Thursday, July 08, 2010

My muse invited Alice's rabbit pal over for a visit

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...this week, much to my surprise.  A less colorful version of this same event is  that after saying no to an Alice in Wonderland skinny project, about two months ago, and at the 11th hour, I decided I'd join in....  the deadline had long since passed but because there were a few drop outs, my offer to contribute was accepted.

I thought it would be a relatively easy feat.   Boy was I was wrong.  After about 20 solid  hours of creating, and to the point where my eyes had dried up from staring into the blue screen, I finished.   Or I could also say, I gave in!   When all was said and done, I felt like I too had  fallen down the rabbit  hole!

I lost count of how many different versions I created.  My muse went from considering Alice, following her heart, to Alice pouring her heart out... and on and on and on.  I opted at one point  to 'call a friend' and poll the audience and  lucky for me, both Marsha and Michele rushed to  the scene to offer some very helpful critiques - (I owe you both!)  Although some of their suggestions aren't reflected in the final version, they are  tucked away for reference when I return back to Wonderland. 

Considering how much time I spent  on this project this week,  I thought I would blog about my whacky and unpredictable  creative  process as it went along.    To be frank,  I need a good reason to laugh at myself and how deeply involved I ended up getting.  Since I could use the company....I hope you'll be able to share in some of my laughter...after all it's at my expense! Heh, maybe you will  even identify with some of my  'thoughts' ...to use the term loosely and  creative decisions that creep into your own  art work.  The right brain can play clever little tricks on me at times and I'd love to hear from you if  you come across  similar foibles and also fall right into your own rabbit hole?

Along the way, I also discovered I had begun to sing this old song in my head after about 10 hours into the project....Remember this one?  Before I googled it I'd thought it was a Doors tune by Jim Morrison...but no it's Jefferson Airplane!!  I have always wondered about the amount of  LSD involved in both these lyrics and in Lewis Carroll's mind.....what's your take on this?  Ya Think???

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small
When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said;
"Keep YOUR HEAD."

Wish I would have taken that advice....maybe next time I'll pay more attention to not only the message but the brilliant images that come to mind in these lyrics.

So here we go....



***In the above  version I was trying to convey that Alice and the rabbit were in pursuit of her heart - it was dusk and thus the lantern.....but I didn't think the path in the background showed up well enough so, as you can see in the next version, I mucked about with the heart, adding legs, and then I thought it started to look too contrived.***



***This  just didn't seem to work ...so I went back to the drawing board and reconfigured the images into the dimensions of a 'skinny' page which is essentially the height being double the width.....****



I didn't mind this one - but still....too storybookish...so I began to play with cropping the image... and that's  precisely how the one  below 'showed up'....




Well, ok -might make a good cut and glue ATC at some point in the future....but I was still not 'feeling it' so   I scrapped these all together and started working with some new images

 Day Two



I loved this background (see credits below) and also found this hauntingly pretty woman from The Graphics Fairy.....but still not there....

Below - my muse began to consider 'hearts'....



Hearts...yes - lots of them...yes pouring out a tea cup - ya know, hearts and tea parties...that's Alice isn't it??  I'm thinking...it's a concept.......but pyramid power hearts...nope.. and they have no movement...they're awful..Scrap that one....and....oh oh, Trudi....why are you  still holding on to the rabbit....even if it was just his ears!!! 



OK - lots of movement with the hearts now...they do look like they could be pouring from the tea cup....but GEEZ Louise!! I thought you were going to get rid of those rabbit ears....and now you've gone and added a mushroom cap?  Obviously, it's time to take a break...a very long break....maybe even have a cup of tea...




Day Three

Sometime between midnight and the morning of Day 3, Alice's body  mysteriously disappeared and luckily, so did her mushroom hat with rabbit ears.  In their place....those thorny roses...  I remembe my muse thinking ....hmmm...good symbols for Alice's angst in meeting the queen....might have to work with those... 






Finally, above - after a suggestion is made to add in some color to the roses, I decide it's either off with my muses head, or it's time to wrap it up. 

Side note - because I hadn't saved my image to adjust, I had to

1)  go back and digitally paint each heart one by one, I kid you not.... do you see the irony???? 
2)  elongate it to fit the 4x8 dimensions.  I'm still not happy about that. A big compromise, but  one I was forced to make....because....the deadline for this project having already passed, ...I was late, very late for a very important date so ....

reluctantly, I pressed print....18 times for 36 front pages.


 And then the  back page - much quicker and easier to do...and an opportunity to add in the iconic (couldn't resist) pink flamingo!  Just because I could. 



I have them printed now and cut, but not pasted together. So, I have another few hours left before they see the bottom of the post office box.

Unfortunately, as is often the case,  I  now can see more opportunities to edit and adjust....make the hearts a deeper red, the frame a deeper purple, and correct the shadows on the hearts going every which way.

And, thought it may be a blessing or a curse,  it seems as a side effect of spending a good amount of creative daydreaming  focusing on Alice,  I've dreamt up several other ideas.  So  I won't be surprise if the rabbit drops by for another visit.  

Thanks for reading what I am sure is my longest blog post ever.  Your comments are humbly welcomed.

Image Credits:
*Tumble Fish Studio - frame and black and white border  from BIG WHIMSY, ballerina - TWINKLE TOES, legs from CRAZY LEGS
*Holliewood Studio - roses and vines from VOID, recolored
**Tangie Baxter -  hearts and wings  from MERCADO, recolored, font from LIBRARIAN
**Nicole Perry - tea cup and saucer, flamingo and books
*Clementine Studio - landscape, lantern and rabbit from PIONEER STORY
The Graphics Fairy - female figure, extracted by me, altered and colored
*Studio Gypsy - parchment scroll from MERCURIAL
Vehicle - personal stash extracted

*www.DeviantScrap.com
**www.Scrapbookgraphics.com



14 comments:

Lori Saul said...

I know exactly the process you are talking about. I have to say I love all of the incarnations here, beginning to end. That's the beauty of digital so many versions possible. Art is as limitless as your imagination, building and growing and expanding into new visions. Beautiful artwork!

Lorraine said...

This is FOR SURE your longest post EVER! It is quite fascinating to read the progression. I think the most difficult part of creating is to know when to finish. I always see ways to improve after it is done too!

Terri Kahrs said...

After reading your post, I, too, feel as though you've taken me on a journey down the rabbit hole -- and I LOVED the entire adventure!!! I agree with Lori and Lorraine - each step is fascinating. Bravo for documenting your artistic journey so well, Trudi. Hugs, Terri xoxo

Róisín said...

So lovely! And so wonderful. Your work is amazing! Thanks for giving us a little insight into its creation :)

Shannon said...

Your so talented, I just love your digital artwork! I always leave your blog fully inspired. Hope you're having a wonderful summer? Miss our chats, take care.

Tumble Fish Studio said...

Wow, Trudi! All I can say is WOW! All the work, all the beautiful work is just WOW! You're amazing. Thank you for sharing all the guts and glory of this project - it helps to know that it doesn't come off as easy sometimes as you make it look all the time. I don't have such a complex now!

Michele Jackson said...

Simply Beautiful!

NancyB said...

What a journey! I especially loved when you did the cropping down! How incredible! I have never tried that! What a treat!

Anji Johnston said...

It may have been your longest post ever but to me one of the most enjoyable. What a delight to be able to go through this process with you. Even though at times you just want to give up and scrap the whole project completely (far to many times for me!) it is such a relief to finally have something down on paper and out of your brain! These images are just visual poetry and you should be so proud. I so look forward to the return of the rabbit, even if it only his ears that make an appearance! All this has kept me so a - 'mused' (get it?!)

Taluula said...

I loved reading this post and seeing how you changed and developed your work. I have to say I love every single incarnation.

Anonymous said...

wow,trudi Beautiful artwork !domy07

indybev said...

Quite remarkable work, and a quite remarkable journey! I enjoyed it all -- and I liked every single phase!

Marilyn said...

So much work, but well worth the result. I do enjoy reading your about your process here.

Lou Ann said...

OMG Trudi - This is truly amazing! You have an amazing talent! Just gorgeous!