John & Belle Have A Blog

53 - 'Owl, with a theatric stagger ...'

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I'm busy tonight so I'll just get right down to praising myself. Notice the single line that is the outline of the skull. Very economic, I call it. Also, it ain't easy to take a couple of characters who started out in life as an egg and dart wallpaper design and raise them up into commanding presences on the Shakespearean stage. Notice how each eye of each character expresses a different emotion. (Except for the skull. I made one eye for him and did the old copy/paste to make the other. But he's dead so he won't mind.) Just look at those actions lines. You can really see the ... action.

So praise my art, you groundlings, you clapperclawed Flickr-combers!

52 - Squid and Owl steal furtive looks; plus Monsters vs. Aliens

Next page. I like the guy's legs. The little girl turned out alright, don't get me wrong. Her fingers say 'this is my personal space'. But the guy is comfortable in his skin. And such rich, tomato-y skin it would appear to be.

I believe Squid and Owl could learn a lot from him about comic books.

I went with Mei Mei to see "Monsters vs. Aliens". She's been reciting the ad by heart for a couple weeks. 'Suuuuuusan!" "ooh, I scared myself!" She liked it but she got freaked out when ... [plotspoilers!]

51 - 'Owl and Squid will spend the day ...'

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An archaeology theme!

Must run now and tend to the little one. Belle and Zoë are still alive and well in Beijing, although I am getting reports that certain things are not as well organized in China as in Singapore.

Also, I believe I said there would be news of my Plato book. Well, to my annoyance, not quite. Tomorrow, I hope.

50 - Owl, behind a domino ...

Squid and Owl turn 50 (pages long). And Belle and Zoë report in safe and sound, and going to the Great Wall of China.

I like this one very much. Good poetry. Nice pants. The scaramouchey characters with their beetl-y backs and strange hair-net-looking hair. Owl's frumpy posture behind the mask.The textures. It came together nicely, I say.

The two central figures were supposed to go in my Plato book, but they are way too Italian for that. Speaking of my Plato book, check back tomorrow for more news, what hey!

Also, I widened the page so the Flickr stuff doesn't get cut off anymore. Looks nicer, eh?

The Owl and the Octopus

Something a little different. Just from Zoë tonight.

And:

And you know what? As I type, Belle and Zoë are on their way to the airport. Kids from Zoë's class are taking a 12 day trip ... to Beijing. And Belle is going along for the first five days. I can't believe it.

When I was 7, I think the farthest I'd been away from home was Grants Pass, Oregon.

49 - 'Squid dislikes that in his brain ...'; plus cute, beheaded children

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As for the rest, check out Belle's recent photo set for the Like That One shop. This one, for example.

48 - Owl declares there is no truth ...; plus Shrinking Violet Bunny Ewok Habitat

Next page. I think this one came out especially well. Owl looks like a true pedant, and Squid's guitar is great. He is fretting most emotively.

And here's something from Zoë:

No explanation necessary. Unless possibly it needs to be pointed out that that's Shrinking Violet from the Legion there in the foreground. I think.

47 - 'Owl demands to know just what ...'; plus Paramilitary Bunny

Next page. We'll have a musical theme here for a few days.

And from Zoë. Some sort of paramilitary fashion bunny. (Plus abstract Mei Mei bun.)

46 - Fat Lady; plus abstract bunnies, kitties, etc.

We'll have more Just Not So Stories a bit later. For now, back to our heroes, in a new adventure:

And a little something by Mei Mei. Abstract with bunnies, kitties and stamps, I should wager.

Man am I tired. One of these days I'm going to muster the energy actually to write posts with words again.

45 - 'How the Whale Ate the Moon 5: What is it like?' plus Yobunny

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And that is the story of How The Whale Ate the Moon. (Do you approve?)

Now: kid art.

I don't really know what inspired this blinged out Mac Bunny. I suspect the Disney Channel of being a bad influence.