After our Art Show “Drawn from Words”, I was commissioned to do two illustrations inspired by the Mother Goose Rhyme:
Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
Backed in a pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing;
Wasn’t that a dainty dish
To set before the King?
The King was in the counting-house
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlor
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird
And snapped of her nose.
I prefer “pecked at her nose” when reading this rhyme to children.
These two illustrations were created as a gift for twin Granddaughters, to adorn the walls of their bedroom. We decided to use animals to depict the King and Queen and chose a Lion, for he is the king of the animal kingdom, and the Lioness as his Queen. The maid is illustrated as a person, because anyone who has a cat knows, they rule the house, and we humans do all the work!
I love to add 3 dimensional elements to my illustrations, especially the commissions where the original is matted, framed and hung on the wall. The 3d flowers and leaves create shadows of their own, the chandelier shimmers in the light. It’s the extra little touches that make a piece of art come alive.
Stay tuned for more Illustrations, drawn from words.
Contact me at karen@karenwatson.com for your very own commission.
