Billy's Mother Part II

 October 12, 2020

   Got up this morning and took another run at two images for the book.

Daily Whip Out:

"Billy On Bill Brady's Horse"

   And then, I did another take on the Kid and his mother.

Daily Whip Out: "Catherine And Her Kid"

"A Mother's Prayer"

  I asked a few friends to weigh in on the two takes and here's what they said: 

  "They are both very strong. The scratchboard is more moving and dramatic to me.  There's tragedy in it."

—Carole Glenn

   "The scrathboard is more visually haunting...but the colored one has a more human, and therefore tragic, touch to it. So I'd say the second one is a little stronger."

—James B. Mills

   "I like the warm colors vs. the starker black-and-white of the scratchboard. I also like that her eye is OPEN in the painting.....like she is looking BEYOND Billy into a dark future."

—Thom Ross

   "I like the etching best."

—The Top Secret Writer 

   "Usually I like color however in this case the scratchboard makes them more ghostly which I like. I like her eyes closed, her expression seems more loving. This really shows Billy in more of a vulnerable light which we never see. I like it! Thank you for sharing!"

—Shelly Buffalo Calf

   "I think I prefer the one in color.  The other looks stark and hopeless.  The other also is somewhat stark denoting poverty and tough times but also has a more motherly approach to Billy.  Surely he had such moments. "

—Lynda Sanchez

   Okay, now I am really confused. Ha. I think I may use both in the book, the color one in the front and the scrathbord in the back to illustrate different points.

"So you want to draw your cake and eat it too?"

—Old Vaquero Sniping