See Horse Evolution

This was a fascinating process for me.  

Kirsten Hall @HallWaysKirsten the Managing Agent, USA at Bright Group - International 

put out a Twitter blast asking for (bored) illustrators to make her a rainbow seahorse.

I knew I had a seahorse in my sketchbook pile so I loaded it up and answered the call.

She responded:

"That is fantastic. Color it! Seriously!"

So I did!

She responded:

"Love it. Can he look happy?"

So I went back the the drawing board and attempted happy...(not a normal emotional state for me - I had to Google reference photos)

It is harder than you think to make a seahorse look happy!

*where, exactly, is their mouth?*

*do they have eyebrows?*

I learned a lot about the evolution of creativity, about pushing through and digger deeper.

I learned that I can get stuck on being TOO LITERAL and GETTING STUCK IN MY HEAD.

I learned that I give up too soon and too easily on a lot of my projects

I learned a bit about art direction and how it forces an artist to think outside their own little box...(I LIKE ART DIRECTION, BTW...)

*how does one make a seahorse look happy?*

*how does an artist who can't really paint find a happy medium?*

When I closed the book on my seahorse last night I wasn't sure of his success so I posted him on Facebook and went to bed.

This morning my notifications were off the charts!  I've never had so many likes on a single image unless it was a post about my daughter or my dog!!!

A Caldecott Award winning illustrator, whom I admire greatly, messaged me to say the "new illo was banging!" - it was such a lovely compliment!!!

So, my little seahorse may not look the happiest (and I wept many a frustrated tear in his crafting)

but he sure made a lot of people smile today!!!!

Including me...

and I thank God for that gift!!!!!