Book Cover: Falling from the Sky

I had the pleasure of working with Phillip Winberry, author of Falling from the Sky, in creating a cover for his book to give the reader a hint of the contents, as well as the setting. It was done in acrylics on an 24x36" canvas, with the wording added digitally later. I very much enjoyed this project, and was almost sad when it was done. Falling from the Sky will be in publication in August 2013, though an exact date has not yet been specified.

     It was pointed out to me that B-17 bombers shouldn't be the ones bombing an English manor, since they were used primarily by the Americans in WWII. You would be correct, historically, but as this is a mystery novel... you might want to read it before screaming foul. ;) The synopsis for the book is posted below.

When American B-17 pilot Alex Kent isn’t struggling to survive World War II bombing raids in the skies over Germany he busies himself pursuing a conundrum with even greater danger:  uncovering the lost heritage of William Kent, his seventh great-grandfather.  Nothing is known about William’s life prior to his arrival in 1740 colonial Virginia as an eleven-year-old indentured servant.  Family folklore suggests he might have been a member of the English aristocracy.  Over the generations several Kent family members have tried to prove that belief.  None succeeded.  Some died trying.

On leave in war torn London from his bombing duties, Alex meets Lady Sarah Perkins, fiancée of the Duke of Wyeford’s only son.  Alex and Sarah soon realize they are attracted to one another and she agrees to help him with his quest for William’s heritage.

When the duke learns of their efforts, he understands Alex poses a threat to the conspiracy of silence concocted two hundred years earlier to deny William his birthright.  Discovery of the conspiracy would topple the Wyeford dynasty.  The duke vows to take whatever actions are necessary to see that never happens.  Danger and tension escalate as Alex’s quest barrels toward a conclusion that will reveal shocking truths.

Torran's Space Mural - The Week Long Oddessy

    Recently (last week) I had the opportunity to do a Space themed mural for a very special little guy.
    To call him a Miracle Child isn’t nearly enough – he’s a little bundle of miracles. He was born 3 months premature after a difficult pregnancy, on life support for a while, and 6 brain surgeries over the years.  Torran is autistic, and needs hearing aids to be able to hear. He’s also the sweetest little bundle of energy, and he turned 5 years old on March 10. Talk about a rough start.

     His parents, the lovely Lesley (who keeps a more detailed blog Real Women Drive Stick about her adventures as the mother of the mutli-miracle boy and other topics) and hubby Bruce, decided that since they were renovating the entire upper story of their home (and living in the furnished basement for the time being) that they wanted something special for the wee man. Lesley approached me about the mural a few months ago, and I was ecstatic to be able to accept. That meant staying in their home while doing the mural, and living with them for the week it took to paint it. I’m pleased to say it was a fantastic time, and good company all the way through.
      Torran was something of a taskmaster. I arrived Sunday evening with the intention of setting up my painting supplies in his room then spending some time with Lesley and Bruce before sleeping then starting painting in the morning. He was under the impression I would be starting right away, and in his adorable way stated his opinion. I hadn’t even taken my shoes off. He'd been waking up in previous mornings talking about the things I would be painting for him, so I guess in is excitement he forgot that adults need things like food, sleep and to be social.
     For the record the painting portion of the mural is done, but the room is not quite complete. There will eventually be a bed with space themed covers, a dresser and a console with buttons that cause lights to illuminate, a moon that glows and shows the different phases, so yes, there are large empty areas but they will eventually be filled with furniture when the flooring is added in. I will be adding more photos when the room is fully operational.
      Since Lesley wanted to prevent the room from being too dark, it was divided up into 2 parts - Torran's "Space Station" and Outer Space. When the wee man is in bed, he'll be looking out through his "force field" at the stars around him.

The Canvas

     Torran had specifically requested a Spiral Galaxy, so I decided that the easiest way to work it in would be through a porthole in the North wall that would be next to his bed, seeing as there was a large number of things to be added in the rest of the room. I went with a 3D look to the outside of the porthole, and opted to use the wall for a space to show objects floating as if in Zero Gravity. I had originally wanted to paint toys, but Bruce pointed out that he wanted Torran to be able to keep the room into teenager-hood, so I opted for something a little heavier and educational, the 20th anniversary edition of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time".


     I also added a floating pen, figuring pens will be around when Torran is a teenager (I hope) and lines in the walls to make it look like Space Station paneling, instead of just a plain white wall. The lower right corner is where Torran's bed will eventually go, so he can look out as his Spiral Galaxy whenever he wants. Everything here was done with acrylic paints, except the galaxy for which I also used my airbrush to get the softer lighting effect.
      Apparently the 3D effect worked - the electrician came in and thought it was actually a metal frame around the painting. He also said he wants a room like this.

Detail pics of the book & pen

Saturn & Comet

Nebula

The East wall contained a closet, and a little alcove area where the door opened. Since the wall is going to be primarily shelving over the bed and shelves in the closet, that area got spackled with stars, but otherwise left alone. The alcove on the other hand was prime territory for Haley's Comet, Saturn, and a Nebula. The comet and the Nebula (also a special request from Torran) were done with a combination of airbrush and acrylic paint. Saturn was in an odd place, for a reason to be discussed in the South portion.

South Wall

  The South wall was the most involved part of the mural, as it required a large amount of research and detail. For one, Torran is flying his own little shuttle called the "Valeryan", a name he chose himself. I enjoyed doing a little portraiture of him for this, and he seemed to also enjoy it. All the planets and constellations on this wall are aligned exactly as they were on the day of Torran's birth (thank you Google Sky Map Time Traveler), though obviously not to scale - that wouldn't be a particularly impressive mural. ;) Commander Hadfield, who took over command of the International Space Station a couple of weeks ago is waving out at Torran from the space station. As an aside, I DID try to get a few words of encouragement from Cmdr. Hadfield, but due to his super busy schedule, I was unable to do so.
  

 However, the lovely PR people I spoke with offered to send Torran a "Mission souvenir" package, so with luck in a week or so he'll receive a small package, probably including a mission patch and some information on what Cmdr. Hadfield is doing on the Station, besides Twittering to folks, playing his guitar, and running things like a boss.
       And of course, no Space Mural would be complete without a shuttle from NASA. I chose Discovery, since it was the last US/Cdn.shuttle to fly in Torran's lifetime.(At least, the last shuttle of those that were flying in the last 20 years. With luck there will be new ones for him to see in the next few years.

     One of Torran's other requests (and the one he talked about most mornings leading up to my arrival on scene) was the Canada Arm. I had originally considered putting it on the Discovery, or the International Space Station, but where's the fun in that? So I attached it to Torran's own Station, where he can "control" the arm, using the console to be built and added at the foot of his bed. It will light up when buttons are pushed, and give him some really fun play/pretend time.
     I put his station within orbit of Planet Earth, and put the planet within view, with a tiny little white dot marking Toronto's location so he can always find his way home. I also added a satellite, orbiting earth, to help communications along, or so he can get decent Wi-Fi in space, take your pick.
    

    Jupiter was unfortunately very far down on the Sky Map, so it's been squeezed into the one area not to be covered by the drawers that will eventually go in that corner, but still within view of the station. A couple other things will soon be added - an illuminated moon that will be remotely controlled, showing the different phases and providing a nightlight for the wee man. (I think I may have to get one too - it's pretty sweet).
    I also spent some time with the star constellations, and will eventually be providing Lesley with a star map, with planet names and lines connecting the stars to form Aquarius and surrounding constellations so she can show Torran where they are. (A few stars might have been covered by the ISS and Discovery.)

 The Earth, Jupiter, and part of the Canada Arm are actually on the West Wall, along with the window and the eventual control console. Rather than try to omit the window, I worked it in as a "monitor", labelled Earth, so Torran could see the weather at home. The magnetic board that Lesley installed below the window will soon have Torran's instructions from Mission Control, including his morning routine and things he needs to remember to start his day.

     Over where the foot of his bed and the control console will be I added a monitor screen showing the Mars Rover, something else he can remotely control while pretending he's in space. I am especially proud of this piece, as a few people on Facebook and G+ thought it was an actual photo at first. I didn't attempt do go for full detail (it would have taken another week of painting) so I went with a slightly stylized approach, which worked out wonderfully. Below this is where the light up control board will go, with the possible additions of a couple more screens, depending on the size of the board. (It's still in the works, and all that.)
    And of course, no mural is complete without "Easter Eggs", which is highly serendipitous since I finished the painting the day before Easter.

Easter Eggs, hidden within the Mural

       Near Earth, a small 1950's Pulp Classic UFO circles the Earth, probably creating crop circles in some poor farmer's field, or annoying the people at Area 51 which officially doesn't exist. The X-wing is hanging out just below the Discovery shuttle, while the Tie-fighter is handing out by the International Space Station and lightswitch. The Serenity Firefly Class model can be seen just to the right of Mars, and the Enterprise is jetting away from the nebula on the corner of the closet wall. There's also a B5 Shadow vessel hanging out in the Nebula, but it didn't show up in my photos. Why are they there? I might just be a geek. :) My hope is that one day Torran will watch those shows and movies and perhaps recognize the tiny spaceships on his wall.
     I will be returning to the house to add a monogram for Lesley and Bruce in a week or so, but I already miss being there. It was great company all week long, and such an incredible project to be able to do for such a special little guy, not to mention having the chance to put in the research to make it somewhat astro-accurate, and something that Torran will hopefully enjoy for years.

Poor Man's Fight

     Recently I had the honour and privilege of working with Elliott Kay, author of "Poor Man's Fight", a dark future Science Fiction novel (available on Amazon). He wanted something a little different than the usual "space ship or planet" background a lot of Sci-Fi novels seem to sport these days, so we went with something a little less vast and a little more intimate. The idea was to focus less on the "space" aspect, and more on the intimate details that would tell part of the story without revealing too much.

      Elliott liked the style I had used for my fan drawing of Boba Fett, so I went with the same media, and cooler colours to reflect the isolated feel. It was a fun project, and I look forward to working with Elliott again.

      The next project is one I have been looking forward to for months, also involving Space. I'll be doing a mural focused on Space, and different aspects of human interaction with the vastness that is our universe, for a 6 year old autistic boy. The Mars Rover, the International Space Station, the Discovery shuttle (the last to fly within the boy's lifetime) and with the pending permission, I intend to add in references to different Sci-fi series, like Star Trek, Star Wars and Babylon 5. It's going to be pretty darn epic. I'll be doing a special post with all the stories behind the different aspects when it's done in 3 weeks.

Achievement Unlocked: Decade

               I was sitting around with my Waterloo friends last night having a good time singing and talking about the myriad of things that come to mind late at night (sans alcohol, since I had to drive home, though most of the others were pretty tipsy). One of the things that came up was the stories behind the drawings I do. I learned a few things, that I had not known previously, and got better explanations for other things, like subtleties that I had not picked up on. (Subtleties are in Italics.)

                Why My Art Hanging in the Bathroom is a Compliment:

                Several years ago my friends picked up on the idea of caricatures for gifts for each other for birthdays. Strictly birthdays - Christmas, and other holidays don’t apply. Ian was the first to receive one, and had adored it, either due to the sheer number of inside jokes worked into the scene, or the fact that he’s slightly vain and totally enjoyed having a unique image of himself as a pirate. Either way, it was promptly hung in the powder room adjoining the kitchen. 

                What I didn’t know was that sparked an argument between Ian, (Captain Salty, of the Lost Trousers), and the mastermind Gin. Gin pointed out that I was likely to be upset that my hard work had been hung in the bathroom, while Ian pointed out that to him it was a place of honour. The argument was short-lived since I was due to arrive any time, and the other party guests needed tending to as well. 

                I arrived at the house and predictably used the powder room after a few drinks. I saw the drawing and I admit, I was somewhat disappointed – I had hoped at very least for a hallway. When I finished I found Gin in the kitchen and made a verbal note of my disappointment. Ian and I had never been close friends, but I admit to having hoped it might have been at least a “little” important to him. 

                Gin was (of course) horrified that I felt that way and proceeded to explain Ian’s actual reasoning for the placement. Since she had only just had the exact same conversation with him. To him it was a place of honour. It meant that he would look at it at least four or five times a day, and then be able to step to the right and see himself again in the mirror. Since it had not occurred to the women (since we don’t pee facing the toilet normally) that this placement would be ideal. He wanted to see it, and often, so he put it in a place he would never miss it. 

                Last night, Ian re-iterated his choice, though his currently hangs on the living room wall with Gin's caricature, the latest in the series. Luke pointed out that it was awesome in the bathroom, however the sight of Kujo (Ian’s cat) being tied to the prow as the figurehead of the pirate ship looking pissed off always made him giggle which made it harder to aim while answering the call of nature, it's really better this way. Note to the boys out there – I understand it’s a place of honour now, however, if you want to be kind to the women and germophobes who might be using that room… place something less funny on the wall so your aim is true. (And for the record, Kujo is almost always pissy, and no cats were actually soaked in the making of this caricature.)

                Achievement Unlocked: Decade

The subject of Gin’s son Kael, who will be 10 in March, came up. I was boggled and very amused by his concept of how caricatures work. The system we use for determining whom gets the next caricature (which is mainly who’s birthday is up next?) was a mystery to him, so he had somehow come up with his own system. Apparently, Kael believes that when you accomplish something big, you get your caricature done by Desiree. He couldn’t say what the achievement was, just that you had to do something special or accomplish something to earn it. Surviving to your next birthday is really the only real requirement, (or so it’s been for the adults) and it’s flattering and endearing to think that this nearly-10-year-old has decided that it’s important.

 

Since his 10^th is coming up in March, and they had brought up the subject about having his caricature done, I have lots of time to prepare for it. It WILL include the words “achievement unlocked: Decade” on it, for the video game crazy boy who thinks my retired dad is amazing for having beaten Skyrim twice. What else will be in the image? We’re working on it – the boy really does have terrific parents, who encourage him to find new hobbies, go fishing, and learn as much as possible, which means he does *everything* a child can do, which means there’s a large amount of subject matter from to which to choose.

Edit, March 31, 2013: Kael's birthday arrived, and here's the finished result.

 

   Kaelwas happy to get his "Decade Unlocked" caricature, and I think mostly impressed because he's riding a shark with his dog going along for the ride. Family unit is now also complete with 1 caricature per person.

Muses: Human, and otherwise.

    It's hard to find a good Muse these days. They tend to be fickle.
    It's not that I have a lack of ideas (I have sketchbooks *full* to the brim of ideas of things I will eventually have time to paint or create) but occasionally people need or want things that result in me needing to find new ideas. My inhuman Muses tend to be things having to do with water. Several years ago I invested in a set of the children's shower soap crayons, since ideas tend to hit me while I'm showering, and if I don't write it down on the stile walls, I will be distracted by dog or human when leaving the bathroom, and risk forgetting the idea. I keep desktop fountains in my office, and run them when I'm feeling creative. I occasionally pop by Niagara Falls, just to hear the constant thunder of millions of gallons of water flowing over a cliff, (which is by the way, truly awesome in all senses of the word) and I have fantastic ideas while I'm there.
    As far as the human Muses go... they're a whole other bundle of fun. I have a few I have named My Muses, as they tend to be the ones I spend a lot of time with either talking or socializing, and it's when we're talking that the creative juices start to flow. There's a group in Waterloo Ontario that tend to have that effect, though it happens more often after beer and vodka have been introduced. More than once I've walked away kicking myself for not having a digital recorder on me during the discussion.
   Once of the difficult things I find in art is when someone I don't know tickles my Muse. It's hard to walk up to someone with a face full of character and say "I want to draw you", since I imagine it can either be very flattering, or sound VERY creepy. I have the advantage of being a harmless looking woman, so I can push that line a little bit, but I'm aware some folks tend to find it creepy regardless.
     Recently I had someone ask me if listening to his music compositions would inspire or speak to me. I had to tell him honestly, no. Music rarely speaks to me in a way that I can translate into a visual image. There are a few pieces, but normally that's not where my inspiration comes from, and I almost feel like a freak among artists in that regard. Music will tickle my musicality, and I certainly can appreciate everything from an Aria to death metal/celtic fusion, I'm just not generally inclined to draw based on it. I'm more inclined to sing in that case.