story progress

Have been playing around with the idea of 4 stories running at the same time on the same page. 1st draft of a well known traditional tale has been put to paper and a colour sketch of the first page illustration roughed out - can you tell which story it is? Would really appreciate any comments on the concept - not sure if I'm putting too much thought and effort into a non-starter or not.

further thoughts!

Have just been pondering how the concept of multiple imagery could be developed and have hit on the idea that you could publish books that have four stories in them linked around a common theme. If you held the book a certain way then one storyline would unfold whereas rotated 90 degrees, a different narrative could be read. I think this has fantastic collaborative possibilities where 4 different authors + an illustrator could weave wonderful stories within the same book. Linked, but at the same time completely separate (unless of course the stories merged!). Such a book would be fascinating for younger readers. It's not beyond the realms of possibility to have collaboration between past and present authors or even have four different language speaking authors narrating themed stories within the same book. I hereby (!) claim all intellectual rights to this idea!! Publishers why are you not leaping at the chance to license this idea from me ?! Imagine, only one set of printing costs instead of four. Think of the possibility of overseas sales without the need for translation! Admittedly the authors/illustrator would only get 20% of the royalties each instead of 50%, but the mega sales such a book would generate would easily compensate.
Yes, other books have run two stories side by side on opposing pages but I've never heard of 4 at the same time, on the same page.
I might try this in class with the children collaborating around specific themes/illustrations.
Again, any thoughts would be most welcome. Am I just having a senior moment or is this possibly the best idea to hit children's (or adult) literature since...

(This must be a brilliant idea - it's the longest blog entry I've ever posted !)

austerity pic

Just wondered what folk thought of this idea - here very roughly sketched/collaged out. One picture that can be hung/displayed 4 different ways.
Do they look sufficiently different each time? Does the idea have commercial potential, especially in these 'austere' times?
I would really appreciate any feedback whatsoever (even if it's to shoot it down in flames!).

'Ices'

'Duck pond'

'Play Park'


'High Street'

People could simply hang them a different way up to ring the changes- 4 pics for the price of 1!

painted pics

Finished the 3 small pics off. I Like the cutoff positioning of them on the paper and the black backgrounds, but not too happy with the green bits of the goalie (might redo). Pics being uncurled by a heavy weight as we speak. Might give them a coat of matt modpodge to take out the shine of the acrylic.

On my drawing table at the moment.




Ink and acrylics. Each about 9 x 14cm on moleskine paper.

a is for...fox

Inspired by the drawings of Rob Dunlavey ( http://www.drawger.com/robd/)* I had a go at drawing a fox from a letter 'A'. Pleased with how they turned out.

*nb. not sure how to insert elegant hyperlinks - sorry. Any hints gratefully received!

blitz pics

Today we created images of the Blitz using oil pastels on black paper. We think they look quite effective grouped together.