ILLUSTRATED AESOP'S FABLE: THE TOWN MOUSE & THE COUNTRY MOUSE
This is the process and journey I took while working on a companion set of paintings to illustrate the classic Aesop's Fable, The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse.
"The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries"
and "The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse"
and "The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse"
Both illustrations were rendered in watercolor & gouache on paper.
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The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries (rough sketch)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries (finished charcoal sketch)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries 5"x7" Watercolor & gouache on paper
The first one takes a peek though the briers and brambles into the modest abode of a little country field mouse. She has invited her well-to-do cousin, who lives in town, to visit her. He happens to arrive during blackberry season, and so he is just in time to partake in the art of preserving the harvest in the form of jams & jellies. Glancing over his shoulder, spoon in hand, he is looking to his cousin for instructions on the recipe.
I will admit that I am a bit of a country mouse myself. Nothing like having bare feet in the grass reading a book, or snacking on wild fruit.
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries (close-up detail)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries (close-up detail)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse (rough sketch)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Blackberries (finished charcoal sketch)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse 5"x7" Watercolor & gouache on paper
Oh to be a few inches tall, then you could crawl into the walls of a miniature dollhouse! That is where the town mouse makes his home in the city, within the toy house of the little children who live in the building he takes shelter in. It makes for very lavish mouse-size living quarters, and I am a bit jealous of them!
The country mouse seems to be a bit uneasy and awkward as she stands atop the table holding her china plate. A cup has fallen on the floor and shattered amid the hustle and bustle of city life. This is perhaps my favorite of the two paintings, mostly due to the awkward positions they take while sitting at the miniature toy table.
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse (close-up detail)
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse: Dollhouse (close-up detail)
