House No. 104: Little House in the Big Woods

House No. 104: Little House in the Big Woods
ink and watercolor pencil on repurposed card stock
4.25 in. x 2 in.
104/365; 04/14/11

Did you ever read the Little House books? In fourth grade, I was obsessed with them and read each book several times until about sixth grade when I first read A Wrinkle in Time and my obsession with Madeline L’Engle began. I think I loved books in which children had to be resourceful. Before Laura, it was The Boxcar Children (Only the first one. After that, the books become forced.) and Z for Zachariah.

Today’s house, Laura’s Little House in the Big Woods is inspired by The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure, a favorite author and blogger of mine. The book is being released today, and I cannot wait to read it. In fact, it has me wanting to reread the Little House books. If you are into such things, check out HalfPintIngalls on the Twittergraph. Hilarious.

House No. 43: Russian Izba

 

House No. 43: Russian Izba

ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout
8.5 in. x 11 in.
043/365; 02/12/11

Izbas are Russian log cabins built by peasants in the countryside. Many are ornately decorated with painted woodwork. The houses were built without saws or nails because the steel was so expensive. Instead, the logs were notched with a hand axe and fit together. Ornamentation was whittled by knife.

Some izbas, called chicken leg izbas, are built on stilts. These are the inspiration for the magical house lived in by Baba Yaga, the witch of lore from Eastern Europe. I love these stories and the imagery that they conjure up. The tales may find their way into some illustrations quite soon ...