The Nightingale

"In China, you know, the emperor is a Chinese..."

What a great first line.  

I read The Nightingale a long time ago, and I can't fully remember how it went.  I started re-reading it, but when I got to the bit about the clockwork nightingale, I knew what I'd be drawing, and didn't feel like reading the rest of the story again.

I guess he's a little bit of a throwback to my Unnatural Miscellany series from last year.

"...the artificial bird sang only waltzes."

[Graphite. Paper. Smallish]

The Daisy

What can I say about The Daisy?  It turned out to be much darker of a tale than I anticipated when I first read the title.  A short little story about embracing what pleasures life has to offer while you have the chance.  I've been dabbling in digital art of late, so here's my take on The Daisy in a quick digital drawing.

Bewailing its Lost Freedom

Oh, by the way, did I mention that the previously titled Steampunk Taxidermy series is finished?  Well, it is, and now I've taken to calling it Unnatural Miscellany, after the late 18th- and early 19th-century publication The Naturalist's Miscellany.  The final piece:

∅

More Steampunk Scans

Honestly, I'm still not completely thrilled with the quality of these scans, but at least they don't have the glare problem that plague those awful iPhone photos I take so many of.

V.V

XII.II

VIII.XXIX

P.S. - The Raven, probably the final piece in this series, is now complete as well.  I have no pictures suitable for posting here yet, but once I've got one, I'll post it.

Steampunk-er

For those of you following along at home, the Frog is finished (except for a minute finishing touch that I can't - for reasons beyond my control - fill in yet).  Also in my flickr photostream is a better scan of the Moose.

Side Project

Actually, this blog is the side project, but to get to the point, I haven't done any H.C.A. drawings recently; mostly because I've been wrapped up in another project that I'm really excited about. I've been working my ass off at it, so I actually have something to show for it. Woot.

Working title: "Steampunk Taxidermy"

X.

XIV.