Monday, February 26, 2007

The Island of Misfit Toys


When I heard of the February Challenge of recreating ourselves as a Children's Literature character- I knew right away what that would be.
Do you remember the Christmas movie- Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer- stop gap animation before computer generated anything, about the reindeer that didn't fit in, who met the elf who wanted to be a dentist- and at the end, they come to the "island of misfit toys" where there is a train with square wheels, a bird that swims and a jack in the box named Charlie! All watched over by a kindly king lion- and Rudolph leaves with the promise that Santa will come and find homes for them all.
Well growing up- due to many reason- my parents divorce, having a learning disability- and I always seemed to of seen the world a little differently then everyone else. I saw myself as a misfit- and then....
I went to college on the western slope of Colorado- and met other "misfits" , fell into the rhythm and flow of a slower pace of life, and found a country boy to fall in love with- I found a home!
This was fast and no second drafts- got a new box of really cool markers and did this while watching "Bat Man Begins"- good movie

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Julia this is so cute! You did such a great job at composition and getting all the elements in there! I loved your explanation. But even without the explanatio it all works.

I loved the movie Rudolph too! Actually I still do. . .isn't that the one with Berl Ives.

Really fun!

no longer here said...

Julia, there were difficulities in my childhood, too. I understand what it feels like not to 'fit in' I think the difficulities are what drives many of us to create. I like your illustration very much, especially the the faces on the characters. They're simple but carry so much feeling. You set the mood very well.

Amy C. Moreno said...

I LOve that story..it's one of my favorite CHristmas shows to watch when Christmas comes around. You did such a great job. This is wonderful, and such fun. I am glad you showed Charlie in the Box and the fish! Great fun to see you work in markers too. Now I want to watch that movie again.

Ginger*:) said...

This is lovely Julia, the ease with which you created this is impressive. Your story is touching and your artwork prooves that you are an amazing woman.
I love the expression on little Charlie... I could tell this was yours the minute I saw it. Wonderful!

Julia Kelly said...

Actually- if you look close- it is a "Julia in the box" with scissors in one hand and some fabric to cut in the other!

Gina said...

Julia, this is great! I love this story and the way you've related it to your own life and experiences is truly inspiring. It's amazing the way that children interpret the world and images they see around them - makes our job so very important (and scoops on a bit of added pressure, too!). Nice work! -Gina

trowbridge chronicles said...

What a fun illustration, Julia. I like the little swimming bird. There's so many fun things going on in one picture.