Sketching a Character

In January I took myself on a retreat to a small and very old cabin in Illinois.  Since I finished visiting all of the state parks in Indiana last year, I decided to visit the birthplace of each of my grandparents in 2021.   I started with my Paternal Grandmother, who was raised by deaf parents in a farming community.   The weather (mostly) cooperated, and I spent a portion of my time driving around snowy and cold bare fields, hoping to find the farm where she learned how to milk cows and to expect the corn to be “Knee high, by the 4th of July”!  I  took a morning to visit the cemetery where six of my great and great-great grandparents are buried, and an afternoon tracing my genealogy in the local library.  I trailed along sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds.  I wandered the town square.  Knowing I was standing in the same places she stood as a young girl gave me a magical sense of belonging, not just to my family, but to the earth.  

I had a second purpose for this retreat though.  I wanted to finally finish a children’s picture book I have been writing for some time, and make a dent in illustrating it.  I have not done either of these things before, but it it something I have always wanted to do – so I am getting to to the doing it part this year.  I was successful in completing and revising a draft of my book, and also made progress in translating my character to paper…although a lot of work remains.  I am exploring using a combination of photography and pen/watercolor and then some manipulating and enhancements in Adobe Illustrator.  I am moving pretty slowly through the process since it is new, but I am feeling joyful through each (tiny) step and each pencil line on paper as I try to sketch the little boy I have only seen in my mind’s eye.