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Announcing a new drawing challenge: The Key

Hi everybody,

I’d like to call a new drawing challenge: THE KEY

I was looking thru some old work the other day, and came across a book I wrote and illustrated which I called “The Uncomplicated Life of Joan Wood”

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This is a collaged book of drawings, ephemera, poetry and music (which one imagines would play in the background of each segment of Joan’s life.)

Joan Wood

But the key to this book are 9 letters, which I found in a box of letters at a flea market. There is one letter written by a nine yr old Joan from holidays at the sea to her aunt and uncle. The rest of the letters are written to Joan, by a headmaster of a school, by Joan’s friends, by suitors, and by a fiance. Slowly, using these letters as the key, I reconstructed Joan’s remarkable and somewhat heartbreaking life, and, as the letters stopped, I made up the rest.

It’s a slow book…that is…you have to read it slowly and methodically. Pull each letter from the envelope, read the content, read the poetry, look at the images, imagine the songs playing in the background, take it page by page. It’s the key to a good, lazy Sunday morning in bed.

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Tell us. Do you have a key? Is there something key to your art? Did you…like me…spend an hour searching for your keys (cabin) only to find them right in the place you decided to keep years ago so you wouldn’t search for them every time (yeah, what are we like?)

Say yes, and unlock a lovely bit of art, writing, photography…anything for us. 😀

As usual, my post will come up on Friday, I’ll link everyone in, and we’ll go have a visit over the weekend. 😀

Comments: 14

  • March 31, 2015
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    What a great theme! I’m in!!
    Becca 😉

  • Pondside

    March 31, 2015
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    There’s no way I could even think of joining but I’ll follow along with interest.
    A key? Lovely to think about, and your book sounds like a treat to read.

  • March 31, 2015
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    count me in, please. i’ll find some key to open my head 🙂

  • Catherine Llewellyn

    March 31, 2015
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    your ability to find ‘the key’ and create a wonderful and unique piece of art from it is one of the special aspects of your work – I love how you seem to trust and follow the key you have found, and allow it to expand into something unforeseeable and rich – now that you have raised this challenge it sheds another piece of light into the marvellousness I;ve been witnessing on these pages and elsewhere for these years – very very inspiring X

  • March 31, 2015
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    I’m in, dear Veronica! Thanks.

  • March 31, 2015
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    sounds like a wonderful journey you took in creating this book Veronica.
    I will walk through the week with key in mind and see how it inspires me, so yes, i will join in. xo

  • March 31, 2015
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    Thank you for giving us the key to the next challenge. Let’s see, how many doors will be opened. I’m in and have to unlock my mind now! 😉

  • March 31, 2015
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    Dear V – After a long long hiatus, I am ready to come back to the DC. Please count me in. XO sus

  • March 31, 2015
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    Oh what a lovely post .. I shall watch and enjoy! The book sounds just marvellous!

  • March 31, 2015
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    Hi Veronica. Thanks for the invitation. The book is intriguing and the story sounds like a kind of treasure hunt.
    You my count me in.

  • April 1, 2015
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    Wow- that book looks absolutely spectacular; I would love to have a chance to read it! Count me in for the drawing challenge!

  • April 1, 2015
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    yeah… key! now there’s a thing. okay. n?

  • April 3, 2015
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    late, but I am in!

  • daryledelstein

    April 3, 2015
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    i am catching up on blog reads .. i think this is a brilliant challenge and i look forward to seeing how your participants turn their keys

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