I created this site to share a peak at a fun writing project I’ve been working on for months. This work was inspired by my kids who most enjoy stories about the mischief and mishaps I got into when I was their age. To weave the stories together and turn them into a book (and hopefully a series too) I decided to set the story in the early 1900s rural northern Canada.
The main character, “Otter”, means well and tries to be helpful but often causes chaos and gets himself in trouble. He loves the outdoors, nature, exploring, inventing and drawing pictures.
In preparing to illustrate the story I created a digital 3D model of Otter based on photos of myself at that young age. Posing and viewing Otter from all angles is an interesting way to generate the reference material needed for doing the painted illustrations. It’s also a fun way to bring Otter to life where he can interact with his readers and be seen having adventures – even in the present day!
As the site grows you may see excerpts from the story and info on its progress, illustrations as well as various photographs taken by Otter. This is really his site, pictures and stories so I will try to get out of the way as much as possible to let him play!