What am I working on today?
A very fun spot illustration of my characters Chestnut the Chipmunk and Mrs. Wattleseed the Squirrel running for all they're worth.
I love painting spot illustrations. They have minimal backgrounds which makes them quick, easy, and really cute on the page. Besides that, painting backgrounds isn't exactly my strong point yet. But practice makes perfect, and I have a lot of them to paint as I continue illustrating Huckleberry Pie.
This spot illustration could be considered part of a two page spread. It will sit next to the illustration below.
As you can see, Archie the Hedgehog, Chestnut, and Mrs. Wattleseed are making a mad dash away from the very grumpy and stingy badger, Grunt, who wants the entire berry patch to himself.
What is "Huckleberry Pie?"
If you haven't heard of this children's book yet, Huckleberry Pie is the first book in the Adventures of Archie Hedgehog series. It is about a little hedgehog who wants to pick enough berries for a pie. But greedy neighbors have claimed the huckleberry patch and won't let him have any berries at all. His quest leads him deeper and deeper into the woods in search of his very own berry patch. But he finds much more than that!
I wrote this story years ago, inspired by a drawing I sketched when I was just a little girl. Now, I'm bringing my childhood dream to life and finally illustrating the book! I hope to have it finished by Autumn of 2023. In a way, it seems like such a long time from now. In another way, it feels so short! I'm reaching for the end of September! That's just three months away! And to make my deadline, I have to finish each of my paintings in no more than four days.
Challenge accepted!
I really think I can meet my goal if all goes well and if the Lord blesses it. His will is always best, and it's a wonderful feeling when we can lay our hopes, goals, and worries in His hands and let him guide our steps.
I hope you'll join me on this fun adventure as I continue illustrating Huckleberry Pie! In the future, I hope to start sharing excerpts from the book and concept art, too. Until next time, take care!
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