Here's the "local" color added to the painting. Next, I'll outline the key elements with van dyke brown, using a tiny (size 00) brush. This will help me to see what areas need more color and/or contrast. I'm looking at Cecily Mary Barker a LOT to see how she painted her lovely little flower fairies. Mine couldn't possibly approach hers, but they're wonderful inspiration!

So here's a VERY rough colored pencil study of what the local color might be...

I'm starting a new fairy painting -- this is a fantasy "portrait" of three little girls I know. Here's the tight sketch.


And here are two views of the drawing, printed on watercolor paper and stretched on masonite board. Time to start painting!

Just wanted to let folks know that I'm officially launching a blog dedicated to my pictures drawn in church. I've been posting them here, but from now on, they'll show up on this blog: drawninchurch.blogspot.com. I hope you'll visit!

 Also, coming very soon, a chance to buy a book with over 200 pictures, drawn (tee hee) from over seven years of choir singing and pencil sketching. Hope you'll take a look at that when it's available -- should be within the next few weeks!

Get started on your Valentine's cards with this new coloring page: "hearty" meese!

See other coloring pages here.

In 2006 I painted this 9-foot polar bear bench.
His name is "Seemore" and he is covered with eyeballs and eyeglasses.

This past May I created a mural to provide Seemore his own world,
in his new home at the Eye Institute of Philadelphia.
Here's a slideshow of the mural process (complete with creepy music.)

TEI Mural from Rebecca Thornburgh on Vimeo.

Just sent ten little pix off to SCBWI for consideration as illustrations in the Bulletin. Elves and mice in, um, creative situations. No, no, no -- not like that. Holding pencils and brushes and hanging out around coffee cups and computers. All themes suitable for the "WI" in SCBWI. Hope they like a couple of them (even one!) Fun to do, in any case.

A new mouse house project to color, cut out, and add to your Mouse House wall. Here's the link to the pdf you can download. Send me a picture of your finished Mouse House and I'll post it here!

Thus begins picturebook author Paula Yoo's third annual National PIcture Book Writing Week, starting tonight -- or, well, tomorrow, May 1st at midnight. Not a complicated project (though not easy either). Quoting Paula from her blog: "In a nutshell – just write 7 picture books in 7 days! " It's not a contest, and you don't have to submit any of your writing. In fact, all you have to do is write, and if you like, visit her blog to get great writing tips from a terrific lineup of accomplished picture book writers. And (I think this is how it works), if you comment on any of their posts, then Paula puts your name into a competition for cool books and other NaPiBoWriWee swag.

http://paulayoo.com/napi/?p=11#more-11

It's a very cool idea -- inspired, I think, by National Novel Writing Month (which happens in November each year: (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) and in which I've participated (but not finished) twice.

I meant to try it last year, and so even though this coming week is totally crazy, I'm gonna try it again. And this time, for real (tra la). I'll be spending almost all of my days working on painting a mural, so maybe those long hours of concentration will allow my subconscious to cook up some good stuff. Once a day. Seven times.

So we'll see. Gonna jump in and try out the writing chops, if any.

Well, here we are, a mere eight years after I first did the sketch for a painting to give to my daughter's friend (aged 13) as a Bat Mitzvah present. Now the lovely and talented Ari is not only a Bat Mitzvah (still), but at this point she's also a junior in college, and just a tad past her majority (as in, she turned 21 in January).  Gee, how time flies when you're working on a piece of art...

But the good news (I think) is that I've finally finished the painting, really and truly! I've been posting images of the work in progress over the past coupla years (I think I started the actual PAINTING of it in, what, 2008 maybe?) and so now I will post the Big Finish.

Changes between the last post of the piece-in-progress and the truly final and forever done with* result are lots of washes. Lots and lots (and LOTS) of washes. To try to get the contrast and the lighting effect I was going for. For which I was going, I mean. And I did have help, in that I got some very good and very helpful advice from One Who Shall Remain Nameless, but who, let's just say, knows a thing or two about watercolor, lots of washes, and ultramarine blue (not to mention raw umber and payne's gray.)  It was great to have This Person weigh in at the moment when I was feeling somewhat stuck, not knowing how to move forward. This Person was further kind enough not to comment on (the many) cringe-worthy drawing errors, which I'm quite sure he noticed.

[*I had cut it off the watercolor board and even scanned it when I decided that the foliage in the foreground was too light, so back I went to add more washes -- oh boy, ultramarine blue and that green mix I love -- and some more payne's gray outline. Then I realized that I simply had to Stop and declare it Finished.)

So -- back to Point the First, above -- here we are, eight years later. And I think it's an okay painting. I mean, I am in fact pretty pleased with the result (though I want you to know that I do see and can tell you Every Single Thing that is wrong with it, but only if you email me privately. What the heck, you can see 'em for yourself in any case). But it was a labor of love, and I think I learned something about painting, as I was doing this on my own time (hah!), rather than on a deadline for a client.

Next thing is to get it framed and present it to the Bat Mitzvah Girl. At this point I have my doubts as to whether or not she still has any interest in fairies, but oh well. I do hope she doesn't mind how, um, late the gift is.

Thought I'd share the poster I just did for this year's Kids' Literary Festival presented by a wonderful independent bookstore in my neighborhood. The Big Blue Marble is one of those rare and very special bookstores with a fantastic selection, a great little coffee shop, and the most informed and interesting bookselling staff you can imagine.
And check out the terrific lineup of cool folks presenting at the Festival! If you're in the area (Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia), be sure to stop by to meet one of these amazing authors.

I'm working on a new book these days. Text is a poem and the imagery features fairies and other "Little People." I am SO happy. Here's a glimpse of a little scene from the cover art.