Throwing Pooh on the walls

Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you, my talents are few. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, my dancing makes me look like I’m having a seizure, and I lack the athletic ability to compete in the Special Olympics. In fact, my only defining characteristic, other than my rapier wit and dashing good looks, may well be my affinity for drawing and painting.

 

I don’t get around to it very often, but I do occasionally lay a brush to canvas. I’ve worked with several media, including pencils, inks, watercolors, acrylics, oils, and fingerpaints (my "Blue Duckie," from kindergarten, is regarded as one of my best pieces). I don’t really have a favorite subject, but I enjoy drawing landscapes, people, animals, and even cartoons. I can’t tell you how many girls I’ve wooed by authoring their portaits ("I spent like three hours shading your upper lip. It’s probably the best I’ve ever done.").

 

Anyway, when Ginny and I learned that "Jr." was on the way, we decided upon a nursery inspired by that beloved children’s character, Edward Bear, a.k.a. Winnie the Pooh. I’ve always liked the idea of painting murals in the baby’s nursery, so we began scouring books the Web for inspiration. Rather than the Disney version, we tended toward the classic illustrations of E. H. Shepard that appeared in A. A. Milne’s books. With their soft pastels, the characters have a soothing, gentle quality that makes them ideal for a nursery setting.

 

Over the past few weekends, we’ve selected a couple of our favorite scenes (and imagined a few that didn’t quite exist). I drew each one freehand in pencil, and then filled in the color using acrylic craft paints. Just this afternoon, I put the finishing touches on the project. I wanted to take the opportunity to share the work with my avid blog readers (all three of you).

 

 

Pooh and Tigger are searching for some "hunny" in this vignette, while the bees buzz about the empty jars. This one is directly over the baby’s crib. Hopefully, having a large tiger, bear, and stinging insects hovering overhead won’t cause him any permanent mental distress.

 

 

Piglet and Eeyore have joined their friends’ feast, and it looks like little Piglet has found the motherlode! In typical fashion, the old gloomy donkey is moping in the corner, but he’s glancing back to see his friends having a good time.

 

 

This image is my favorite. We have Pooh and Piglet, inseparable as always, taking a little hike together. Since Piglet would have a hard time keeping up, he is enjoying a "piggy back" ride on his friend, Pooh Bear. And it looks like Pooh as brought along a jar of his beloved "hunny" for the trip. What’s Piglet looking at? There’s a swarm of bees lazily floating overhead (see the Nursery album for an extended shot of the scene).

 

 

Finally, we have the gang playing in a meadow of little white flowers. Everyone seems to be having a fun time, especially Tigger, who’s chasing the butterflies. Pooh has found a dandelion, and he’s repopulating the species. Piglet is playing with a thistle of his own, and Eeyore is munching on the flora. I originally had Tigger gutting a squirrel, but Ginny said it was "inappropriate." Whatever.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these as much as we enjoyed creating them. Laters!

 

– Greg