It's the third week of Inktober and I can't help but flip back on my sketchbook to look at my sketches -- has it really been three weeks? I haven't been drawing daily for so long a time. I feel like the avid sketcher in my younger years (I'm not as old as it implies, mind you, but I love the extra years!). This week has brought so many challenges, mostly confusion and a little bit of frustration. I have realized I have yet to learn so many techniques but I calmed myself, remembering that good things take time. I must be patient not just with others, but with myself -- impatience has always been my offense against myself. There is a time for every thing, yet it is within us to use time wisely. 

With lessons also come pleasant surprises. I get to know many artists and individuals, all very kind and amazing. I didn't think I'd meet them through inktober but I suppose that's the magic of it. 

Hello, new and old friends!

Day 15

Herbs and Florals

There is always the wonderful feeling of growing your own flora and the best method to ensure they stay healthy is through dedication and a sprinkling of magic...well maybe a dash or two says Gwyneth. She is the honorary overseer for the Care for Forests and All Things Living and she takes great pride in conjuring new potions to take care of the forest and its inhabitants. Plus, she gets to grow her own tea. 

Day 16

Book Lover

Margaret is the librarian of a humble library in the village. She loves the rare books that are in the upper section of the cottage library and she absolutely dotes on books about herbs and bodies of water. Despite the rather tiny size of the library, the amount of work a librarian must do around there is quite immense but Margaret, the ever dedicated book lover, will always whip up her wand to get the books in their rightful places no matter how long it takes her. Well, at least she gets to read a lot of books, and one would be surprised as to what items are tucked between the pages. The nicest thing she saw was a thistle pressed between the volume of Valorous Kings of Old and a rather peculiar letter from a wizard named Baldouin...strangely addressed to Margaret herself!

Day 17

Geeta

As chief herbologist and naturalist of the village school for witches and wizards, Geeta oversees all matters pertaining to nature. With a wave of her hand, floras of different kinds bloom about her, allowing her to choose which flowers she'd like in the room or what herbs to give an ailing student. Her students are Gwyneth, Seraphine, Saoirse and Claudia who all adore her like a sister. She is also friends with a solitary wizard named Baldouin, who, at Geeta's behest, is encouraged to show his feelings to Geeta's peculiar younger good friend Margaret. Blooming her own batch of lavender in her office, she is wondering if she has done the right thing. 

Day 18

Chatter

After receiving a rather peculiar letter a few days ago, Margaret finds a newcomer at the village library who happens to be looking for rare herbology books. She and the wizard (of strange garments and language) began a lengthy conversation about herbs and their uses. The talk turned to trees then of books, after which she describes the oddities that one might see tucked between the pages of volumes. She showed the wizard the envelope that encloses the letter she received from a certain fellow named Baldouin. The content of the letter, which merely contains a passage from a volume of poetry and a small stalk of daisies, she kept secret. Laughing along with her they talked of the odds of receiving letters hidden inside books and finally bid her farewell. Putting the books back on their shelves with her wand, a bloom of lavender falls down on the floor. Margaret picks it up and found it still as freshly picked from the fields. And within another book was another letter. She also recalled, for shame, that she did not know his name.

Day 19

Gather

Taryn loves to gather mushrooms for just about anything -- food, potions, models for her illustrated guide to fungi and even gifts for her fellow witches and wizards. She spends a lot of time in the forest and in her wanderings she has met many friends, particularly birds of different kinds. I've also realized that I named her Taryn, a name she shares with one of my favorite illustrators, Taryn Knight! My, I hope she likes her.

Day 20

Saoirse

Saoirse was brought up by her strict but well-meaning and loving family. Being a rather spirited witch, she often gets into trouble with her parents. Despite her adventurous nature though, Saoirse manages to keep her cool and hide her emotions which could be rather misleading to others who don't know her too well. She is good friends with most of her fellow students, but it is Gwyneth who holds her utmost trust. She loves being out of doors, preferring the wildness of the forest than the comfort of rooms. Yes, even with a very cozy fireplace and a spot of tea, she believes she can be comfortable out in the wild with the a bonfire and a portable tea set. Knowing of Saoirse's discomfort, Geeta has created a class room out of a greenhouse, filled with different kinds of flora and small fauna, with a door leading out to the woods by the falls. This tremendous and thoughtful effort has made Geeta a particularly likeable woman to Saoirse.

Day 21

Confused

So this inktober day just got a little bit crazy. I didn't know just how stubborn walnut ink could be but maybe it's just my inexperience with using it. I sketched Margaux earlier in the afternoon. She's a particularly solitary witch who prefers the quiet of her study room. But despite her isolation, she likes the company of her trusted companions and has a soft spot for Seraphine who happens to remind her of her sister.

On the right side is Daario who happens to be Baldouin's good friend. He lives in many places but not staying too long in one dwelling for weeks though he comes back every once in a while. Birds are loyal to him and trust his person -- he once saved a family of endangered desert eagles from poachers with his confusion hex. He built them their own nest high above the mountains where no one could reach, safe and able to live as freely as they should.

Challenges abound, inktober is teaching me so much. I must be persistent with my goal of making thirty-one illustrations. As daunting as it may seem, it's all good fun that brings so much magic and learnings to all who participate. 

Inktober week two was a challenge I didn't expect. There were lots of ideas of what each piece should be, but sometimes spontaneity is also key and what to make do when an idea pops in your head even in the middle of the illustration process. 

Day 8

Queen Elizabeth I

I watched the film Elizabeth : The Golden Age with my mother and brother and found myself in awe of Cate Blanchett's portrayal of this independent queen. Her presence was so strong I immediately found myself staring in admiration. I have been watching documentaries about her for some time now and I can't seem to get enough of knowing more about her life. Creating this ink illustration took a lot of patience and focus. Her hair was a challenge. I have always loved creating intricate patterns for so long but I haven't done a lot of it recently, so making one right now was a wonderful stretch.

Day 9

Nancy & Charley

Nancy, a young lady from the countryside, travels to London to find her missing uncle. While lost and confused in the busy streets, she bumps into Charley Wellman, a self-established chimney sweep who is the sole guardian of two young orphans Tobey and Thomas. He expresses his interest in helping Nancy find her uncle in exchange for the education of the two boys. Having agreed on each of their terms, they scour the streets of London both day and night. What they find is the mysterious hidden trade of corpses, eerily snatched from fresh graves or, horrifyingly enough, were warm as if they have been alive a few moments ago. What Nancy could not understand, is her uncle's role in the new trade brought about by the dawn of medicine and human anatomy. Surely he wouldn't be involved, wouldn't he? 

Inking her hair was another challenge that I thought I needed and to be truly honest, it was very much therapeutic for me.

Day 10

Brewing

Wouldn't it be such a marvelous thing to brew potions all day and all night, only to brew tons of tea as well? Claudia thinks so too. Spending time in her kitchen she tries to find the perfect potion for her Potions class under Miss Clovis...due the next day! Well, it is in my honor to say that she has been successful both with her Glow-Inflicting potion and the perfect brew of lavender tea.

Day 11

Magic Studies

She had always loved to study spells and potions so she spends the time reading books and doing field studies by the forest and rivers. Her friend, a dirty white ferret named Ferrars, looks on in curiosity and mischief on all her adventures. This lovely witch, at the start of my illustrating until posting, didn't have a name. It is fortunate that a cousin of mine had a lovely idea for her name. Now, this studious witch is named Seraphine. Thanks Louisse! I tip my hat to you, and send you golden fairy dust collected by Seraphine from the Greenwood.

Day 12

Shield Maiden

Sitting on an English throne in all its golden radiance and glory, Lagertha watches over her people wonder in awe of riches beyond their imagination. She is a strong and cunning woman. Her love for her family knows no bounds, and her fearlessness is admirable. I am very much excited to watch Vikings again and the anticipation for the next few episodes coming this November is getting stronger and stronger. I would love to see what has happened to this shield maiden turned Earl.

 I must say I dove head-first in making this without much hesitation. It was in the middle of it all, when everything went into place, that I realized I bit more than what I could chew at that moment, 12am and still illustrating, tired yet pretty much restless. I was planning to make the details of the throne a bit more elaborate than what has been the final piece, but in the quiet of the night, I decided that focusing only on Lagertha would be wise. Additionally, I was thinking of stopping and putting my pens down so I could sleep, which was a rather horrifying thought -- I wouldn't let a piece of Inktober go unfinished, it is more like sleeping without resolving an argument. Unacceptable. It is in here that I realized how much perseverance could take anyone. I didn't give up though I made compromises that still made me happy as a result. There is wisdom in perseverance and in knowing when to do things in your own time, with your own capability. I am happy that even as I drew this strong woman, she happens to teach me something more than I could ever think of learning while doing an inktober piece. Thanks, Lagertha.

Day 13

Foliage

Her mind wanders through the forest, hearing leaves crushing beneath her feet as she walked, the moonlight shining down on her cold skin, pale and radiant against the darkness of the deep majesty of the trees. 

Day 14

Spirit of the Wind

The wind sings day and night, of songs and lullabies of days old. Her cries echo for the birds and the beings of flight and green, for the death of trees bring forth the death of her friends.

I love trees, the mountains. Nature is not just scenery, it is our home. We live in it among other living beings of equal status -- none of us are higher and all of us deserve the beauty and comfort of this world. For every unworthy and thoughtless destruction comes the end of rights and dignity to live. Claiming the land for own's own is not only wrong, it is also unfair. Progress does not mean destruction, for progress could be made with others' lives in mind and heart. Have respect not just for trees, but for everything.