Lizzie Mackay

 So, this week's 'Make Art That Sells' assignment was to illustrate a children's book cover or page for Hans Christian Anderson's The Snail and the Rose Tree. In very short summary, it's the tale of a pompous little snail who lives beneath a rose tree and stays in one spot, doesn't do much with his life, whilst moaning about how rubbish the rose tree is. 

The rose tree, on the other hand,  has a happy little soul and is content just to give his roses to the world and spread some joy. I guess it's a glass half empty, glass half full sort of a story. 

It was an intense week, I drew ALOT of snails, went to bed thinking of snails, woke up thinking of snails, even rescued 2 snails off the road when I was cycling home with the kids one day. My son thought I was a hero! 

I went through ALOT of ideas, came up with all sorts of different things...

We have to submit a final piece to the Flickr group at the end of the week. There's a lot of debating that goes on and it's amazing to see everyone's different takes on the brief. I finally decided on this one.....

but it could have been this one...

and now, I sort of wish I'd done something more with this one....

but I didn't, the week's up and my family are fed up with snails, and my eyes are sore from

too much computer time. I really must go and get those glasses I need!

At the end of the day, this is what that self-inflated little snail needed to do but he didn't!