Tuesday, November 28, 2006



This is where the witch lives. The big boys said so. They told us that she saw a boy stealing her apples and she caught him and ate him, then sawed off the over-hanging branches. Does she have a cauldron?










At Halloween, we made lanterns out of turnips. We dressed up as something scary and learned a scary poem or skit to say at the houses we visited. Maybe we would get an apple, a sweet or a penny. Of course, we never went to the witch's house.







One year, I made a witch's cloak, hat and broom. We went to Agnes's Granny. "Come in, come in..." and there in an armchair sat the Real Witch. Hiding under my hat, I trembled through my piece. "You did it beautifully", she said, and held out not a sweet or a penny, but a florin - 24 pennies - a month's pocket money. Don't listen to boys!

(memory book paintings)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are so beautiful! Especially the witches house - I can't believe you're just doing them from memory.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your memory sketches and anxiously await each new addition. Can't wait to see what you do with them when you decide that you are finished!

Julie Oakley said...

Great story and lovely illustrations. i particularly like the turnip carving with the newspaper underneath

Teri said...

I love these little memory sketches and stories. You are perfect at this.

Anonymous said...

This NEEDS to be a book!! You do such a lovely, surprising, unique job with words AND pictures!

Anastasia said...

gorgeous drawings!
your memory illos are inspiring!

Anonymous said...

I'd heard of carving turnips one time, too, but never knew anyone who'd done it. Thanks for these very interesting illustrated stories ...

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

Oh I love these...thanks so much for sharing...I just love halloween and these are perfect...

Tami said...

WOW!!! More great melory sketches!!! LOVE this one, especially the childlike attitude about the "big boys" it just adds to the feeling. Turnip carving is something I have never heard of, quite interesting...

Jana Bouc said...

What a wonderful story. I love the paintings, especially the first with all the beutiful texture and the second that even has a bit of the news stories and the pretty turnips (on pumpkins there?). And an e.e. cummings poem. Brilliant work! I hope it will be a book someday.

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

These are just great. I love these memory paintings. The stories are just fab! We used to have a witch who lived across the road from us too! Do you write children stories?? You should. Brilliant.

gert said...

Happy New Year and i do agree. Your post is on target absolutely another excellent reason for people (you and me) to stop fearing the big stacks... and to stop bullying the small stacks. For this tims I just passing thru and I think you have a great blog here! It was quite useful reading, found some good/nice stuff in here. Thanks! I have a Website/Blog It pretty much covers betting and poker solutionrelated stuff and more than one opportunity.
Come and check it out when you have the time and keep up the great work on your site :>>

pedalpower said...

Your blog is so charming...the stories from your memories and such detailed drawings. Wonderful.

Anonymous said...

You are doing a wonderful job with this project. You are quite an illustrator.