Illustration Friday – Wheel of Fortune

WheelofFortuneSo – the drawing in this post started off as my offering for the monthly Draw-a-Bird Day, which is the 8th of every month. Ms. Laura over at Create Art Everyday had started the tradition of celebrating Draw-a-Bird Day monthly and I was so proud of myself for finally getting it together to not only remember it, but to begin a drawing ahead of schedule. I decided to draw a cormorant, inspired by this post at A-Wing and A-Way (who knew that so many great artists kept pet birds?). And then the drawing sort of took on a life of its own…I kept working on it and working on it…Once I was done, I decided it needed only a title to complete it. Drawing (ink and colored pencil on paper) and composition by me. Have a great Friday!

38 comments

  1. Pingback: Collage collaboration! « Poetry of Light

  2. Another inspired … and inspiring card Marcy! Just beautiful….
    Personally I’ve given up working with the minor arcana. Most interpretations seem too involved with prediction. To me the Tarot is best at illuminating the moment, which is all that creatively exists anyways, and for me, the Major Arcana are more than adequate food for reflection. Representing these themes from the view of another species adds so much, Marcy…I’m hooked!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jana! I agree with you about the minor arcana – for me, the artistic inspiration lies not in any predictive power or future destiny, but in the meaning they convey to the present. The Major Arcana carry such rich symbolism with them and I am interested in how that will interact with the symbolism of birds.

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      1. So am I Marcy. It is a very intriguing idea that I look forward to experiencing as it develops. It seems a beautiful way to explore our relationship with these beautiful creatures.

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  3. Pingback: Draw A Bird Day – The Emperor | Illustrated Poetry
  4. Pingback: Wheel of Fortune | method two madness
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  6. You have outdone yourself on this one! It reminded me of a Tarot illustration project I started and let go by the wayside many many years ago; it wasn’t science themed but it should have been. I’d love a whole deck like this!

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    1. Thank you, Sunshine! Your comment got my wheels turning – it would be daunting to take on the illustration of a whole deck! After how much work this one took, I have newfound respect for artists that have done a complete set. But the symbolism of each card is so rich, it would be exhilarating…

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  8. What an amazing illustration, Marcy! I love it! A very captivating subject! Not only did you present the life cycle and wheel of fortune in action, but also an air vs. sea theme is present, too… perhaps a symbolic struggle between the realm of consciousness and the subconscious? By the way, thank you for your kind words and the plug. I greatly appreciate them, and am looking forward to your next post!

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    1. Thank you so much! Your post on artists and their birds was so informative and inspirational – I had no idea that people used to hunt with trained cormorants, for instance. I am always impressed with the posts on A-wing and A-way! I like your conscious v. subconscious idea, especially as I anticipate the squid is about to pull the bird under down to the depths. It’s a metaphor I think can apply to many a’ workings of the mind…

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      1. Marcy, many thanks for you kinds. And please accept my apologies for such a late response. A very busy week and a bad cold have kept me off WordPress for the past week. I have lots of catching up to do. Your posts will be the first!

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  9. Oh, Marcy, I do love your cormorant! You know, I’m just fascinated with this bird — I often watch them in Lake Michigan. It’s like they play the “shell game,” going under and then popping out somewhere far away. I always try to guess where they’ll show up! This is a lovely drawing, just beautiful! Thank you for a happy Saturday share, 🙂

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    1. You are very welcome! I always think of them on SoCal’s rocky shores, wings held out towards the sun as if in supplication. Your comment sent me to my bird guide to look up what species of cormorant is found around Lake Michigan and it turns out it is the same one as in California – very neat! Thank you so much for the kind words about my drawing!

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      1. You’re most welcome! And that’s pretty cool that we share the same type of cormorant, too, 🙂 Have a great week!

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  10. ttps://www.flickr.com/photos/gaz-hinchliffe/4812585086/in/photolist-hQ46PD-8kgKSW-9HjwFM-pbpc6K-f4SiTr-91CA6g-2bqbHa-8wnUGH-8MEASm-6DQ9fj-dHGEn6-CCWCG-4NYqak-dcYh-69X8MH-dJTKJo-jfjcx9-zqZ15-69QPDM-bhsdYK-9bghsc-9bgiJV-b7Nu9c-deUY9w-a6WP9r-abnzvU-4BowSx-jWRkyt-csZsob-cQuR43-ge8DvK-iaJUGJ-du6vkh-tvbTHa-bDox5q-p1wcqE-qh5ab2-ib3aFj-ibd8Jm-6tGAeN-6tCsnV-dgUYyw-qtiuZt-ctXCLG-8hDdvr-edBGWz-b5Ksk8-5KD5Wy-84wFFm-7gqi4A

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    1. Thank you, Kerfe! A coworker who saw me working on it during my lunch break remarked that it was “quite the reversal” – I had to agree, so I went that direction with the title.

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    1. Thank you, Lillian! Definitely – survival – as it took shape I did think of Tennyson’s “Nature is red of tooth and claw.” I did once see a nature documentary on sea birds and they had this amazing footage of a sea gull fighting off a shark that was trying to eat it – and I think that scene was lurking in my subconscious as well!

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    1. Wow! Thank you, Geo – I am honored that it effected you so! I rather neglected this week’s other blog posts for this drawing, so I am glad it is resonating with folks!

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      1. it did affect me , don’t know why or how but i sat and stared at it for a while..in fact i ll do it now as well, if you don’t mind haha! also i laughed when i read this ”I kept working on it and working on it…” haha i know the feeling but it was so worth it at the end…love it!

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    1. Thank you so much! I’ve been so inspired seeing you and others drawing birds for the monthly Draw-a-Bird day – I am usually just not organized enough to draw a bird on the appointed day 😉

      I understand you are taking a bit of a blogging break, but I do hope you continue the Draw-a-Bird Day tradition!

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