High Hopes

When I was a kid, I loved to doodle.  Specifically, I loved creating characters… talking animals, silly looking people, animated vegatation, and – long before VeggieTales – I even had an idea for talking fruit, vegetables, and kitchenware.  Tabletop adventures.

When I was probably seven, I wrote the Cabbage Patch company telling them that the “Kids” (which were crazy popular at the time) should have pets.  My letter was never acknowledged, but – within the next few years, the “Kids” had pets for sale.

In high school, I started to write music.  I suppose I became enamored with the idea that I could write, record, and perform music as a vocation, so – after spending some time in prayer (but not too much) – that’s what I did.  Like so many things in life, my motivations were definitely mixed.  I was passionate about sharing my faith through song, but I also did like the attention.

Most of us who think of ourselves as “creative” tend to crave affirmation.  We want our lives and work to be appreciated.  I will always be susceptible to the pang of those “needs”, but as I have deepened in Christ and developed a true Kingdom mindset, I find myself returning to the raw joy of creating things as I did when I was a kid.  Back when my dreams weren’t dependent on how I personally was perceived.  It was just fun.

In the early 2000′s, those childhood dreams started tugging at me again.  So for about two-and-a-half years, I cut my touring schedule in half and started developing an animated series called “The Finest of Fables” along with a former VeggieTales producer Jen Combs McFadden, a couple former Disney animators, and several others who knew much more about the process than I did.

Disney/Big Idea layout and concept artist Michael Spooner provided some inspiration for our series.

 

Spooner's concept of the imperial palace from The Finest of Fables' "Beetle and the Golden Shoes"

The project, as planned, was enormously expensive.  After months of working and worrying, I decided to shelve the project and refocus on the music/touring.  It was a huge disappointment at the time, but also a major learning experience.

My rendering of "Kip" from "Beetle and the Golden Shoes" ©Brent Vernon

On December 16, a much smaller version of my dream will come true with the release of my first children’s book, “Neckless: The Audrey Amaka Story”.  In my next blog, I will share the genesis of that story and introduce you to Audrey.  I’ll also show you how I did the illustrations.  Why? Because it’s fun… and keep getting questions about the art.  I guess that’s good.

As a storyteller and illustrator, I have so far to go.  But “Neckless” is definitely a happy start.  I hope you think so too!

Advertisement