Illustration Friday # 10: MESSENGER

Storytellers are messengers, carrying tales from place to place, and generation to generation.

Illustration Friday # 9: SINK

The Lion & the Hare

A ferocious Lion who kills for sport, and terrorizes the animals of the forest. Finally, the animals flatter Lion into an arrangement where one animal a day, drawn by a lot, willingly become his supper. In return, Lion agrees to stop hunting.

When Hare draws the lot, he forms a plan. He arrives late, and tells Lion he was waylaid by another Lion.

"In my jungle?" roars the beast. "Take me to him."

Hare leads Lion to a deep well.

Upon seeing his own reflection, Lion roars and threatens the "other" lion. Then, the enraged beast charges at his own reflection, and proceeds to SINK to the bottom of the well, never to be heard from again.

This story is from the Panchatantra, or "Five Chapters," a collection of ancient Indian animal stories, where a wise old man named Vishnusarman uses tales to teach three young princes how to rule wisely.

The story and this illustration can be found in the January 2000 issue of Calliope Magazine, Ashoka, India's Philosopher King. This magazine, geared towards grades 5-9, focuses on World History.
for more information about the magazine, click here.

Illustratin Friday #8: Separated

Loss, from The Crane Wife, illustrations ©Cheryl Kirk Noll

The Crane Wife is a well known Japanese folktale. It begins as a story of love and caring, when a poor woodcutter saves the life of an injured Japanese crane. Good fortune follows,  but he allows greed and pride to overcome compassion and thankfulness. 

Thus, he is separated from what he holds dear.

 © illustrations by Cheryl Kirk Noll

,

The Crane Wife, by Ena Keo

I'm thankful that I was asked to illustrate this story early in career.  

The book includes a few images that are still among my favorites.

Illustration Friday #5: FUEL

I didn't have time to do a new piece for Illustration Friday this week, so I'm putting up an older piece that illustrates a legend about the goddess Pele, from Hawaii. This is done traditionally, using watercolors.

The taunts from her sister only fueled Pele's anger.