Lake Caywood

I haven't written any blogs recently because I've been busy making art, but just today I finished this piece and my back is really sore as a result so I'm not jumping straight into another piece... but I am writing a blog about the art I just finished that I've entitled Lake Caywood.

If you've read any of my books, there's a good chance you're aware of my favorite fictional town Lake Caywood. Named after a guy I had a crush on when I was just a kid, Lake Caywood is essentially Gettysburg if Gettysburg had a large lake in the middle of it. Some (but not all) of the establishments existing in Lake Caywood are based on restaurants and shops in real-life Gettysburg. Unfortunately, most of the food (I sure do like to write about food!) is not available at the real-life Gettysburg restaurants as many of the menus referenced on my pages are actually inspired by meals prepared by my mother Nancy and other mother Amy. If you're lucky, maybe they'll invite you to dinner. Short of that, I don't know what to tell you...

Anyway, this piece that I created today is what I imagine the shoreline of Lake Caywood to look like. I was inspired by Twist, a character from Like A Flip Turn, and Mama Mallard, who begs for breadcrusts as a treat for her ducklings.

I did a number on my back thanks to Lake Caywood. The detail in the birds' feathers required a hell of a lot of cutting (I'll bet I went through about twenty X-acto blades to make this one) and the background required an equal amount of tearing. My posture is not always the best while completing these tasks, but an artist's gotta do what an artist's gotta do, right?

There is undoubtedly cat hair in this piece because both Harvey and Kip insisted upon offering their assistance. I did not capture a photograph of Kip at work, but here is Harvey. He made it a point to chase strips of paper, nibble my fingers, and bat things off the counter. He is an asset... but not necessarily when it comes to creating art.

Once Lake Caywood flattens for a while, I'll seal it and prepare it to hang at the Garryowen next week. Its size is 20x20", which isn't ginormous, but it is a decent-sized piece. The last time I did anything large and insanely detailed like this was a floral octopus for my mother. That piece is REALLY big. And it took a really long time. And I'll bet I went through 35 X-acto blades in cutting out all those flowers!