Friday, March 02, 2007

IF : Hide...the berries!



Every evening the Night Mice come out and scurry around the deep, dark roots of the Balbo Tree. It's a tangle of twigs, like woody fingerlings all snarled together to form the most magical place to hide their delicious berries. It's a lot of work making sure the berries are in the nooks and crannies in just the right way so as to not squish the delicious gems, but also making sure they're well hidden so the greedy Jays and Ravens don't raid their stash. The mice are compulsive little creatures, working all night if they have to. The payoff is that 'to die for' berry wine when fermentation takes place, usually during the sixth full moon of the year. They often allow Possum and Raccoon to partake in the juice, but only because at that point they're usually a bit 'in their cups' themselves. Besides, it's no fun to drink alone!

So cheers, my Illustration Friday friends! Drinks are on me.


Done for IF "HIDE"...acrylic on canvas. Click to enlarge

53 comments:

  1. this is really lovely, those colours are gorgeous as is the story.

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  2. I LoVe this!!! I love the monochomatic feel - a night-time dance of mice :)

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  3. Wow, you just did this?! I love not onlt the color scheme here, but the focus on those beautiful winding tree roots.

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  4. Beautiful job on this one...has almost mystical quality to it.

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  5. sounds like a good way to spent d a night out drinking for free lol nice painting

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  6. very beautiful world among the roots--nice job

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  7. beautiful - it is full of surprises - even the mice are hiding by blending into the tree roots

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  8. love the story and your illustration.

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  9. Very niceillustration,misterious .I like your blue

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  10. A feast! Just love looking at this.
    The story is wonderful and all that blue night and snaking roots, and in their midst the little blue industrious mice. I bet the wine is delicious!

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  11. This piece is enchanting, Laurel. I especially like the way your limited colour palette brings out the magic of the night.

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  12. I like how the mice blends with the tree roots! awesome work!

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  13. I love the monochromatic blue scheme, and the texture of the roots with the lichen....and I highly approve of anyone who loves and helps animals! Good on ya for the painting and that!

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  14. Great color use and movement...

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  15. Really love the story along with this lovely illo.

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  16. those tangling roots are great and interesting story!

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  17. Great work. This is beautiful.

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  18. What a beautiful painting! The colours are really great and the mice really cute.

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  19. wow, awesome work on the roots! great illo!

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  20. Very beautiful here! Their cousins in NYC recently had a huge party at Taco Bell--- not so beautiful hahaha.

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  21. Wow! This is just too cool and
    hauntingly beautiful

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  22. How fun! Although this is darker than your usual work (that I've seen), it still has the smooth, sensuous feel of your style. Have a great week!

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  23. Wow! A wonderfully written story and charming work. You are truly gifted with this medium.

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  24. Really great look to this painting. Cute mice...

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  25. oh my...a wee bit frightening...at first glance...love the description...

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  26. Wonderful Illustration1 Very fun story.

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  27. Thanks for all your comments ! It's funny, I never intended for this to be a "dark" painting as in disturbing, just dark as in night time. The highlights are lit by the full moon and the mice are happy. I love how our minds interpret things differently! Thanks for stopping by...I love having you here :) Lolo

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  28. I always enjoy looking at your work. You display so much control in your paintings.

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  29. This work has a great feel to it! It seems to be how a lot of people view mice...Eerily.

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  30. wow! lotsa comments here :)

    great illustration, it is dark (in a sens) and beautifull :)

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  31. I love it - such a great feel to it. And I love the blues!

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  32. This is gorgeous! It reminds me of a book a had when I was young called 'Norbert's Nightime' and all the illustrations had a monochromatic feel. Well done!

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  33. beautiful, moody piece. def lends to the "hide" theme. it's cool and creepy at the same time. awesome, awesome work.

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  34. Wow, this is amazing, I love the moonlight and the shadows. Eerie but beautiful.

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  35. Hi Laurel,

    It was a pleasure to find your comment this morning. I really enjoyed what you had to share and agree with you immensely. Btw, I'm sure you have enough to do and blogs to visit, but I thought you might like to know about a friend's blog I learned about recently. She has taken in 3 animals and given them a warm home and lots of love and care. This is dedicated to them. Beware: it can be silly ;)

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  36. Somehow, the coding didn't work. Here's the link:

    http://missbunnytales.blogspot.com/

    ;)

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  37. WOW! I love this, it is very cool, nice colors, tones and lines! :-D

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  38. I think this is beautiful...not eerie at all, but actually rather peaceful. The mice are enjoying the soft moonlight, as many of us often do!

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  39. Absolutely gorgeous! I love your paintings!

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  40. a charming story, beautifully illustrated.

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  41. very cool; but creepy in that rodent kind of way; but cool with the technique and mood used - very much gets across the message

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  42. Beautiful, beautiful work!
    I love the night sky, the eerie blues and of course.. the mice!

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