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Friday, August 17, 2007

Illustration Friday: Captain

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won... W. Whitman
Poetry is a hard thing to teach. See, I homeschool my children, and sometimes they view my interests with more than a little suspicion. Suspicion is good, especially when it comes to politics, but a little more trying when it comes to poetry. Whitman's poem immediately came to mind when I saw today's word, so I set about constructing a thinking cap for the occasion.
"What's that supposed to be?" my son asked warily.
"A thinking cap. It makes you love things I love... like poetry and lima beans."
"But Mom, you hate poetry and lima beans." He was now backing out of the room. No matter. Before the morning was up, everyone in the family had been pressed into a pose in the aforementioned cap. This one happens to be my daughter. You can see how happy she was to comply. *
You can purchase this piece by following the eBay link, where it is on auction. [Already? it's barely dry!] You can also read about how it was done in my new blog, ottoblotto's art supply review.
Stuff dries really quickly here in the desert. Even watching paint dry is no fun. *

9 comments:

Karina Cocq said...

Hola, me gusto mucho tuilustracion, y tambien la cita que usaste......
muchos saludos

valerie walsh said...

You did such a beautiful and amazing job, I can't wait to read about how and what you used. You always make IF more interesting, clever and beautiful.

Joy Eliz said...

Love this illo! Very original!

Unknown said...

lovely illo, enjoyed reading about how it was created!

Stephani said...

It is such a beautiful illo! Her expression is choice!

Norma said...

You are an amazing artist. Come and teach at Rhein Center (Lakeside, OH). It's a great spot to bring the kids.

Tant C said...

I like your work(s)!

neilornstein said...

when my job stresses me out.which is days out of 7 on balance, my wife reads me poetry.
here is one of my favorites by John Donne:

THE BAIT.
by John Donne


COME live with me, and be my love,
And we will some new pleasures prove
Of golden sands, and crystal brooks,
With silken lines and silver hooks.

There will the river whisp'ring run
Warm'd by thy eyes, more than the sun ;
And there th' enamour'd fish will stay,
Begging themselves they may betray.

When thou wilt swim in that live bath,
Each fish, which every channel hath,
Will amorously to thee swim,
Gladder to catch thee, than thou him.

If thou, to be so seen, be'st loth,
By sun or moon, thou dark'nest both,
And if myself have leave to see,
I need not their light, having thee.

Let others freeze with angling reeds,
And cut their legs with shells and weeds,
Or treacherously poor fish beset,
With strangling snare, or windowy net.

Let coarse bold hands from slimy nest
The bedded fish in banks out-wrest ;
Or curious traitors, sleeve-silk flies,
Bewitch poor fishes' wand'ring eyes.

For thee, thou need'st no such deceit,
For thou thyself art thine own bait :
That fish, that is not catch'd thereby,
Alas ! is wiser far than I.

soulbrush said...

home schooling is a true act of love.i know as i am a teacher myself. 'Captain, oh captain' was my caption for my IF drawing too. snap!