'Shroomhome of Merri Chimes

A view of the 'Shroomhome of Merri Chimes, a drawing done quite some time ago for a children's dummybook which never escaped from my studio.

(A 'dummybook' or 'book dummy' is a mock-up of your children's book effort with text and illustrations, if you have them.)

Titled, Silvery Tree Path, the book concerns Roscoe Woodhouse and other characters who live in the Great Lichen Forest. Merri, one of the Chimes Sisters, lives along Silvery Tree Path as you see and is a songstress along with her sisters in the evenings at the Roasted Root Cafe.

This image is from a photograph of the original rendering which is rather large - appr 20" x 24" - and this particular published version is actually from a scanned slide. So that is what gives it a yellowish tinge here...that and the fact that all Silvery Tree Path illustrations are embossed with silver (aluminum) pencil!

Circular Paths of an Unscene World

Circular Paths of an Unscene World, drawing by jude cowell 2008.

'Circular Paths' may refer to Astrology which is the observation and study of planetary orbits and cycles - as well as to labyrinths, of course. Actually, the entire sign of Capricorn is said to be a labyrinth, all 30 degrees of the mer-goat's sign.

Unscene World is an imprint I began in 1996 as black paper took over my drafting table and celestial themes became prominent...and I've never, as they say, looked back!

They also say that black paper gives depth and a spiritual quality you cannot achieve on white or light paper, and I must agree with them.

Here's an example of my early black paper art, Timeless Path, a drawing which won a Merit Award at one of the Olympic Games art venues in Atlanta, GA, summer 1996.

Timeless Path is appr 18"x24" (and was sold before the exhibition opened!) but these days my renderings are small enough to fit a scanner bed so that they may be easily published online for downloading and such, though sometimes I do miss working in a larger format.

My Favorite Pencils: Prismacolor oils, Rexel Derwent watercolours, and a few Spectracolor oils left over from the 90s. The Spectracolor brand, last I knew, was discontinued which for my purposes is a sad state of affairs.

(In fact, I remain to this day in quite a snit of miffdom over it.)

Watercolour pencils are used dry only although you could dampen them if you prefer. Anyone who is proficient or masterly with watercolour painting is a very admirable artist for that's one media I never managed to master even a little bit.

So if you, dear viewer, are good with wet watercolours, kudos aplenty go to you!

Path to an Ancient Temple

Path to an Ancient Temple, drawing by jude cowell 2008.

Yes, I do like paths'n'portals, ancient temples, and greenery, too!

Lady Unmasking: in time for Feb 7 '08 Eclipse

Lady Unmasking is drawn and published in honor of the Feb 7, 2008 Solar Eclipse in the 10 North Series.

Keyphrases for this Series which last manifested on Jan 26, 1990 (so similar issues may resurface from that time period) are:

strong emphasis on communications; frustrating or inhibiting events occur relating to news, paperwork, or a young person; a draining of energy--take things quietly for there's an element of fatigue with this Series. (Brady's Predictive Astrology.)

Yes, Lady Unmasking is a bit of a departure for Secret Moon Art, for my figure studies and mask-related images are usually published at Cosmic Persona Designs with Children's, Botanical, and Fairy Art published here at SMA.

Plus, I hope you don't mind a smidge of Astrology with your Art today! I have sashayed into Astrology here before--it is Secret Moon Art, after all.

Why "Unmasking"? The reason some folk call this the Unmasking Eclipse is because it falls at "18Aquarius" and the Sabian Symbol for that degree is "A Man Unmasked."

This speaks of a man's secret motives being revealed due to the impossibility of keeping one's true motives hidden forever...and '18AQ' is the opposite degree of Venus' position on 9/11/01.

Venus' degree on 9/11 was same as the Sun/Moon degree of the August 11, 1999 Solar Eclipse...aka the King of Alarm Eclipse which set the tone for the New Millennium. Sour note so far, right?

Nostradamus' description of this difficult Eclipse related primarily to monetary issues and we know that the attacks of 9/11 were aimed to decimate our financial system.

Yet even Washington DC may fall prey to the influence of the Feb 7 Eclipse, for they have the most secret motives of all...and the most to gain by keeping things out of sight.

To read more on Washington and its starry doings, visit Stars Over Washington and for a blend of stars, politics, Art, and the occasional lapse into poetry, drop by Jude's Threshold where you'll find an article in the blog's Sidebar with more details on the King of Alarm Eclipse of August 11, 1999.

Self-Heal

Here's a small illustration of the wild flower Self-Heal.

Click image to enlarge if it seems too dark for your computer screen... drawing compliments of your artist this evening, jude cowell (c)2008+.

Art for the Autumn Equinox Sept 23 2007

This is a mere art representation in honor of the Autumn Equinox when the Sun seems to 'reach' 00Libra00 on Sept 23.

(c)2007 secret moon art by jude cowell share but please attribute!

Isle of Ruins (more Art from 1996)

When I drew this large image in 1996, little did I know how ruinous so many areas of the world would be in 2007.

And I'm sorry for it.


Isle of Ruins (c)1996-2007 by jude cowell


Oil and Watercolour pencils on paper

Misty Night revealed

Misty Night is done at last. Scroll down a smidge for two views of this drawing while it was in progress...and it seems a Blue Fairy has appeared after all!

Under the 'Shroom Home Snooze

Here's Pattillo Armadillo snoozing underneath a 'Shroom Home while on his hero's journey...as told in, Pattillo Armadillo and the Dream of Green. This drawing was a reject from his 'dummybook' but he looks pretty snugged in, don't you think?

Only the zzz-z-z-z-zs are missing!

And be sure to check out the latest political limericks at Lim's Limericks where cats-who-blog hold sway with verve and sass.

Ann, Sybil, and Maeve

This drawing probably belongs more in the Cosmic Persona Designs Gallery but here it is anyway sans Moon...

Pattillo Reaches the Great Lichen Forest

This drawing is from Pattillo Armadillo and the Dream of Green and shows a scene near the end of the story. You see Pattillo mustering his energy for the final leg of his journey...short little legs and all.

You see, the Great Lichen Forest was an ancient growth and contained within the smaller Blue Tree Forest.

Click on above title to stop by my pages at Gather.com, why doncha? We'll schmooze. Click on My Articles and look for one about Pattillo's dummybook and its journey to New York City...and alas, back home again a mere month or so later...but with a comlimentary Editor's Letter in tow in honor of his valiant exertions.

At www.gather.com, tea or coffee are optional...or as Abraham Lincoln is said to have said so amusingly: if this is tea, bring me coffee. If this is coffee, bring me tea.

(c)2007 Unscene World by Jude Cowell

North's Carpet under Full Moon

Here's a new drawing for Secret Moon Art...can you tell how much I love moss?

(c)2007 Paths'n'Portals series

by Jude Cowell