The Tomie dePaola Illustration Competition

This year I joined the Society for Children's Books Writers and Illustrators for the first time. Working toward the goal of the portfolio review at the conference will be a strong incentive for me in the month I have off from teaching.   I was especially excited to enter into the annual illustration competition, run by the author and illustrator Tomie de Paola, of Strega Nona fame.  We always loved the Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) books, especially as my mother's family is Calabrian.  The stories hit home.  The chance for Tomie to see my work, even if I don't win, was too great to pass up. 

This year's challenge was a black and white challenge, perfect for my current line of work. We were to present an illustration of a passage from Little Women, Tom Sawyer, or The Yearling, paired with its corresponding passage. We were only allowed one page, not a spread.  For a challenge I picked Little Women.  I re-read the book. There are many lovely, romantic passages, like the proposals of Laurie or the Professor. Some are sweet, like Beth sitting in the lap of Mr. Laurence, kissing his cheek to thank him for the piano. Some are sad, like Beth lying in her sister Jo's lap at the beach when she admits she is dying. Still others are nearly neoclassical: picture Amy sketching a rogue Laurie in Marseilles as he smokes a cigarette, backed by statuary.

But one passage stood out. The girls are talking about their castles in the sky: where and how they could live if all of their fancies ring true. Laurie talks of living in Austria and playing music. Beth desires to stay home (something that comes true).  Meg wants to live in a rich home (she marries a poor man for love), while Amy desires to travel to Rome (she does) to become the best artist living (she abandons that dream).

Jo, however, dreams of writing.  She pictures the wonder that will come from her magic inkstand in rooms piled high with books.  So that's where I took my inspiration!

Mr. de Paola, I know you will never see this post. However, it was a real honor to show you my work, and I hope it made you smile.  Your work certainly did. 

"Jo's Castle in the Sky" Pencil Copyright 2012 Jessica Boehman

"Jo's Castle in the Sky" Pencil Copyright 2012 Jessica Boehman

The Goose Girl

This fairy tale, another dark masterpiece of the Brothers Grimm, is the favorite of my little sister.  As I noted below, it has all of the elements of a good yarn: a fairy, a magical horse, a girl separated from her mother.  The princess is cast down by her maid, who takes the true bride's place on her intended's arm.  The true princess is forced to become the goose girl to make her way, and the false princess kills the girl's horse, the only tie to her homeland.  Of course, deception never pays, and the king realizes the goose girl, resplendent in her beauty, is the true bride of his son:

"But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had her brilliant dress on.
When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus. ’Nothing better,’ said this false bride, ’than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she was dead.’ ’Thou art she!’ said the old king; ’and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.’ And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life again."

I looked to the end of the tale, and imagine a scene not told by our Brothers Grimm: when she reenters the city with her geese and with her horse, Falada, who had watched over her even in his death.  I followed the pattern I set forth in my "Self Portrait with Fairy Tale" (see below in earlier posts), with a decorative border as part of the actual image itself.  I'm inspired by the richness of medieval tapestries and the constant juxtaposition of pattern that can be found on them.

"The Goose Girl" Pencil.  Copyright 2012 Jessica Marie Boehman