I promised to show you what's on my easel, so here goes. The piece on the left is one that was already deemed "finished"- an illustration for my yet to be written book, called, "Crow Creates the Night".
Crow Creates the Night (version 1)
Even though I thought it was finished, the crow's beak really bothered me because I felt it wasn't shaped like the one in "The Separation of Heron and Crow",
The Separation of Heron and Crow
and therefore would be too inconsistent if I ever do finish the book. Finally I decided to fix it, and here's what it looks like now.
Crow Creates the Night (version 2)
Changing it was very difficult, and at one point I was sure I had ruined it, but I'm much more satisfied with it now.
The piece in the middle of the easel is kind of a re-do of part of an older piece which just wasn't working. I don't have a 'before' photo of it to show you, but several things were erased and a few were added. Right now I'm putting a chaotic flock of birds in the sky, flying as birds do when they're startled out of a tree or something. The idea is to create a sense of unease here, giving the viewer a feeling that something ominous is about to happen. I can't tell how this one will turn out, or even if I'll like it.
The third piece is the next illustration for my non-existent book, entitled, "Heron Creates the Day." I hope you're able to see the outlines of the heron, which at this point is just a sketch on a piece of tracing paper. Hopefully, I will get to this one soon.