Not in Kansas anymore...

    I'm experimenting with colour! Forgive the bad camera...it is starting to die on me.

"Dreaming of You" copyright  J.L. 2011

"The Forest Door" copyright J.L. 2011

"Forest Door" Close-up

"The Rose House"copyright  J.L. 2011

Close-up of "The Rose House"

    Usually I draw with pen and ink, but I'm adding some colour to a few of my pieces and I'm playing with the effect... Above are a couple of my new cards and one of my "larger" (compared to my cards!--really just 8.5x 11") works. All three were drawn the way I normally would do a black-and-white piece, and the colour was added later. I used coloured pencils, and I like the softer feel that they add. Pen-and-ink can be rather harsh. I've tried before adding some coloured ink to my work, but found it looked too streaky (and scratchy-- since I used a metal-tipped calligraphy pen) in the end. I like the way the pencils shade and melt into each other: gentle, but still with a bold enough contrast from the ink.

      I'm toying with the idea of doing a large version (and this time I mean large: approx. 2 x 4 feet) of the secret door... though the leaves would take a very very long time! What do you think?

-J.L.