Alice Project - New Story, new illustration

Yesterday I mentioned my latest twist on my Alice Project – to write my own Alice story and illustrate it in the hope that being my own story I wouldn’t have to compare myself with anyone else’s illustrations of it and might just produce something I like.  I’m afraid that my attempts to produce any of my own original illustrations to Wonderland or Looking Glass have always resulted in utter pigswill.

As I said yesterday I have the outline of an idea for a plot. I’ve begun writing a part of the story where Alice, in the process of a conversation with two of my characters speculates on why people who don’t like each other for what they are get married. Now, poetry permeates both Alice books, and so this leads the character to recite a nonsense poem that I have made for the occasion. (Please note, the poem is my original work. I can’t imagine why anybody would want to copy it and reproduce it elsewhere, but if you want to do so you must contact me at the email address above and ask.)

Here's the poem –

“The Mammoth and the Elephant’s Daughter

 

A mammoth, and his fiancée

The elephant’s fair daughter

Decided they would walk some way

Across the frozen water.

 

They wandered on and ambled on

Beneath the arctic skies

While talking about this and that

And things that might arise

 

“O Nelly, dear,

Your eyes are clear

Your ears are large and flappy.

But, darling, swear

Some fur you’ll wear

‘Twould make me rather happy.”

 

“O Honey bee,

I cannot see

Why you’d prefer me hairy.

My wrinkled skin

Concealed within

An orange rug? That’s scary!

 

They ambled on and argued on

In tones that were not quite as nice

Not noticing they walked upon

A shelf of thawing, cracking ice.

 

“O Mammoth, sweet

I must repeat

That during our adventures

Your tusks have grown

10 feet alone

D’you need such massive dentures?”

 

“O dearest Nel

How can you smell

For juicy plants and mosses?

We were not meant

To pick up scent

With such a short proboscis!

 

They argued on and bickered on

With neither of them heeding

The ice that they were walking on

Was now from land receding

 

“O Nelly, why?

You make me cry.

These hurtful words confuse me

I don’t expect

My heart’s Elect

To stand there and abuse me

 

O Mammoth, dear

I think it’s clear

There is some passion lacking

Between us two

But – stop ! do you

Too hear that awful cracking?

 

They bickered not and argued not

But huddled close together

And sank into the icy sea,

To stay that way forever.

 

© David Clark 2024

Good, isn’t it? No? Well, please yourselves. I gathered many reference photos of mammoths, female indian elephants and icescapes and snow scenes, and then yesterday, in a mammoth (pardon the pun) three hour session I produced this illustration.

It’s the first time I’ve been happy when I've illustrated anything even remotely connected with Alice other than copies of other people's work , and I’m really pleased. I may well make another couple of pictures to go with the poem – if I do you’ll be the first to know.