Welcome to Timbalaya - keeping schtum

It's been a strange ole' time keeping my mouth shut! I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, but this was really difficult because it was so exciting to be a part of, and I just wanted to scream it out loud but managed not to, somehow.

So, back in my previous post 'When You Think No One Notices' I mention how I was found by a 'company'. I can now proudly say the company is called www.timbalaya.com. The person who started all of this and owe so much gratitude is the author of 'Timbalaya: The Wishing Tree', Georgina Parfitt. She saw my work in my studio and recommended me to the team. So Georgina, if you're reading this THANK YOU xx (and to the rest of the team x)

The test illustration I had to do for them was of 'Spangle Stargazer' in his Observatory (below). I really enjoyed the process and was extremely excited with the possibilties of where it could lead. Saying that I was nervous I would wreck my chances so I had to give myself a good talking to. I realised I wanted this 'gig' and would give it my all. Fortunately they liked it and I was taken on board. I took the risk of illustrating him from the outside, as if we are gazers too, looking upon him in his tower (looking at us, looking at him, looking at us etc. etc!)

SLXL'Spangle Stargazer' plays a huge part in the Timbalaya story which is explained more on their fabulous website www.timbalaya.com and I loved creating him.

XLLS​​

Here is the selection of Spangle character ideas I gave to

Nick Farmer (my main liason from the company). I secretly hoped they liked the first on the sheet as I'd really fallen in love with his face. I guess that's the main thing about creating a character, really believing in them. And I did. To me he was alive. Spangle's face is full of wonder and that's what i like about him. His hair is parted in the middle because of the amount of times he walks under his telescopes. He wears 'full-moon' glasses to peer through his telescopes and wears 'half-moon' glasses to read. His character is rich in characteristics which helped me find him on my page.

The whole process has been amazing; from being given an illustration to put my spin on it, to creating my wonderment in the world of Timbalaya.

The team are currently at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando marketing their idea and fingers crossed they'll get lots of interest. Watch this space peeps.

"Where do the ideas for your illustrations come from?"...'On Reflection'

I get asked quite a lot, especially at the studio, where my ideas come from. This question has lead me to take a look at where 'in me' they come from, because they have to come from somewhere, right?

Sometimes I get a flash of an image, like a subliminal message on a t.v screen that lasts only a mere second (these are little buggers to bring into concept), some images come from listening to music and at times I build an image from what is currently happening in my life or something I say which evokes strong images.

Recently I wrote the line "How can one person navigate a two person boat?" My thinking behind that is when it's necessary to navigate dark unchartered emotional waters, especially in relationships, there needs to be two people at the helm. A relationship is afterall a two way thing. It's hard to steer a two person boat on your own when the other person is needed for their understanding of what they know of those dark waters.

Anyway's, this little picture popped into my head. A very Nordic almost Viking boat, with one person very much on their own having to create their own light and understanding of those dark waters to be able to navigate to safety. It's early days yet but I think it'll be done in soft dark pencil and I'm extremely excited to have a new idea for a drawing/illustration.