I am so pleased to see the second volume of the Inner Islands Trilogy in print! I loved illustrating it and following the adventures of the wonderful characters Tom created. All of the illustrations were drawn in pen and ink with brushed ink washes.
You can order it from Amazon at this link from Canada
From this link from the U.S.
And from this link from the U.K.
Illustrations (c) 2020 Hilary Farmer
Written and cover layout (c) 2020 TJ Radcliffe
First art of 2018! Here are a couple of drawings of river otters. These are on watercolour paper starting with a fountain pen and finished with a Chinese brush and ink wash. It’s imperative that the ink I am using – carbon black – is quite water resistant otherwise all the details would have been lost.
Tom likes otters too! Here’s his poem celebrating their mischievous character.
As changeable as summer light
when thunderstorms go by
flashing rain and lightning bright
then clearing blue the sky
So is Otter in the sea
and by the river banks,
embracing change in changeless glee
engaging in such pranks
As to cause most mischief for
least effort: that’s the fun!
And when a human comes to roar,
far off has Otter run!
Another otter sketched on rice paper. I like how smug he is!
Tom wrote him his own poem …Otter is quite sure he deserves it!
“If you don’t want me coming ‘board
you shouldn’t leave the hatch
open, unlocked, not dogged down,
just captured by a latch
that will not stop the likes of me
so clever with my feets
from opening up and wandering
around your cotton sheets
that once were free from otter-prints
but now are signed quite well
with muddy water, algae too,
and sorry ’bout the smell!
Yet I’m sure we both agree
’twas worth it in the end:
my joy was mighty, don’t you see,
so thank you, my dear friend!”
images (c) 2018 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2018 TJ Radcliffe
Green Tea Doodles 