Illustration Friday: Wisdom

This is a design I've been working on for my sister's online shop. I need at least to redo the lettering because I misspelled the shop name and the paper is a bit warped, which really shows in the lettering on the left side. I'm also thinking I need to make the letters shorter and spread more widely so they don't overpower the image. They probably won't be colored the same, either. When it is displayed in the shop, the whole image will be a good bit bigger than what you see here, I expect. 

I decided to share it today as is because I wanted to get it out for the Illustration Friday prompt, "Wisdom." It is wise, I think, to connect more directly and simply with the earth God has given us. My sister will be sharing her natural health wisdom as she sells plants, books, homemade herbal products and other things she makes.   

Happy Easter!

The Revival

Unfold! unfold! Take in His light,

Who makes thy cares more short than night.

The joys which with His day-star rise

He deals to all but drowsy eyes;

And, what the men of this world miss,

Some drops and dews of future bliss. 

Hark! how His winds have chang'd their note!

And with warm whispers call thee out;

The frosts are past, the storms are gone,

And backward life at last comes on.

The lofty groves in express joys 

Reply unto the turtle's voice;

And here in dust and dirt, O here

The lilies of His love appear! 

by Henry Vaughan, 1621-1695

Springtime, by Charles Conder, 1868-1909

What I did this week

I'm so glad to be done with this dang cat. Trying to carve out non-wonky little eyes in a three quarter's view of the face made me crazy. There were moments when I actually felt I was near to passing out from the stress of  effort and frustration. This morning I will give it to my client who will have it cast in pewter for his beaded book mark business, Book Thongs. I'll probably put a few in my shop as well.

I did this little sketch during my morning drawing exercises when I look at great art online and rough out compositions or figures. I was so taken by this little girl's face that I developed it more than usual and didn't bother with the composition or rest of the figure. I'm sad to see that one eye is too big and set too far over. I think I see it clearly now because the values are flattened in the photo. The deeper, more varied shadows in my actual drawing make it look better and made me comfortable with wrong proportions. I think I'll try it again in the next few days and see what I can learn.