Happy Birthday Howard Pyle-A Peek-a-Boo Project

Howard Pyle was born on March 5, 1853 in Wilmington, Delaware. He is famous for writing and illustrating children’s books, most significantly “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.” He was dubbed the Father of American Illustration. His work is credited with inspiring modern pirate costumes, including Johnny Depp’s look in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. A less famous work of his, and in his opinion a complete failure are the illustrations for Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shallot”. These are the inspirations of this artwork.

1. Gather Supplies.
   
2. Print Copies of Illustrations from The Lady Of Shallot.
3. Use Turquoise Stencil Butter and a Small Plastic Palette Knife to Paint Edges of GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
   
4. Use Fancy Cut Trimming Scissors Trim Edges of Illustrations.
   
5. Use a Green Brush Marker to Smudge Edges of Illustration. 
   
6. Glue Illustrations to Prepared GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
   
7. Paint GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set with Metallic and Brown Acrylic Paints.
   
8. Use WeldBond Glue to Attach GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set to Prepared GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
   
9. Use a Hole Punch to put Holes in the Four Corners of the GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks.
   
10. Use Two Needle Nose Pliers to Connect GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks Together with Steel Jump Rings.
    
    
    

Final Thoughts:

Quotes from “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood”

“I live in a Land where the forests are big, and the rivers are wide and blue. The sky is as big asa forest and the birds are as merry as my friends, the men of Sherwood.”

“Here, in Sherwood, where the trees are so green and the flowers are so bright, we live outlives in the company of friends”

“When a man is in trouble, there is no greater joy than to see friend coming to help.”

“Every man deserves a second chance. Every man deserves chance to be merry and free.”

“To be a merry man, one must learnt dance with the shadows.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott” is a rather sad tale, without a happy ending. It seems like the sadder side of a magical kingdom. It tells the story of a young medieval woman mysteriously imprisoned on an island near Camelot. She must weave a colorful web and only watch the outside world through a mirror. If she looks at Camelot directly, she will be cursed.

It tells of unfulfilled dreams, entrapped in our own ivory towers.  If we only observe the world through our windows or reflected in our mirrors we will never know the fullness of the land of the living with all its passions and pains, its wins and losses, the calm and chaos, its  beauty and decay.

Where Howard Pyle saw these illustrations as failures I like their art nouveau appeal reminiscent of Mocha but more organic. We each have love hate with our creations. 

March is a month of changes, as children we would draw pictures of lions and lambs.  It is said that “March Come in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

It is indeed like a lion with its fierce winds roaring, the cold like long white teeth, icicles piercing through our skin: then the gentle softness of a billowing white cloud, as white and fluffy as fleece on an ewe, the sunny fresh aired days as innocent as a new born lamb.

Supplies:  GSLC Chunky ATC Blanks , GSLC Keys & Plates Shape Set , Printed Copies of Illustrations from The Lady Of Shallot, Turquoise Stencil Butter, Small Plastic Palette Knife, Fancy Cut Trimming Scissors, Green Brush Marker,  UHU GlueStick, Metallic and Brown Acrylic Paints, Paintbrush, WeldBond Glue

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!