Many of Mrs. Trowbridge's pages were devoted to the legends and lore of the rain forest.You may have noticed that the painting on this page has a more painterly appearance than Mrs. T's usual watercolor renderings. Though Mrs. T preferred watercolor, occasionally she painted with an oil-based medium, made from the seed of the Sitka valerian plant. She ground her own pigments using raw materials that she gathered in the forest. This painting represents her oil painting technique.
As you might imagine, Mrs. Trowbridge was very nervous sketching a Log Ogre's den in plein air, so she very quickly layed out her subject with her fir needle charcoal stick, then returned to her studio cottage to apply the color. She was able to use her expert knowledge of the forest and its hues to apply the colors from memory.
The fern on top of the nurse log is a deer fern (Blechnum splicant), the white plant to the right of the log is an Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), and the yellow flowers growing in the moss are the Western buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis).
I love this little world you've created here, Bron! The Log Ogre sounds like a mysteriously creepy fellow. I'll think twice, now, about passing the end of an hollow log!
ReplyDeleteOnly a true artist puts aside fear and spies on the monster: I look forward getting to hear more about Mrs. Trowbridge adventures.
ReplyDeleteI love the magical glimpses into the Trowbridge rain forest world, Bron. Also, as I read this in the early morning, it makes waking up a lot more charming :)
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ReplyDeletei hate to see anything disturbing Mrs. Trowbridge or any sweet rainforest creature, but at least this area is known and avoided. The ogre with the red eyes is scary to me and i'm a lot further away than Mrs T. while painting, by the way she did a beautiful job with her oils!
ReplyDeleteBrave Mrs. Trowbridge has brought us another wonderful glimpse of the fascinating life in the rain forest - this one brings sufficient chills up my spine to make me quite cautious of such places. How wonderful of her to have used her oils for this rendering - beautiful! She's truly captured the wonder and the mystery of her wonderful world for us. I think thanks are in order for Bron for the assistance provided :o)
ReplyDeleteThat settles it... I'm staying out of the woods from now on! Does Mrs. Trowbridge still drive her Hummer through the woods on her outings?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what sort of monsters Mrs. T would come across in her travels... Those Log Ogres... stay away from those hynotic eyes.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful art.
Beautiful image...and, captivating post to go with it. I am enjoying being taken into Mrs. Trowbridge's world and seeing glimpses of the creatures that are hidden. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteHow absolutely fascinating!! What an interesting blog you have here.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the story with looking at the beautiful picture. And then I realized I was captured in Mrs.Trowbridge's world!
Mrs. T is multi-talented! I don't blame her for being scared... Great work!
ReplyDeleteI love the little bug to the right... keeping the Log Ogre company. This is so wonderful!
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I'm so glad Mrs. T made it! Beautiful work, Bron. The delicate little white and yellow blossoms are a particularly delightful touch and the lighting on the tiny leaves makes the scene that much more idyllic... that is, if it weren't for those chilling red eyes lurking in the dark.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Trowbridge is very brave ! I would never ever go there !
ReplyDeleteGreat illo and story... as always!
Oh, Mrs. Trowbridge... be careful. I agree it's not wise to get near that part of the forest. I think that may be where our beloved 'Miss Heather' disappeared. The scene you have painted is lovely in this oil technique. I imagine you had to calm down a bit before you began painting it for us. And even now, you must tremble when you view your journal entry. Turn the page quickly!
ReplyDeleteFantastic. Your passion to create these every single Illustration Friday is amazing.
ReplyDeleteReally great work. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI really love your work!... suddenly i traveled so far away in time, right in to that moment when the Monster looked at me!!
ReplyDeleteI always love your stories and work!
ReplyDeleteBron, thank you once again for such a delightful entry! It's so hard to wait a whole week, but then again we are all so lucky to have a new adventure to read every week. By the way, the oils are quite beautiful... maybe you could pass along the message to Mrs. T.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so glad your post for the topic is up - I can feed my addiction to the world of Mrs. T.
ReplyDeleteShe is so brave to put aside her fears to get her sketch! What a wonderful absolutly charming world you have created. I was so curious to see what you would come up with for monster - perfect the eyes are all we need to see.
Scary ogre eyes, Yikes! I love the discription of all your ferns and flowers. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteWhat a feast for the eyes and a treat for the heart of the soul! Yours is a page turner!
ReplyDeleteThose eyes look mighty frightening! Lucky for Mrs. T to have such a wonderful and detailed memory of the rain forest! WOnderful story!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
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