I was so completely blown away by the whimsical, magical life force of the music that Raena illustrated at the top of the page. I was left with a thin strip at the bottom, and wanted to further that concept. So I thought about it: Grass?..no, flowers?..no..I thought of a fish leaping from the water and the splash and bubbles, and bubbles turning into notes, much as Raena's notes sprouted branches. I tried to illustrate the fluidity of the music, and the way the music itself spawns life.
Once I thought of the idea, I looked all over the web for an adequate photo of a leaping fish. I couldn't find what I wanted. So in an idle moment I drew a fish leaping from the water, splash and all, on a piece of notework paper without looking to any reference. And that is what I used as my guide.
I was impatient on the day when I did the drawing/painting, so I didn't pre-ink, and trusted myself to do it right the first time. It became a bit busier than I expected, and I overworked some spots and that I think is a reflection of my mood at the time. I'm happy with it though. (Click on the picture to see it larger.)
Finally the page is done. All in all it is a very active page! Too busy perhaps, but it was a wonderful collaborative learning experience. I truly appreciate how Raena stretched me away from reality. When I sent the page to her the last time, I expected curtains or ceiling fans.
So here it is: In almost ten months, we've done seven posts. The book has crossed the Gulf six times. And we've completed two whole pages in our sketchbook!
Raena has asked me to start the next page which I hope to do fairly soon (by the standards of this blog). Any ideas on what I should do?
