I think every artist could tell you about a favorite artist whose work they discovered many years ago, and they have loved their work ever since. For me, that artist is Berke Breathed: creator, writer and illustrator for the amazing Bloom County comic strips. As a kid (which has stretched into my forties), I always went directly for the comic pages in the newspaper. I would read them all, but save my favorites for last. This included Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes, and Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County. I couldn't get enough of these guys, and while Calvin and Hobbes holds a very special place in my heart for Waterson's utter brilliance, Bloom County was what I remember discovering first, and I remember laughing out loud and reading the funniest one's out loud to my parents, trying to get them to laugh as hard as I did.
Fast forward to having children... soon after my first child was born, I discovered that Breathed had also written and illustrated many children's books. We soon discovered Pete and Pickels, Edward Fudwupper Fibbed Big, Goodnight Opus and Mars Needs Moms. I read in one of the "About the Author" sections, that his inspiration for creating children's books was when he discovered Jumanji and marveled at the airbrushing style illustrations in that book.
So I guess this made me begin to wonder if I had a children's book in me somewhere. I've had many, many inspirations for stories as my children have grown, and one that seems to stick with me, is really finally starting to develop and make it's way to the page. I've started with, what I considered the "make or break" image that's been in my head, and I think I'll continue to create the images as I get the time, that seem to hit the major story points that have yet to be solidified.
This is a link to the speed painting of the first of hopefully many to come. I've heard people say, "you have do the work that you love, if that's the kind of professional work you want more of." So, here's me doing the work I love doing, in hopes that it'll lead to more.
Enjoy...