Wishes and Surprises

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Oliver Twist on the road to London; a thumbnail sketch, approx 3" x 4"

I wish that, along with drawing from life and other necessities for artists, doing thumbnail sketches had always been a favorite occupation. But it hasn't been, probably because I am a terribly undisciplined, lazy man.

But I'm doing them. In part because I must (for an upcoming project not related to Charles Dickens); but mostly because they have suddenly become entertaining. A nice surprise.

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The Artful Dodger finds Oliver Twist; another thumbnail sketch, approx. 2.5" x 3"

Thumbnails are supposed to be for working out--and I mean Working out--compositional ideas. Wish I could say I did that, but no--just sat on the couch like a schlub and drew these, nearly without being conscious. Suppose it shows, but a very good time was had nonetheless.

Where'd they come from and why? I was looking through a book about Harry Clarke--an illustrator-god--and saw this...

...very weird illustration. (Um, find me an  illustration by Harry Clarke that isn't weird.)
It caught my eye--the yellow and black a surprise--and it's been on my mind all week.

Wish I could tell you why Oliver Twist ended up the subject of my yellow, (er orange--another surprise) thumbnails. Oliver Twist was not on my mind at all, but it is a favorite book (Charles Dickens being an author-god).

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Fagin, Sikes, and Nancy; yet another thumbnail, approx. 4" x 5"

Wish I did more life drawing, worked harder at composition, and made millions of thumbnails. And probably would if I was goal-oriented, immortal, or something else that I'll never be. Unless I get surprised someday.

 And last, thanks very much to all of you who read my blog. The follows and comments are great too but mostly I appreciate that you take the time to come by.

One of the Best Ghost Stories

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Scrooge's Door Knocker. Mixed media on wood, private collection.

"One of the most enduring Christmas traditions is the telling of ghost stories and the most famous of all frightening festive tales is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol originally published on the 19th December 1843. It tells the story of miserly business man Ebeneezer Scrooge and his life-changing encounter with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future one creepy Christmas Eve night and has been filmed many times over the years. Perhaps the most creepy of all the adaptations is the 1971 animated ABC-TV special starring Michael Redgrave as the narrator and Alastair Sim as Scrooge. Indeed, this version was held in such high regard that it was eventually released to cinemas and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1972. With its emphasis on death, gloom, ghosts and horror this short film is a real treat for classic horror fans particularly during the festive season." *

Quoted the above because I couldn't have said it better.

I loved it then, I love it now. Here's the film in its entirety:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN6IMZFwY50

I'm sure the movie's version of Marley's Ghost influenced me as a youngster, and I attempted this version a few years later, in art school.

But the film's artwork--in fact the whole film--is amazing!

Thank you for following my blog. I hope you enjoy this Holiday Season, and my best wishes for a contented New Year!

*http://www.classichorrorcampaign.com/2012/12/10/a-christmas-carol-scary-seventies-cartoon/

 



Helpful Warning

Marley's Ghost, or Ebeneezer Scrooge's Door Knocker. Mixed media on wood.

Dickens' A Christmas Carol will  always be my favorite Victorian ghost story. And I'm resigned to the fact that Marley's Ghost, which terrified me as a kid, will always be an obsession. That spirit still gives me the chills, but also provides the reminder I seem to continually need:  That "mankind is my business".

And thus, the Holiday Season begins.

Peace!