The Numptys go forth!

In the end it was the Numptys who made their first journey to a publishers, not the seaside cats. One of the publishers with whom I'm working asked to look at any stories I was sending out, and so today they set off, with synopsis and the first very, very rough sketches. These are always the most exciting stage for me; they look so crude compared to the finished project, but it's such fun just to get the ideas out without worrying about appearances. It's like catching butterflies; exciting to chase, exhilarating to capture, but you have to resist the urge to nail them down or they become stiff and lifeless. No matter how elaborate the display case, they lose something precious.

I find that when I write a story I usually have a pretty clear idea of the world in which it is set. Although the text is very simple, the setting is what makes the story more than just a pretty little fable. Here are the basic ideas in the synopsis -

"... the setting...which is almost like an old fashioned toy theatre, with props and background. Things hang suspended from strings and wire – the Moon is a big pewter disc with rivets, the Sun appears to be a 1960’s ray clock. They both hang from the sky by cords attached to hooks, (although it is never seen what the hooks are screwed into. This is left as a kind of visual conundrum."

So the very first doodles show the girl polishing the moon by various means; a pole ladder, a pulley (suspended from some indefinable point beyond the page) and a trapeze.

'Every month she polished the Moon and cut the Sun’s hair.'

"The planet itself is very small and simple, with just a few features – the lemonade fountain and the cake tree, which sprouts lovely fairy cakes iced in beautiful pastel shades...the background – the space in which the planet floats, changes from page to page, with flat vintage fabric/wallpaper style patterns..."

'She made two friends out of an old dress and called them Numpty One and Numpty Two'.

"...The first pictures show a landscape unadorned with anything except the cake tree etc. The girl has no house, but things appear and disappear as she needs them. The Numptys seem to accumulate quantities of clutter – they are untidy creatures and completely thoughtless. When the Numptys begin populating, more and more objects appear to litter the planet – little playgrounds for the baby Numptys, wee houses, tiny cars (they are proportionally to the girl about the same size as a guinea pig)."

It was as if the Numptys had never existed. Except, of course, for the stars.

"...the stars, which the girl makes with the Numptys, are gold paper and stuck to the background with drawing pins. In the final picture they are peeling and a bit tatty – one has fallen to the ground."

If, God willing, 'The Numptys' is ever published, it will look light years away from these early scribblings. But I will try to resist pinning it to a display board.

The Numptys part 2

I am officially snowed under with work...I haven't left the cottage for over a week, apart from the Big Adventure of going to the village shop. And so, my children, I leave you something to ponder until I have got to grips with deadlines, jobs and other Necessaries of Life. Or have gone quietly mad in the process...

THE NUMPTYS

In the time before time, there was a little girl who lived on a planet with a Sun and a Moon. The planet had a cake tree, a lemonade lake and a hot air balloon for Special Journeys. Every month she polished the Moon and cut the Sun’s hair. Life was very peaceful.
But one day she felt lonely. So she made two friends out of an old dress and called them Numpty One and Numpty Two.

They were delightful. Together they played wonderful games, ate delicious picnics and made stars for the sky. They even built their own house and it was not long before there were more Numptys for the little girl to play with. Those were wonderful times! She had never been so happy. Weeks passed and the Numpty family grew and grew, all intent on having as much fun as possible. They didn’t want to polish the Moon or cut the Sun’s hair. They only wanted to eat cake and lemonade all day. The planet was a-jangle with their babble and noise. The Little Girl woke one day to find the cake tree was bare. That night there was no Moon – she had forgotten to clean it. The Sun grew very hot as its hair grew nearer and nearer the planet. The lemonade lake ran dry. The Numptys were cross.
“We’re too hot! We’re thirsty! We want cake – get us some. Now!” They demanded. When the little girl told them that they had eaten everything they flew into a rage.
“This planet is rubbish!’ they shouted. “We’re off to find a new one.” Before she could stop them, they had piled into the hot air balloon, every single one and sailed off into the sky. Their jabbering voices grew fainter as they floated away, bumping into the dirty Moon as they went.

The planet was suddenly quiet. And very untidy. So the little girl set about clearing up the mess the Numptys had left. As she did, the cake tree sprouted new buds and a trickle of lemonade bubbled up in the lake. Then she got out her second best hot air balloon and polished the moon. And – with a bit of difficulty – cut the Sun’s hair.
Soon the planet was back to normal. It was as if the Numptys had never existed.

Except, of course, for the stars.

More painting

Before our weekend guests arrived, I managed to finished two paintings - the Numptys (what an awful name really, perhaps I should change it...) and a small seascape that was originally intended for the 30 x 30 sale, but will now be included in the larger summer sale.This burst of creativity was followed by an intense housework session in an effort to make our hovel hospitable. We go in for 'shabby chic', with the emphasis being on the 'shabby'.

The numptys

Today I Started the first painting for a new on-line only exhibition. This one is carrying on with my 'imaginary toys' series - I think of them as 'the Numptys' although they are really taken from some roughs I did for 'The Velveteen Rabbit'.

the first three tissue thin washes

Usually there's an element of granulation in the background washes...this simply means that the wash goes a little bit speckled. It is a very pleasing effect.

granulation

I like to surround myself with visual reference - I would love to have a big wall covered in corkboard, to pin layers and layers of sketchs, photos and ephemera to. But in my little den, I content myself with a few noticeboards.

Behind my chair I keep - yet more books...and favourite toys. Some of my most cherished titles here- 'Wind in the Willows', 'the Mouse and his Child', 'Santa Claus in Summer' and 'a Child's Garden of Verse',