I’M NOT INTO POEMS, BUT THIS ONE IS….BRILLIANT.

Today I’m working on a story, more a poem really, by Atle Hansen. I fell completely in love with it when I read it. It’s about a girl who has her first crush, and writes the boy’s name on a secret note in a secret place. The poem describes her being filled with the whole notion of this secret, nobody knows, and most importantly, HE doesn’t know. I won’t reveal the ending completely, but it takes quite a surprising turn and doesn’t end up the Hollywood way. But she still comes out as a winner. Love it 

For the setting I’m using the authors description of red flower-dresses, and making that dictate the world around her. The flowerpattern go from the red dress into the air around her, and I’m using the flowers to reflect her changing moods.

I’m also making the illustrations for two worlds, the one she is in in all her blissfullness, and the one we see her in reality. A little bit like Calvin and Hobbes when the tiger looks different when Calvin sees it, than when his parents are around and it changes into a stuffed toy. The dress also changes style from a schoolgirl look to a romantic ballet dancer style and back again during the story.

Now back to work, I have this and four more stories to finish sketching before meeting my editor this evening.

Ta-taa

PS. The graphic designer for the book suggested I listen to Bjork’s “It’s oh so quiet” while working with it, since I had already drawn the girl dancing through the story. Ha ha, of course! It' fits SO well with the tempo of the poem! As an old Bjork-fan I’m surprised I didn’t see it myself. (Betty Hutton’s version of the song here. She has such a cute voice.)