Summer feeling

"And bring the summer days, for my heart longs for the warm and quiet days."

This is a doodle I started out as a warm up drawing, but ended up caught in the details, and had to finish it, for myself. I know lately I haven't been posting much here, it is mostly because I don't have much time to draw (quality drawings), but if you want to follow up on my silly and not so silly doodles and drawings too, you can always check my tumblr where I post always fisrtly Tona001.

Hope you are having some wonderful spring days!

Tona

My Heart Goes With The Wind

And then the earth and the sky they all fit together

And carry me away as light as a feather

Chase the clouds from the ground In the big blue sky

Don't wanna watch it all go by

So I'm gonna fly

I'm Gonna Fly - Sydney Forest

Sometimes I wonder if my heart functions alright, at least I feel it doesn't go the normal way about things. The things or people I fall in love with and how I love those, I could not put that into words, but I guess it's a bit like the wind. A soft breeze of fresh air is always needed, like love, but then again there are days when wind seems to be a bit too much..

I'm not quite sure of many things, not really, but give me the cold winds of spring or the fresh breeze that a summer day can bring, and I'll follow them wherever they go.

Started this painting on Feburary last year, finished it just today, when I was going through my old fields and thought I needed a bit of fresh air too.. been working a lot on other projects lately and haven't been having much time to spend on things like this. And on grey days like today, they are needed!

Those first days of spring, with cold winds and blue skies.. oh how I love them!

Merry Christmas 2013!

Hope you're having a magical one, and that you get to build lots of snowmans, and eat fantastic food, or just gather with the ones you love and share the joy of the moment.

HAVE SOME WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS!

Nighttime Christmas

..it can be really sweet too!

I wanted to do some Christmas pieces, I am starting to get in the mood already, and then saw an ep of Adventure Time and my mind just clicked, and now here it is, Princess Bubblegum and Marceline share their Christmas presents, and I'm sure PB loves her mug present, deep inside! (or maybe not that deep)

Have a wonderful day!

On my shop 

On Tumblr

Fall is falling

"Under the branches of the brown tree

she sat to sing a melody.

She sang goodbye to trees and friends

for her stay on earth was almost gone.

She shall return when summer's gone.."

I was missing so much illustrating a quick thing, inspired by the mood of the day. And I feel I haven't paye d enough attention to this fall, no matter how much I've loved it. I feel I need to stop and sit under a tree and just watch time go by, smell the fall that's almost gone, and think of all the little things that can happen in a simple moment.

Hope you are enjoying fall, and though there are still many days to come (when it's still fall) I felt I needed to draw this.

Lost Tapes

Some time ago I was asked to do the art for the upcoming album by Lost Tapes released by Cloudberry Records and now here it is! Their music is really wonderful, so feel free to give it a listen, on their web, or on their bandcamp page!

I was inspired by the idea of simple sensible things happening on a quiet image, and in a way, I believe there's no better place to be than in a special spot in the forest where magic seems to happen, at the right time of the day. But a little secret is that any moment can feel like magic if we allow ouserlves to feel the magic of the moment.

I also did the art for the labels, inside the 7" album. Which are meant to be a prolongation of the main illustration, as well as the back cover. Added the river path as well as the beard scratches on the trees! (you know, the beard from the main illustration).

And here you have the back cover art, as you can see the meaning of it was as if the magic moment was fading as the night was getting darker, and so the lights are now off and there's no bear, just the scratches on the tree it has left behind.

Hope you like the illustrations and hope that you like Lost Tapes' music! You'll be able to order their new album from Cloudberry Records page soon enough!

You can  find Lost Tapes on:

• The web
• Facebook

And Cloudberry Records on:

• The web
• Facebook

Have a great week!

La Porta del Cel

La llum dels estius que semblaven allargar-se per sempre

La tímida espelma que balla amb la brisa del vespre

La olor de la fusta de pi i la sal a la pell

L'escuma del mar enredant-se entre els teus cabells

La porta del Cèl - Els Catarres 

"The light of the summers that seemed to last forever; The shy candle that dances with the evening breeze; The smell of pinewood and the salt on the skin; The sea scum tangling among your hair" tried to translate it.

Some weeks ago I went to see Els Catarres, and could love all their songs but the most beautiful, as we had to leave the show just before it ended, and this was the finale song. Today I was listening to it and couldn't help myself. Also, it was a promise I made, to make a drawing based on their songs. Lately all I do is draw cute couples.

The idea of a summer love is really sweet and heartbreaking when autumn comes, but with autumn maybe the relationship grows on and on. And those dreamy nights of summer might turn into hot chocolate afternoons. Hope you're having a great September. 

Clair de Lune

"All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic."
- The Rainbow Connection.

Been working on it this last days, and I think I can happily say that after one year, I've done an illustration that can go under the title Clair de Lune, or what I had in my mind for it (listening to Isao Tomita's version). 

On the other hand, this one has also been inspired by Cascading Slopes, I would like to say by the album, but it's not out yet and due to not being able to go to the shows on NY, I've only got a glimpse of its music. But anyway, I'm already in love with it and it already made me dream of out of this world places, as well as some magical spots like this one up here. 

In a way, I'm happy that it didn't actually turn out the way I sketched it last spring (yeah, been thinking about it for quite a while, sincerely. Wanted it to look like an album's cover art, though I might have failed in that one thing) but this lasts weeks I decided to finally work on it. It was supposed to be at sunset, first, then at dawn, but I just couldn't resist the magic of the forest glowing in the night.

I never thought I love this much drawing backgrounds, forests and trees, but I love it. I love what you can do, I love how nature works, I love how much magic can be found out there! And it really calms me down, it makes me happier every time. 

Somewhere out there I read: "Creative Process: 1) This is going to be awesome 2) This is hard 3) This is terrible 4) I'm terrible 5) Hey, not bad 6) That was awesome", I just thought it was so true, and so close to how I felt during the creation of this piece. So, after some moments of desperation and some others of big joy doing it, and after so many wonderful songs, here it is! Hope you like it! 

Also, here is Clair de Lune from Fantasia, it was such a great help when I was stucked with this drawing!

ps. I'd like to ask you to listen to Clair de Lune (by Isao Tomita) with the drawing, just a little bit! I've got this feeling that it does add much more to it.

A bright smile and flowers in your hair

"Then we grew a bit and romanticized the time I saw flowers in your hair" 

I wasn't having the best of days, mostly because summer sun and hot tires me a lot lately, and I become unable to do much, so I decided I would draw, 'cause that always helps, and drawing people with brights smiles always makes me happy, I was also trying 'The Lumineers' for no reason at all, I had just never given them a chance, and I am pretty much liking them, their songs put me in a good mood and that's all I needed today!

I wish people smiled much more, when they felt like doing so, and not hide under 'coolness' how amazing they really are. It's not like you should always be smiling if you don't feel like doing so, but I believe if you want to and feel like doing it, you should smile, because that and some good laugh are some of the best things I can think of right now.

I've been reading this morning and it was mentioned someone who barely smiles but when they did it, it was a bright one, the type of sincere smiling childs give, and I kept thinking about it. I believe that as you grow old you realise the world that's around you, how it is not as little as you thought it was, and how many trouble there is, and even though that trouble exists, some people tend to forget the things that made them smile before. They are little and simple, but much more valuable than the biggest treasure (even more than Erebor's!!). And they still exist. They're still there waiting for you to smile for them.

What I mean is that it seems much more "acceptable" to say how much you hate or dislike something than it is to say how much you love a thing. There's nothing wrong about being enthusiast about something, about liking it, enjoying it and saying how much you  love it. So please don't be mean when someone says they like one thing and laugh at them for liking it that much. 

It's wonderful to love!

New Summer '13 ID

Well hello! I made a new ID 'cause I was feeling like I needed a new one for various reasons. I actually did the last one so quickly, that it was full of mistakes and wushed lines which I disliked ever since the first moment. But here we are now, times goes on and so does life.

Hope that, in a way or another, you're enjoying your summer. I'm gonna be heading to Berlin tomorrow, and I'm really exited! First time ever! Everyone says I'll love it, so we'll see what I find out there.

Have a wonderful summer and hope you get to see some wonderful things and places, and that could be just around the corner, no need to travel to other countries for it. At least summer is perfect to rest under the shade of a tree and read a good book.

Snowy Day

I keep wishing for one..

Telling you the truth, I don't think I've ever been out there with snow really falling down, not the way it all turns to be white, with the mist, the snow falling and the grown covered in the snow that has been falling down.

Here it's much more of seeing it pretty much like a rain - snowfall. It hardly ever covers the ground, and the few times it has happened there's been trouble. But still I dream of it.

And I know it happens to not fit in this days of hot summer, but maybe for that very same fact, I wanted to draw something cold. But also because I've been watching (and hope I'll be able to read too) North & South. Which translates to really cold days and landscapes, and so much white (I feel in love with all the mills scenes, when cotton looks like snow), so I guess all in all, I couldn't help myself. I really wanted to draw a snowy landscape, cold, and white, really white with the mist and the white sky and ground as well as the snowflakes softly falling down.

Also I did it to practice the mood of a drawing, when colours, siluettes.. well, everyithing! works together to express something.

Hope you like it

The Hidden Well

If you look closer you might find the path to other worlds, there, through the waters of the old well.

'And there you'll find wondrous new and old sounds. Otherworldly.'

This surely took a lot to post, (I think I've been here for two hours now, and I got it finished Friday, but only decided to post it today, still got it too close to the heart to let it go) but it mostly took long to finish.

I got the idea for this drawing after reading a Mild Slopes post talking about Delia Derbyshire being of the right age and historical moment to find a door/way to Narnia (or other worlds). I must admit I loved the thought, so I sketched it, but then I got attached to the idea, and I started developing it, and that's how, 3 months ago I started the drawing.

The main sketch was just of Delia looking into the well 'cause I thought that would be another wonderful way to get to other worlds. (and also it made me think of the ponds through which Digory and Polly got to them).
When the path would be open, you'd see on the reflection of the calm waters, another sky, other trees, another light.. and that's what would catch your attention to look closer. But if you're not someone who likes exploring, you might never go to that part of the garden, where no one does now, where the old well still stands.

I loved exploring as a child, I have such great memories of it. I found little treasures and I hope you did too. Maybe a door to another world, maybe just something much more little, but yet, priceless for you. (I still love exploring).

Hope you like this one, and I'm sorry it took so long. Exams and work weren't helpful and I wanted to try hard on this one but also I had to deal with some art blocks in the way. Now, after so long, it's done, and I'm kinda worried of letting it go, but it must be done, and as I write this, I'm willing to finally post it.

Sant Joan '13

 - We buried the pains singing songs,

and the bonfire flames turn the night into day -

Today it's "La revetlla de Sant Joan" which may translate to St.John's eve, but it's quite a big festivity here. Saying 'hi' to the summer, on the longest day and shortest night of the year. There are bonfires (there were a lot more years ago) and people gather around them and throw fireworks and you stay up as long as your body can take it, and dance and jump and laugh while the fire projects both, light and shadow around you.

It was one of my favourites day of the year back when I was a child, mainly 'cause I had a bonfire just by my house. And it was really big! I have few memories of those days, but they're all so bright! I loved it and I would love it nowadays too, but it's to hard to be next to a bonfire, unless you go to some specific places. Also, we eat. We always eat. It's called 'coca de Sant Joan' and it's pretty tasty, but I don't like it that much.

Anyway, I still pretty much like Sant Joan, and I still think it is trully beautiful, and this year we'll have bright full moon too (that if it stops raining and the clouds go away).

Hope you're welcoming the summer on you own way wherever you are! :)

Here's a link that might explain better Sant Joan down here. Images do explain it better! 

Be Brave

I will hear their every story,

Take hold of my own dream,
Be as strong as the seas are stormy,
And proud as an eagle's scream.

I will ride, I will fly,

Chase the wind and touch the sky,
I will fly,
Chase the wind and touch the sky.

Touch the Sky - Julie Fowlis (Brave's Soundtrack)

Last Sunday my friends came to me saying that they wanted to see Brave, and almost one week later, guess what we're going to see this afternoon??? Friends, movie and sofa!!! :)

It also needs saying, that I've been pretending to draw Merida for a long time now. I love, love, love her hair. It's all wild and free and it goes here and there. And also, the ginger is precious, bright colours that shine through the darkness of the deep enchanted forests.

I don't even know what I'm saying, I just love this tales a lot, and Celtic soundtrack is wonderful, and that song above couldn't feel better right now. You know I love the wind, so mix it with amazing landscapes, freedom and celtic melodies and that's it. I do not need anythig else.

Going back to the point. I've got to finish two drawings, I know, and I wanna do some projects too, and I don't even know when or how. I just wish I had more time to spend on my drawings..

Hope you'll hear from those drawings soon. (It's been a busy week) But till that day, hope you enjoy this Merida's sketch.

ps. It snowed!! only for a few minutes and not much at all, it didn't even got white, but oh! how I love snow, and those were the first snowflakes I've seen this winter, and the last ones I'll probably see. So understand me when I get overexited about the fact that some snowflakes felt from the sky.

Dec 16: Decorating the Tree

And though I try to tell you that I need you
Here I am without you
I feel so lost but what can I do?
'Cause I know this love seems real
But I don't know how to feel(...)

So change your mind
And say you're mine

Don't leave tonight, Stay.

Stay - Hurts

There's so much love this days. And I was wondering how much love can you feel when you're decorating your Christmas tree so when your loved ones see it, it cheers them up. 

And maybe I'm wrong, but I feel that, when you're doing something for someone you love, you can't help yourself and you give it all that you have, and you do it so tenderly and with so much love. Even the most trivial things can be done with so much love, such as making a sandwitch for someone or hanging up some Christmas balls..

Dec 12: Frozen Moon

There's something in your eyes, there's something I can see.

You've got a dark side no one is allowed to see.

Always lonesome in your eyes, 

the eyes of a lonely child.

I wish there was something I could do.

But all I do is ask the frozen moon to shine where you are

and tell you that  I am here, thinking of you.

Frozen Moon  (by Tona)

I'm really, really late for this one, but still on time. This one, though it is part of this Advent Calendar, has been done to be the cover of a Christmas special and wonderful album. So it's finally done, and it really took me so long to finish this one. 

I'd like to say so many things about it, but I feel that none feels as alright as that little text I've posted before, it's Christmas, it's Winter, the nights are beautifully cold, the stars shine brighter than ever, the cold gets through you and somehow makes you sad, but there are always some little electric lights slightly glimmering through the blue of the night, the blue of your heart, bringing that bit of joy.

Goodnight everyone, happy enchanted 12/12/12.

Dec 10: Have A Merry Birthday

Today is my sister's birthday and so, I did this for her, actually, I made a whole postcard because she's so amazing and she's really, really wonderful, and I am so, so happy to have her as my sister. 

She's my sister, but she's also a really, really good friend of mine. We spend such good times together just doing weird things (that I think no one else would understand but us). And she always makes me really happy. SHE MAKES ME HAPPY and cheers up my days. I am so glad and I don't think I could ask anything else.

So happy, happy birthday to you, Andi, I love you so, so much :)

here's a photo of how it looked like!

         ¡HAPPY BIRTHDAAAY!

Dec 9: It's snowing outside!

.. and that cheers me up.

It would, if it was really snowing here, but it isn't. I hope I'll get to see snow this year, if only a little. 

I just wanted to point out that I did not get my cup of hot chocolate, yet, but instead eat a little bit of a chocolate bar, which is, indeed, pretty good.

As you might see, I'm a lot better than I've been this last days! but now I have a lot of work to do, to catch up what I haven't done this last days.  I'm almost done with it, but not yet.

Anyway, if it's snowing where you are, I hope you're really enjoying it and, if you go oustide to play in the snow you know Jack Frost will nip at your nose!

Fled Far Away

..I guess we all want to

And as I looked around, I began to notice
That we were nothing like the rest

Hold your horses now

We sleep until the sun goes down

Through the woods we ran

Deep into the mountain sound

Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men

Running under a storm that's approaching with all your friends and feeling nothing can stop you is one of the best feelings ever.

I was just going through Of Monsters and Men songs (as requested by my sister) and I really liked them, all their songs are like a fairytale, or just a simple tale, and they made me dream and remember, and so when Mountain Sound came into shuffle this image came into my mind. The running no matter what and having fun with that.

I think I had forgotten the feeling, well, no, that's false, we never forget anything, it's just that we aren't able to remember. Anyway, mountain sound made me remember the feeling, that feeling when you are a child and you start running with all your strenght not caring about much but the running.

Like that moment in Narnia when Lucy starts dancing with the trees under the moonlight. She doesn't really know what's going on, but she starts moving with the trees, she succumbs to the moment and enjoys each single thing of it. And so this is it.

Do you remember when every little thing was a big brand new adventure? When you could enjoy every little thing no matter how ordinary? Any stone with a weird shape was a magic rune waiting for you to find it. When being under the rain was much more than hiding somewhere trying not to get soaked or weeping out all your feelings. When being under a storm was fun just because you were getting wet and you could run and run and feel as if you where never ever going to stop.

When seeing the sun shining in the rain made you feel as if everything was going to be alright forever and ever. (I couldn't help but thinking about The Secret Garden, but I guess this wonderful book express perfectly what I'm trying to say here).

Hope you all remember of this things, the big adventures you used to dream about, all the wonderful things you imagined or lived, all those tiny perfect childhood adventures. 

A closeup of the girl and the forest critters..

I must say I had lots of fun and trouble drawing/painting this. And I know maybe this critters are not the best you've ever seen, but it's the first time ever I've drawn a deer and painted a fox, so I'm really happy of how they turned out. One more thing I really like about this one is how the clouds turned out, tryied to made a kind of silver lightning and I did not even know where or how, but I did it, somehow.

Anyway, I wanted to make them all happy, running all together and simply having fun with that. And at least I did have fun with it! 

Golden Autumn

Hideaway,

well they'll seat us in the sun

By the way

Know you've always been the one.

You'll ask your reasons why

what once was yours is mine

My baby's gone.

Ride away,
Gonna take me from my man

By the way

No they'll never understand

We'll have a bit of fun 

Watching everyone pass us by.

You'll ask your reasons why

what once was yours is mine

My baby's gone.

Hideaway - Karen O and the Kids

I just love Hideaway, and I don't really know why (maybe for line two) I always think of sunset when I listen to it. So I finally did a drawing that could really go with this song, if only in my mind. 

I feel as if, when you put both things together there's an ancient magic floating in the air, among the leaves that slowly fall to the ground.

It's been a week in which I've seen golden leaves fall as if it was snow every single day. And it was too beautiful. I simply couldn't stop looking. Sometimes, while walking, I stopped under the trees just to capture the moment in my mind. I hope that, as years go by, I'll always remember it.

This is sort of a different thing (not at all, but I tried my best). I had to make an illustration for a school project. So we had to choose one illustrator that we liked and try to reproduce its style. And that's what I did (well, tried).

Among all the amazing people around here and there (now or in the past) I chose Chuck Groenink because I've adored his style for so long and had in mind to try and make something like that, so when I had to do it for school I almost immediately knew who I would choose.

Actually, over the week I went through so many illustrators I love, and the doubt about which one to choose increased each day, so I ended choosing my first thought.

I worked hard on this, trying to reproduce the gouache he uses and things, but it's not that easy, I swear. Anyway, and though it was really tiring, I can say I've learned a lot going through this, and I had lots of fun. I know that this does not really look like one of his paintings, but I love how it turned out to be anyway. I think you can guess I love sunset lightning, especially when it's autumn and it makes it look as if everything was golden..

Here I leave you the complete piece I had to do, I made it as if it was part of a calendar: