“The Moment Before I Lost My Mom” Kids Book Project. . . CONTINUED
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Hello wonderful Art Folks! I’m back! So now thats its been over a year since I’ve worked on this book project I’m picking it back up. (Old WIP book project thread link above if ya want the whole story and progress journey)
Here is the short(ish) back story:
It all started with this drawing:
I did this drawing about my mom, the moment before she passed away in response to the April 2019 monthly prompt, “The Moment Before. . .”
Link below of the WIP of this drawing:
https://forum.svslearn.com/topic/7343/the-moment-before-my-mom-left-wip
I lost my mom when I was 15 years old. Its been almost 13 years now. Somehow, that drawing I did for the prompt seemed to open a place in my heart that was closed up. And then a few months later, the whole story just dropped in my heart and I knew I wanted to turn this drawing into something more, something big, something like a kids book story. Its been a very difficult journey to say the least. Mostly because its my own story and its about a very painful part of my life. But looking back I can see how this project has truly been touching and healing parts of my heart that were untouchable because of the grief and pain from losing someone so dear.
Picking up from where I left off over a year ago. I had made it to my goal of having the Mock-up book done after the 6 weeks Art Challenge ending on September 1st 2019. And then had decided to go ahead and finish the project, coloring and final editing and what not. I had made it as far as the end of January 2020 before I had to stop. I did not have peace on finishing the book. So I had let it sit. . .
I friend told me around that time that, “this book is for your heart first before it’s for others.” And I realized that I was trying to finish the book for the sake of finishing and not listening to my heart and what it needed. My heart needed time.
Now time has passed and I feel the peace to start again. I’m doing another 6 week Art Challenge to finish the ending of the book and color it. Since the book project has sat this past year, I’ve come to realize my heart did not relate to the ending of the original Mock-up book story. Now I’ve added approximately 6 more spreads or 12 more pages to the ending of the story.
This thread is for the Work In Progress of those pages and the final coloring and editing of the whole story.
I’m open to any comments, tips or suggestions as this next journey unfolds here. Feel free to speak up! It’s because of all the friends, family and community speaking freely about this project to me that has allowed me to grow and change the story for the better. And also thanks so much to everyone who put in their two cents during the past threads of this project.Below are some coloring I just finished this past week (this first week of the Art Challenge). And then a spread and the cover from the Mock-Up book version of the story:
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my goodness I can see all the love and grief that's going into this project. It's so, so beautiful. It's brave of you to go on this journey, and sounds like you're being kind to yourself and the memory of your mom in the process of making it.
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Thanks @Valerie-Light! Yes, it has been a crazy journey indeed
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This is so beautiful! I lost my mom 20 years ago this July and I just recently started drawing some of my favorite memories with her. It's amazing how emotional the process is of re-living those moments and trying to convey them through illustration, so I can imagine how much you've had to put into this. I can tell from the illustrations here there is so much love and emotion. I think your pallet is perfect, theres a tone of sadness in all the violet and blue shades that are perfectly tempered with hope in all the warmness of the light & colorful flowers in the garden. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you progress through the second half of the book!
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@Tiffany-Thomas Sorry to hear about your mom
I feel you. Yes, thanks, its been a lot of emotion for sure, lots of tears and lots of heart ache. But then so much relieve after. Thats really cool to hear your take on the color pallet. Its been a challenge because the colors seem to have changed a lot from what I had used over a year ago. So I’m trying to find a way to match them from the old color pallet. I’m excited to have you along for the journey -
Ugh, I already want to cry. Getting a copy as soon as it is available. It's so beautiful, and I love that it is truly sentimental to you.
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I think it's beautiful. The colours are so peaceful, and there is a beautiful sense of love about it. xx
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@CLCanadyArts Awe! Thanks
And I’ll add ya to the pre-order listThanks @sarahlovellart! I really appreciate hearing feedback about the colors
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What an absolutely beautiful book! I too lost my mother 15 years ago and my heart goes out to you. It is such a painful wound to reopen.
erinrew.com
Twitter: @rew_erin
Facebook: @erinrewauthor
instagram.com/erin_rew_author_illustrator -
Hey @erinrew, thanks, and sorry to hear about your mother.
for sure is a painful wound to reopen indeed. -
Okay, below is the whole picture book as is currently. The beginning is almost completely fully rendered and colored. But the ending is just some scribbles and rough sketching. Two weeks ago, the ending was completely different. Its been hard starting over on the ending. But thats how this process goes right? Just boiling it down to the good stuff.
I’m still word-smithing a bit on the actual text too. Any Word-smith people out there with some tips? Comment away! Also any other comments welcome too!The art is set up in spreads. So just imagine that there is a gutter in the middle of each spread. Some spreads have an actual line down the middle representing the book gutter.
If anyone is interested in seeing what the ending was like before I changed it, here is a link to a video blog where the mock up book is flipped through:
https://youtu.be/7xQUGkx8Ei4 -
@Elizabeth-Rose IT'S SO GOOD! I literally cried, then I watched the youtube video (and cried again, lol). I really like the new ending better but I think I'm going to have to come back again later (when I'm less emotional) to give you feedback, lol. Seriously beautiful!!!
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@Elizabeth-Rose I am in tears. What a beautiful story that will speak to so many! This book has to be made it will reach so many, young and old!
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@Elizabeth-Rose This is beautiful and incredibly moving. I especially love the "not the end". The finished art is incredible and so soft, really fitting. What you have here is I think what every artist and author aspire to do: share and communicate our authentic emotions in a way that everyone can understand and feel a part of what we're feeling too.
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@Tiffany-Thomas Awe! I reckon it's the book of tears. I can't say how many times I've cried too. I know there are still many tears to come. Healing tears. Looking forward to having you on this journey.
Awe! Thanks @erinrew, It's going to be a crazy journey seeing how this project unfolds. I truly hope it does help many. Lord, knows its helped me.
Thanks @NessIllustration, I love your work, and its wonderful hearing your thoughts. Yes, it's strangly a dream come true in many ways. Very redemptive.
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Week three of the Art challenge! Boy has it been challenging too. I've been trying to set aside 3 hours a day, 5 days a week to working on the book project. I had to do a lot of catch up this week cause I didn't reach my goal last week. Here are some coloring updates.
Got two new spreads colored, and tweaked some old colored spreads to update the colors with the new colors. Also redrew the squirrels in the original drawing of mama and baby squirrel in the bedroom (Now they don't look so much like goats!). Worked on the ending a lot this past week. Ended up adding another spread. Now up to 44 pages for this book! But the ending flows really good now. I'll post later on the updates of the ending.
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Here are the last three spreads that I’ve changed the wording on. I felt like all the extra words before made the ending seem rushed. So the middle spread is the newly added spread. And the ending of the story divided up on those three final spreads. Open to any comments, tips or suggestions
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This is so beutiful! I started to cry when i read it. (And I havn´t even lost a parent) The feeling in your art with the easy to read words.
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Awe! Thanks @Sara-Nilsson, that was something I wondered about too. If this story would only effect people who have lost a loved one. That is so encouraging to hear
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This is all so beautiful and perfect. The art is exactly hope through tears, you nailed it.
I’ve had some moment in my art journey lately when I’ve cried because I just wish I could show my Mom.
I really think your Mom would have been so proud of this and you.️
