Cover Page Sketch

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Today I made a few sketches for potential cover pages. The challenge to find a way to get all the characters I like onto cover. The page is 16 inches by 8 inches, so there’s lots of room but there are some design problems to consider. For one, the space taken up by the title requires a good deal of real estate. On the back cover, the ISBN number gets its fair share of space. Then there’s the problem of images bumping into the spine. For example, in the picture above, Betty’s head is cut in half by the fold. That looks weird. The more I think about it, the more problems I see with this layout. I’d better keep sketching.

Bernie the Flying Buddhist Dachshund Makes His Cameo Appearance

Bernie the Flying Buddhist Dachshund is the final figure for my children’s picture book cover image, not counting the foliage and clouds that I still have to paint behind these characters. It may strike you as odd that Bernie is flying. It’s not odd at all. In fact, it’s common knowledge around here — in Southern Oregon, which is just crawling with Buddhists — that all Buddhists can fly, including Buddhist Dachshunds, weasels, cougars, and humans. With that indisputable fact in mind, only an unreasonable person would be surprised that Bernie the Buddhist Dachshund can levitate so well without having wings.

Perhaps it’s the constant meditation that gives Buddhists those wings. Or, just maybe it’s their deep compassion for all living beings that lifts them above the world. Whatever it is, all I know is that flying suits Bernie well, especially with those aerodynamic ears.

Today Sucked

Dear Diary,

I haven’t had a day like this in years. An old friend who lives in my body revisited me three days ago. And today I’m covered with itchy bumps, as if I had been flayed with nettles. Flu-like symptoms abound, with aching muscles, chills, and fatigue.

I did still manage to crack open my iPad and starting cleaning up my children’s book cover image, mostly erasing some areas where I painted too far outside the line work. The image looks much the same as it did yesterday, so I’ll refrain from posting a look-alike picture today.

And now I’m off to spend the rest of the evening with my family. After that I’ll go to bed and read a little. Lately I’m reading Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, by Stephen Naifeh and Gregory Smith. It’s got tragedy written all over it from page one. How cool is that?