Fly Away Home
Watercolor
Three of my watercolors appear in the new Fantasy Illustrator’s Technique Book 
Giving your audience the unexpected is a large part of fantasy art. This painting’s title, Fly Away Home, is punningly reified as one end of the mobile home gradually breaks down into a flock of birds. It’s more than a clever visual trick. The narrative effect comes from the question posed to the viewer: At some time in the past, did a flock of birds become the mobile home?
To which insightful question I can confidently respond, “What?”
I respect authorial intent, especially my own authorial intent, and honestly, punning reification never crossed my mind once while doing this piece. But such a flattering gloss must be authoritative, don’t you think? From now on, I will enjoy saying “I really reified that one, didn’t I?” with great solemnity.
For those who like context, here it is on the page, heading up the “Fantasmagoria” section – the bottom painting, Arboreal Pachyderms, is by none other than Tom Kidd. Good company is such a treat!
My only nitpick is that somewhere during scanning, digitizing, sending files across the Atlantic, and printing, the color saturation got bumped up to “screaming.” In person, the paintings are much calmer, translucent, watercolory. I’ve tweaked this file to better reflect what I see when I look at the painting. Probably I’m the only one who would notice the difference, but hey, that’s my punningly reified baby there.
Here’s the link:
Jess, I LOVE this new watercolor, and I am also very impressed by its publishing. Congratulations, in spite of the … err … lousy commentary.
Ouch. You know, I love that painting and I’m a frequent defender of passive constructions, but I have to say, the editors couldn’t have said such a graceless thing about such a graceful work of art if they had stuck with the active voice. It would have saved them from themselves.
Jessica,
Great work!. I had not seen this one of yours and I enjoyed the work as much as the title. I am glad you got published too (guess the editors were a little too carried away).
Sunil
Aw, you guys – I know I’m usually sarcastic by default, but I actually do like this editorial statement. It’s clever and amusing, and I give anything (or anyone) clever and amusing great leeway. . . especially when they use words like “reified.”
I’d just note that giving the artist the unexpected seems to be a large part of art criticism.
Congratulations! How wonderful to know you’re published. The painting is way cool. I think I shall have to lay hands on that book.
Thanks, wunx. It’s always nice to see a work in print, despite the inevitable surprises.
Absolutely beautiful. Really impressive, especially with watercolor, which I find devilishly hard to work with. Reminds me of a certain style of children’s book illustration that I found mesmerizing as a lad. More please.
Now you just HAVE to post this one in Epilogue.
A-hem …
Uh, Pierre, it’s two years old. It’s been there since 2005.
Cicada, Jessica, whatever… I really dig that piece. I hadn’t seen this vein either. It’s right up my alley.
Congratulations on the publication, too.
I need to redesign my old gallery, then I’ll link to it. It’s coming. . . I got lots more where that came from.
Err …. blushing in embarrassment …
Seems I forgot I had seen it somewhere before …
:goes hiding under the living-room carpet:
That’s beautiful Jessica. Congratulations.
Actually, it took me a moment to notice the birds. The image is reified with a few optical attractions.
oops..forgot: I wonder if you wouldn’t like this wudnerkammery site:
Sorry if you already know it or…err, at least, lucky you then.
Oh. Well I am stupid. Not only can’t make a link but when I looked the site up (Curious Expeditions) on technorati, I noted that you already link to them and they link to me. If I start to get any dumber I will disappear I swear.
We all link to each other. Isn’t it great? But don’t disappear! I’d be very sad.