Another pen drawing

The night before last I began another detailed pen drawing. I'm only working on this at night just before bed. It has Melusine in it again. I don't know where the narrative is going, but isn't that just like a novel?

What I would like to do is a huge pen drawing, perhaps next year.

Finished new drawing

Here she is. Melusine. HAs anyone thought who the mystery man behind the curtain might be?

Melusine update and emergence of mystery man

I was working on Melusine last night at bedtime. As I was blocking in the left hand curtain I noticed the shadowy figure of a man in a bowler hat emerging. His appearance is surprising and a bit disturbing, I'm not sure if he is a sinister presence or friendly.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

New Drawing of Melusine reading, work in progress

Have I done any of the 101 things I was supposed to be doing this weekend?
Um, no.
But I did spend a lot of time working on a new pen drawing of my crab-clawed mermaid Melusine. I love the work of Edward Gorey and decided to do a full out, detailed piece inspired by his style.

Hoping to waste more time on it when I get home this afternoon.

Sneak Peek at sketches for Two Fearsome Tales From France, retold by Adele Geras, illustrated by Fiona McDonald

Two character sketches for Beauty and the Beast (top) and Blue Beard (bottom). Can't let you see anymore than this at the moment. Christmas Press is bringing out Two Fearsome Tales From France, retold by Adele Geras and illustrated by Fiona McDonald, earlyish in 2015.

November is upon us

Here are some pen sketches I have done for a proposed book about Emily and Angus who have to go live with Aunt Adelaide. Her house and furniture are far from ordinary and they may well be sinister. The above picture is of a fairy in a glass dome.

This illustration is a bit of a ring in. It is the toy shop of William La Motte who dies in mysterious circumstances. It is a ring in because it actually belongs to another story

entirely .
Emily and Angus in the library doorway.

Aunt Adelaide's favourite chair.

And this is the aunt herself, is there something a little strange about her?

Another post at last!

About time I added a post to this sadly neglected but highly sophisticated blog!

Lots of wonderful things have happened this year.

I now have four book contracts. Three with Search Press, UK for knitted toys and a History of Textiles with Remember When, an imprint of Pen and Sword, also UK. Very exciting. I feel my life has now begun in earnest.

Pictured here are two photos of my gothic knitted horror.

I've also uploaded an illustration I did for my daughter of the Queen of Hearts..

The pencil drawing of the little girl is unfinished but I think it will start a series of fine pencil drawings called The Playroom.

I have so many ideas and plans I just need the time and energy to get them up and running.

I'm also getting a website done. It will be: http://www.fionamcdonald.com.au/ I shall link it to the blog when it is ready (we are only in the prelimanary stages).

Until then I shall try to keep this blog a little more up to date with lots of pictures.

A pastel drawing from last year and a soft sculpture cow

Time for an update

The Toy shop. This is one of the paintings for Sophie Masson's story about two dolls. The story was written because I gave her two of my handmade dolls. Whether we'll get a publisher interested, I don't know. I personally don't think there are enough stories about toys.

Just a boy, not a portrait of one real boy but a little bit of different boys, including my son Gabriel, now 15.

This is an illustration for Cinderella. I got the idea from an engraving by Dore. I love fairy tales with pictures that look like classical paintings.

Pan. I did love this fellow, maybe I shouldn't have sold him, still, I'd have to store him somewhere.

Sherlock Holmes and other murder mysteries have inspired me to do a series of illustrations which are not directly linked to any particular text but are supposed to suggest a narrative of their own

.