moleskin…

(The post title is a reference to David Mc Keans wonderful graphic album ‘Cages’)

winter dreams...

2009-10-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

my sketchy flying fish chart...

2009-10-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

4 germs and a bunny...

2009-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

click on the images for a closer look... if you dare...

like many things in nature some germs are cuter up close... but I think this bunny should be more vigilant if he doesn’t want to get caught by a cold...

I made a movie…

2009-10-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been so busy with about a million little projects keeping me from getting anything posted… silly girl!

Anyhow I hope to show most of what I’ve been up to soon, starting now with Dantes film debut!

The movie is 21 seconds long and consists of over 60 individually hand drawn stills, digitally colored and assembled in a rudimentary movie maker… hihi…old school! And sooo much fun! I will have to do more movies I am afraid… and get a bit more savy in the process perhaps?

I made it for my sidebar just above my followers… as a part of my plans to revamp ye olde blog… but I am posting it here as well... hope you like it!

Cheers!

strong currents...

2009-09-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

enter with caution, little bunnies...

2009-08-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

please click on the images for a better look...

still not a princess...

2009-08-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Spent this weekend in the country… where I saw this little prince of a toad… isn’t he just the bees’ knees?

Oh! And the new Z and D illustration should be up later today… I’m just finishing off the last strokes…wish me luck!

big ideas come in small packages...

2009-08-18T10:34:00.001-07:00

Did some brainstorming for the IF theme this week 'wrapped'... I experimented with the textures of wrapped materials such as plastics, paper... banana leaves.... the process gave fruit to ,hopefully, a great new addition to the Zoe and Dante saga so stay tuned!... well, back to drawing now...

Cheers!

Tokoekas riddled cave...

2009-08-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

The island of the birds is riddled with caves but the cave Tokoeka lives in is something special! At its foot the sea sweeps in, dark and rich with fish…

There is much to explore…

And when you get tiered of that there is nook for reading… or resting…

There are many other rooms, even one mysteriously filled with buckets of water…And when he is not inventing you may find Tokoeka dreaming away on one of the caves perilous ledges…

And last but not least, what would any respectable cave lair be if was not adorned by a craggy yet practical lookout tree…

Hope you enjoyed our guided tour! and come back soon...

an ocean away...

2009-08-09T04:32:00.000-07:00

new life...

2009-08-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

I recently got home from visiting Montreal… I had the privilege while there to witness the first days of my dearest friend daughters’ life. Here is part of the card I made for her first day home. Cheers!

an ever so shaky venture...

2009-07-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Dante questioned if mini busses really were fit for flying... the whole venture seemed rather shaky

it’s been a while since I digitally rendered an image… after a habit of filling an image with details it was a bit of a challenge to rein myself in and keep it simple… Enjoy!

lately I’ve been craving the magic of a hot cup of cocoa under a tarp in the rain...so cosy!

2009-06-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Indian summer brought down warm heavy rains and thunder and the soft pitter-patter against the tarp was almost as soothing as the hot cocoa they sipped.

And with that he stormed off into the woods. “Let him be,” Zoe said holding back the insulted Balentyne … “he’s just scared.”

at a current tally of 5...

2009-06-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Though a bit… well... rather truthfully, very deeply on the strange side… We are still receiving sticks in the mail… I still don’t know from whom they origin or what to make of them, but the bunnies sure seem to get along with them so I’m just choosing to just go with it : )
Finished writing the next Zoe and Dante today… and started the corresponding illustration! So stay tuned! Goodnight and good luck

Strange wood… a true story…

2009-05-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday…

There is a strange package in the mailbox.

I’ve lost my key and can’t get it out all other post is carefully retrieved with a barbeque tong… I am a bit curious… what could it be?

Yesterday…

I had just gotten home when I got a call... It was one of the neighbours a few blocks down. He briefly told me a man had called him concerning my boyfriend’s cell, which had apparently been found at the local subway station. The neighbour in question had been the last number called from the cell and the man who found the phone had wanted to inform the owner that it had been found and was safe… this kind act followed by the foresight of the neighbour to Google our home number led to me leaving the mountain of work I was huddling under to go pick it up.

The phone was at the subway access furthest from my flat so after having retrieved it I found myself taking an unusual path home. On the way I encountered a little girl quite obviously in distress, bawling panicked “d ddaaddy!” so I asked what was wrong… she told me she had lost her daddy, so I asked her where did you last see him? She sniffed and pointed… “Over there”

“Well let’s go there and see” I responded. Having reached ‘over there’ we promptly located a panic-stricken dad.

I continued on my way...

I stopped at the video store/post office to pick up a letter I had gotten notice for this morning…

Another strange package!

Walking the last block home I ripped it open and looked inside… to my surprise I found a little driftwood monster!

Who is sending us strange wood?

Today…

Indeed a third little critter was sitting in our mailbox today!

He was thinner than the others and I was able to slip him out (yes, with a little help from my barbeque tongs). These overwhelmingly busy days have been lit up by this strange little mystery… but who is the endower of woody beasts?

And will another come tomorrow?

spring parade...

2009-05-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

quick little ditty just for fun...

Literary hierarchy… or just a mess?

2009-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

I’m doing research at the moment that I hope will end in a suitable top ten list… for now though it is mostly an adventure!

Thanks Pia for the inspiration!

cherry blossom delirium...

2009-04-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

2 week in the cherry blossom delirium of Japan… I come home inspired and giddy! So many new worlds for Dante and Zoe to explore have been sewn in my imagination… I can hardly wait! We were there primarily to study architecture and I’ve got cityscapes on my mind… though this little photo is from Beppu on our only wet day… perfectly timed to give my visit to the mud baths the feel of having stepped into a scene from “spirited away”.

subtracted from this mortal coil...

2009-03-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Through deep gasps and slow awakenings light cuts the eyes and rouses the shipwrecked trio. Once again Zoe and Dante find themselves in the echoes of a dark and traumatic night.

crazy few weeks!

2009-03-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have been working around the clock for weeks now... feels like I am just crawling out of a cave back into the throws of that big bright world where other people exist... HI!

Had a huge deadline this week and I am thrilled it’s over and went well!
I added some photos of the first just for fun doodles I've drawn since before valentines day... the shots are bad but the scanned versions were even worse... the pens I used don’t like my scanner.

I have some amazing stuff on the go but I have to check how much I can talk about here!

Ooh! And I have already started the next Zoe and Dante for IF ‘legendary’… so stay tuned! Sweet dreams... it's Friday the 13th!

Happy Valentines day!

2009-02-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

Couldn’t resist posting this original Earl Grey sketch I found... enjoy and Happy Valentines Day!

Will Dante and Zoe make it out in time?...

2009-02-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Once more the house shook violently and teacups crashed in pieces against the floors
He had felt that old familiar shiver the moment one of his spies told him a jellyfish was anchored to the house.

Zoes ears perked straight up in fear as she felt a wave of water around her ankles, the house was taking on water! They were sinking!

Will Dante and Zoe make it out in time?...

He used to be a famous show cat before he became too… flawed

2009-02-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

The walls were covered with little glowing mushrooms delicately laced around a myriad of picture frames.

He used to be a famous show cat before he became too flawed.

'contained' ... or soon free?

2009-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

You may find yourselfthinking that Zoe and Dante are very similar, as they are both rabbits with long earsand lots of fluff but you would be missing the subtle nuances of this lapin duo. For example Dante has a habit of getting into trouble… by say doing something like entering strange houseboats, and Zoe well she has a knack for opening jars and of course getting Dante out of a pickle, like say if he were confined in the tower of an upside-down house full of pirate ants.

”I’ll be back as soon as possible!” She whispered
Zoe is about to discover one of the many dark mysteries contained within the walls of this seafaring wreck… but you will have to wait till next week!

boxing daze...

2008-12-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

I have been away so long… my blogging wheels are rusty! My greatest regrets to the numerous wonderful blogs I have not visited… I miss you all so terribly much! And will be visiting very very soon!

I want to give a special shout out to three fellow pen wielders who tagged me in my blogging absence…
Peter, whose profiles are a source of delight and inspiration!
Leah, who really gets just how twisted things look best! (drool…)
Yoon See, a bright beacon of positive energy on the vast internet sea!

And last thank you all for the kind condolences I am deeply touched and grateful!

ps… I’ll be starting my next Zoe and Dante illo this weekend! So stay tuned!

unstuck...

2008-12-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

I'm back! here is a quickie with lots of love and some holiday cheers! hugs... Emily!

Iris

2008-11-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

It’s was a call that woke me in the in the early grey hours of the morning just before dawn. All week I have been expecting this call, my throat filled with heart every time the phone rang… and there is no going back to sleep now it has come. The voice on the line is disturbingly collected and I feel nothing…

I think we all expect life to be like in the movies from time to time with instant chocks and spiring crescendos, but here in my room, life takes its time to crawl under my skin… meander through the grey matter to finally rest in that shrine of memories weaved in neurons. I have a hero there safely wrapped in myth and recollections… and when I draw on this corner of my mind I smell a little home in Enköping, Sweden, with the promise of good food, and afternoon walks, I see a smiling face and I feel love, kindness, strength, compassion, but most of all the brightness of a spirit that never aged or withered.

This morning, my beloved grandmother passed... my eyes burn as I head for bed tonight; I have been tapped dry of tears…

in my opinion, all artists are masochists...

2008-11-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

( how else can I explain having this blog in my nonexistent free time!)

The kitchen was now plunged into darkness and as in a theatre Balentynes eyes were drawn to the light, the stage was set and there sat the cat.

are you sure this is "wise"... (part 6)

2008-11-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

To an ant there really wasn’t much difference in the rooms being upside down…but for a bunny, it was steep fall from the cellars trap door down to the kitchens former ceiling.

for Pelle...

2008-11-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

Do not offer me condolences for he was not my cat to love. I merely wished to pay tribute to a black cat I am glad to have crossed paths with, and to those who loved him I hope I have not offended.

happy Allhallows eve!

2008-10-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

A rerun I know... but aren't they bewitching! And with all that sugar it must be party time for the little ants as well!

to repair the leaks... (part 5)

2008-10-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

“I think it’s a house!” Zoe shouted, waking Dante from a particularly cosy dream.

“What is a house doing at sea?”

travel dust...

2008-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

…slowly recouping from a delightful and hectic tour of cities (Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb)… I am shaking off the travelling dust!

But no rest for the wicked! Or so I hear… and as I have a few moments to spare I want to shout out to some great fellow bloggers out there… (I have been sadly neglecting everyone…)

First to Jonathan who is a shiny new blogger so go pay him a visit and make him feel welcome!

Second to Truska for the lovely bookmark she sent me in the post! I love it to bits!

And third to Yoon See and Bella Sinclair for giving me a lovely nomination (now ages ago), I once again didn’t have time to pass on but really really appreciated!

Oh! And stay tuned for the next episode of Zoe and Dante! Should be up tomorrow!

"late"… the tiny blue "strings" enveloped him ... (part 4)

2008-10-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

It is a strange thing to think you are going to drown, at first Dante struggled fighting the whole weight of the sea crushing in on him, a maelstrom of bubbles rising to reveal the canyon returned to its watery depths. The plants sway, pulsing back to life in a turbulent dance under the flickering lights of a rippling surface above, and then Dantes lungs no longer burned...

"they taste sugary!" Dante exclaimed ... (part 3)

2008-10-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

By lunchtime the water was knee deep and they looked to have reached a dead end. The canyon walls here were covered in large clear crystals swords tearing through the coral and splitting the curtains of waterfalls into threads, it was both beautiful and horrifying!

They taste sugary! Dante exclaimed his little pink tongue still stuck to one of the crystals.

packed it all down in an old blanket nice and snug... (part 2)

2008-10-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

He didn’t want to open his eyes… he didn’t want to believe the nightmare had been real. But the temperature was rising and the sun burned twice as bright in the newborn sky and though his eyes were closed he had to clench to keep them so. He felt a nudge, and a voice said;

“The tree house and the others are gone Dante, and I have no idea where we are, but I've found us a guide!”

Dante heard a sloshing sound.

See!” Zoe continued “meet Starfish!”

Now curiosity had grown stronger than fear and slowly, but reluctantly, he opened his eyes.

they huddled in little cliques… (part 1)

2008-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

(part of the story I made up in my head while sketching this illo…)

They huddled in little cliques as the storm bore down with gritted teeth, howling and clawing at every crevice, loose board and tile… every flaw a chance to seep in and rip through their sanctuary. Tooth and nail it harrows, relentless and wild. The wood moans and pops, and like a ship on the sea, the tree house sways. They huddle, five good friends within four thin walls, taking comfort around a game of cards and a thermos full of hot cacao. Which is good because this November storm is about to invite them on a frightful adventure and they say such things are almost always less overwhelming when accompanied by a sip of hot cacao…

some little words…

2008-09-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Obviously things are still crazy around here… but in the meantime I got some other little greetings that should be mentioned! So a special thanks to Astrid from potatomama… for nominating me for "I love your blog"

And to Diana for her special award! I am a bit too tied up to nominate for both so I figured I would take inspiration from Diana and create a new one! (How this takes less time… is arguable... hehe) stay tuned!

marshmallow party...

2008-09-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Experimenting a bit with doing the line work with ink pens and some water colors… I am not sure yet… what do you think?

Exodus from the island…

2008-09-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

cosy clutter...

2008-09-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

like a busy bee...

2008-09-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

What a week! Hope to balance things out a bit soon and get back to posting more regularly! I just want to send out a little thanks to Bee for nominating me for an award… was too busy to pay it forward but I really appreciated the thought!

life on a space station is all about routine…

2008-08-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

1030 water plants in zero gravity

1200 study specimens and record data

1500 go for a walk…

The space part does make it pretty exciting though as routines go! (bit envious to tell the truth... although can you imagine what a hassle those big ears must be in zero gravity?!)

iceberg bunnies of the North Sea…

2008-08-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

As opposed to iceberg bunnies of the South Seas where there are no polar bears

mr bunns detached house...

2008-08-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

He liked to be a bit detached from the colony… as long as he could still keep an eye on them.

lighthouse bunnies of the wild coast...

2008-08-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

where every bunny has his or her own lighthouse!

IF Sail...

2008-08-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

bunnies at sea...

2008-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

going to render this one for IF sail...

rendering frustration...

2008-08-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Haven’t really gotten any further than last I posted this town… been trying to render it all day but just keep starting over… it appears this one is alluding me…