When I was little, I used to see all kinds of things in the dark. Sometimes I wasn't really sure if I was awake or asleep.  I still see all kinds of shadowy figures and realms in the dark, or the rain on the window, or in tree roots.  That's what this picture is about...the places where your mind goes when you let it.
Happily "asleep" is the Illustration Friday word!  

Citra-Solv has a very cool ATC page with many really interesting cards!  They will soon be publishing a contact list for all us collectors.  I'm happy to say that a few of my own cards are featured: )

Here is Hedgehog and two of his mechanical animal friends.  He has fallen in behind the Queen, who is the older sister of his friend Arabella.   When I was painting the girl I was thinking that she was missing something.  I was also thinking of what to do for the blog challenge for the Etsy Melange team.  The challenge is to create a mixed media piece that has to do with the word "royalty".  It is open to everyone!  Suddenly I realized that what the girl was missing was her crown.  Now the Queen has her crown, and I have my entry for the Melange team challenge!  Click yourself over to the Melange blog to see some great mixed media art!

Here's my latest painting on various maps, book pages and music.  I'd love to say that I carefully plan what goes into these paintings and that the hidden meanings that emerge from the words that show through are carefully thought out but...no.  It's totally serendipity!   In the little girls head is the popcorn song. The other character...well he could be male or female, but I think of him as a "he" and my husband calls him "the hedgehog"...he has words like "sawtooth waves" and "high amplitude".  Maybe I took too much English at university, but this seems to perfectly suggest their personalities.  The Kuril Trench lies between them.  Will they ever get together?  Is he holding a straw, or a little ballerina?  These are far too much fun to paint!