Singing viking gets in tune for childrens book plans

Lots of planning work over the past few months  for the childrens book including the storyline and timeline now ready to roll. Based in Oslo, the book will feature a wee Scottish boy who comes to visit his cousin for 17 May, he brings his Scottie dog who chases around the city after a delicious smell of hot dogs. They meet a variety of characters on their way..

Some exciting ideas to feature local landmarks too, including Slottsparken, Astrup Fearnley museum, Akershus castle and the Opera house amongst others.

Oh, and there will be singing vikings, tootling musicians, marching guards and waving tots. Ibsen, Grieg, Amundsen and Munch will be making an appearance as well.

 

Look out for more information as the pages begin to take life. Hamish and Solveig are getting ready to enjoy 17 May fun, while Scottie chases that elusive hot dog and gets into a series of scrapes. Will he make it to the balcony in his top hat or be sidetracked?

Aker Brygge lighthouse, the bear and the kilted laddo ..(and his schnauzer)





Getting there with the colouring in and shading on the new pic, next stage is the tint on the sky and the fjord. Lots of new ideas for characters too, and the sun is shining, doesn't get much better today ..

 

Characters from Aker Brygge for new childs book

Working on a first draft to create some fun wee characters based on the local area for a children's book. These are the initial sketches and will have a crack at getting some colour onto them today.
I'm not sure whether to have the story in English or Norwegian, (and will need some help with that for sure...) or both even. 

Akershus fortress, Oslo (with a strange, pink, marshmallow cloud ...)

Akershus fortress is a quick 10 minute walk around the corner, and a great place to collect conkers, (which are especially large at this time of year). I wonder if the lack of wind here makes them whoppers, or maybe it is because of their regal heritage.

I'm going to smuggle a couple back to my old Dad in Northumberland next week and see if he can grow them into tall, stern, Norwegian horsechestnut trees.

When I took the pic the sky was clear and blue, but on the picture I had a notion to pop a pink cloud in, not sure why, maybe it was thinking about the bag of marshmallow sweets that did it ..

Sunday morning at Café Skansen, Oslo, with bikes and leaves and sunshine

Last week felt like the last shout of 'Hurrah for Autumn' with buckets of sunshine and beautiful colours on the trees. Café Skansen is just up the road and we walked past it early on Sunday morning, all very quiet and calm, not a soul about. A few days later and the leaves are nearly all gone now and have dropped so quickly. 





I painted this wee picture from a photo which I took that morning rather than  sketching on site, which is probably a bit like cheating at poker, but having confessed, sure it'll be ok.. Next time I'll go on a Saturday afternoon and have loads of red wine and food there, the picture might be a bit wobbly but great fun to paint, (and the service is great too.)

http://www.cafeskansen.no/

Blomster in central Oslo

Oslo domkirke with blue skies and chickens

Sunday was such a beautiful sunny day, we took a big old stroll around the city and went into Oslo domkirke for the first time. It is such a lovely tranquil place with amazing paintings on the ceiling and so peaceful. Lit a couple of candles for friends and said a wee prayer. Will be back again soon and can't believe have never visited inside before. They have a great programme of music so will definitely be back for a concert and a sing along, (must practice my Norwegian first though.) The statue of the chickens outside made me smile as have never noticed them before, they are great lads and hope to do a separate pic with just them and their cheeky faces. The watercolour was supposed to be a full size but messed up with the sizing and ended up with only the spire as ran out of paper...

Oslo Fjord in oils.. Spring sunshine and tippety toes

This dinky landscape canvas has been in the flat since winter last year and have been wondering what to paint onto it. But the snow and rain didn't seem too cheery and the shape lends itself well to a big blue sky.


Although I like working with oils, they can be a bit faffy and the work of the devil to clean the brushes. In fact, I now have a fetching blue streak in my hair and one or toe blue toes after stepping on the corner of the canvas while it was outside drying...the sparrows did a wee dance across the sky too, their little toe prints aren't too noticeable and hopefully add to the scene. It needs some more colour and a bit of depth so will work on that, hope the seagulls don't decide to hop over it as well.

New magazine - Nørd Hæftii, features Oslo sketches

Was very happy to receive a copy of Nørd Hæftii magazine in the mailbox this morning, (the girls published some of my sketches on the back cover of their first issue). I had to do a little dance in the street and jump up and down a bit. A bit undignified for an auld gal but never mind.

Loving their magazine, (it's in German so thanks to Google Translate), really like their funky layouts and swooshy format. Wishing them loads of success.

www.noerdhaeftii.com

Fairy queen, purple fish and a butterfly elf chap with mice for shoes.

For some different ideas, I've been looking at old Scottish Fairy tales as many have great old illustrations. Decided to have a crack at a children's picture for the fun of it and this one is a work in progress .. but may have got a bit carried away with the colours. As for the content, there is not only a palm tree, but rogue dancing mice, purple fish and spooky bubbles. Not a notion at all as to where these came from in my head, and not smackering  of tartan in there too, so who knows ...

A Highland Coo, (he's no there noo..)

Stumbled across a lovely picture of a highland cow yesterday, he is some laddo with a wooshy fringe and cheeky look about him, so had a crack at a pencil sketch for his face. Something about him reminded me of hairy teenage boys in the 70's hanging around street corners... not sure why. The lines of text are a nod to McGonnegal and his poem about the coo on the hill.

Calton Hill, Edinburgh, Easter time

Back to Edinburgh for a few days over the Easter holidays and took a hike up Calton Hill to have a quick sketch with some pastels, it's a mad old scribbly picture as was a windy day  but lovely and bright. Really enjoying  working with the pastels as they are so quick and cheery, blue fingers though, not with the cold, with the crayons...

Good morning Mr Blue Sky

Spring is in the air and the brushes, crayons and paints are out again, yabadabba doo. Trying out some new ideas using pastels to celebrate with a more abstract format and some funky colours. This is a first bash to get going again after the Winter hibernation. 

Ghosty ships in the fjord

Very atmospheric down beside the water yesterday morning and felt like being in a black and white Victorian postcard, so quiet and misty. The boats have their Winter coats on to protect them from the snow and looked almost spooky in the fog. There was a light coating of ice on the fjord which made a lovely crackly pattern, whooshing about..