Mixed Media Drawings for Children's Book

Last year, shortly after moving back to Seattle, I took an LGBTQ friendly children's book writing course at the Hugo House. My friend was teaching the class, and it had been a long time dream of mine to write and illustrate my own stories. The outcome was a working draft of a story that I based off of two paintings that I did in 2011 called I Think I'll Stay Where it's Quiet for a While & Let Me Apologize for my Absence of Late. A friend of my mothers' who had looked at the paintings commented that they felt very narrative--and he was curious of the story behind them. This, in turn, made me curious. I knew there was a story of nature, of heartbreak, friendship, and a little bit of magic. So I went from there.

Having never illustrated a book I've felt very timid to begin the process, and have put it on the back burner for about 9 months. What intimidates me most is the fact that the two main characters need to look relatively consistent throughout the book, from different angles and in different situations. This is a challenge I've never faced before.

These are the first few drawings of "Solo", a creature who lives in the forest... who appears to be mostly human and part owl. He is lonely because he is different that anyone he's ever met. His first and only love left him because of his differences, and he has been broken hearted ever since. The broken heart is rendered as an actual red wound on his chest... which fades throughout the book and ultimately heals as he relearns how to connect with someone, to trust, to be a friend.