Contrary Mary

Remember the sweet Nursery Rhymes from your childhood?  Sweet?  Most of them Not So Much.

If you look into the origins of many of them there is nothing sweet at all.

For example.............

 

The most commonly accepted historical interpretation is that the rhyme refers to Mary Tudor (Mary I of England). 
One interpretation goes to the heart of Mary's persona as “Bloody Mary” with silver bells and cockle shells referring to instruments of torture: silver bells being thumbscrews and cockles shells being instruments of torture attached to the genitals. While the pretty maids would be a reference to early guillotine-type devices used to decapitate victims.

Oh you're So Contrary, Mary!!!

Illustration Friday - Ferocious

Ferocious yet somehow cuddly little monster.  All he can manage to destroy is a daisy or two.

Envelopes

Omnibus Books is having a little competition for painted envelopes.  I thought it would be nice to win a few books for Buddy if I could so I painted some envelopes and posted them off to the editor.

If anyone else wants to enter here are the details.

http://onyabus.blogspot.com/2011/05/competition-for-illustrators.html

Skary Go Round

I love Carousels, especially creepy ones.  This bad boy was selected for Short and Scary published by Black Dog Books.  I had to spell "Skary" correctly in that though.

I love a good monster in the round.

Lula

Little Lula is my favorite naughty girl who came about when I was home for a year and got a bit addicted to SwapBot.  I won't say that was a complete waste of time because I was constantly drawing but ...well....it was a big waste of time.  Ahh to be able to waste time again...long gone are the days.  But as I said Lula came from drawing tiny trading cards.

Here she is swimming along happily with her giant axolotl, Nester while her little brother has found himself in the clutches of a hungry octopus (just the way Lula hoped he would).

This was my first drawing of Lula.  She wasn't happy with the girly selections of stuffed animals her Grammy kept making.  Naughty, naughty Lula.

Yes Virginia, there is a Boogie Man

I think this reference is lost on Australians.  They didn't grow up hearing the 1897 editorial from the New York Sun every Christmas. Of course there is a Santa Claus, Virginia!!  Along with the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and unfortunately the Boogie Man.

Skull in the Box

I picked this along with two other little tidbits to hang in my baby's room.  I get a lot of "that's too scary for a baby" looks but I don't think so.  I know Buddy has a good sense of humor.

Sapce ABCs

I did a little space piece for Guardian Angel Kids online magazine.

http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/july011-pg4-story.htm

When I was reading all of the space references I realized how little I knew about the goings on out there.

The most traumatizing was reading about Laika, the Russian canine astronaut.  He didn't have a happy trip, poor little doggy.  I tried to at least make him look like a happy puppy...don't want to upset the kiddies!!

Doggy Bag

I have had a few animal articles and photos published on Imagination Cafe in the Doggy Bag section.

Unfortunately, I have yet to photograph a narwhal so I painted a little picture.

http://www.imagination-cafe.com/doggy/creature/narwhal.asp

Starting Over

After a minor technical snafu I am starting over with my illustration blog.  The other one is lost..lost somewhere out in cyber space...lost, lost, lost. 
So...........here we go!!
I will start with something I am very proud of.

My first book came out with Guardian Angel Publishing in 2010.

A Midsummer's Dance by Bill Kirk is available on Amazon and direct from Guardian Angel Publishing.

http://www.amazon.com/Midsummers-Dance-Bill-Kirk/dp/1616331232
Gotta love fireflies.