Friday 24 February 2012

Havana here he comes....

This week finds Boston in Cuba. And boy did I struggle for inspiration for this... Probably because I've not made it to work and therefore no lunchtime trips to the library. I got very stuck on toothpaste as I remember my parents telling me that the people of Cuba are rationed on things like toothpaste and as you can't tip the staff as they have a different currency and therefore as tourists you leave all the toiletries behind when you leave or better still take extra to leave or give out as tips. But toothpaste was not going to make for a very good card!
Then on Thursday morning whilst ringing the doctor I suddenly remembered Ernest Hemingway ... I remembered he lived in Cuba for some time and there are tributes to him etc... So googled away and this is where it took me...

He wrote the book The old man and the Sea whilst living in Cuba and this was about a man and a marlin ... So then googled the image of marlin and sketched out from an image I found... Mine looks like a happy marlin but hey ho!

I then used a mixture of water soluble crayons (cheap reeves ones as cant afford neocolours) and my watercolours from the tin.
Florence
I can understand your anger and I can only apologise once again and beg your forgiveness. There is an explanation for how I managed to come by your diary and it was by accident and not through intention. Please tell me you are prepared to forgive me?
Boston
Thank you for joining me on this trip to Cuba ... Please go and visit everyone else on their postcard endeavours via the wonderful Darcy's blog

21 comments:

  1. What a super fish! love your watercolouring! I wonder if Florence will forgive him!

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  2. Well inspiration may have taken a while but it kicked in good when it arrived :)

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  3. I've been looking into the fish around Cuba but settled for a cute bird in the end because it fits better in my story! :)
    I love your fish! He looks very happy indeed! :)

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  4. Great painting of the marlin. Ernest Hemingway knew a good thing when he saw it! I would love to go to Cuba.

    Janet xx

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  5. I just finished telling Darcy I am not a big fan of Hemingway, but this story I did love, and I love what you did to illustrate. I can just see it leaping out of the water and teasing the old man.

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  6. I can just imagine Ernest Hemingway marlin fishing with the win in his hair! Great card.

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  7. Clever path to get to the Marlin. It seems we all need to get a little trickier as we move along this challenge, and sometimes it's harder to get inspired than others. You've done a great job!

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  8. Well done! here fishy fishy :-D Wonderful

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  9. I love your Marlin, smiles and all, lovely sketch! M

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  10. Super job with the fish! Interesting facts about rationing in Cuba...I'm so clueless when it comes to stuff like that!

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  11. a lovely postcard, a good drawing, thanks for the info...we learn such a lot for these challenges...

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  12. great card Catherine, you did better than me, I cheated and printed my Hemmingway lol I love the idea of giving out toiletries as a tip, I wonder if it would work in pizza hut?

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  13. Fantastic drawing of a marlin, I am so envious of your talent. I wish I could draw, maybe this is why I love stamps so much, makes up for my weakness. Amazing how a country can be short on things like toothpaste and soap, can't imagine it can you?

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  14. Wonderful card! I love to hear how people come up with there inspiration. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Very nice card! The colors are beautiful!

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  16. love the toothpaste story, and your card is stunning.

    dx

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  17. Your Marlin looks like he is leaping off the page, great job.
    Jen x

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  18. Oh, I hope she forgives him. :) Love the postcard!

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  19. The colors of the swordfish are beautiful...I'm a Neo II fan as well...I so enjoy reading all the storylines...FUN! aloha, Lei

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  20. Oh good. So glad he isn't a sneek :D Your Marlin is so bright and colourful, reflecting the sea and sky :D XXX

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  21. great card, your happy marlin is lovely
    Jan

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