Jane's attic, update XIV: A dormer window.

This update focuses on a dormer window that I've created for the front of Jane's attic. Now dormer windows are more difficult to install than regular one's because they need to stand upright in a 45° angle relative to the slanted surface of the roof. In this case there was an extra challenge to it, because the window had to be placed half way between the roof and the wall. The reason for this, is that if I had placed the window higher up the roof, it would have been impossible for poor little Jane to look out of it, because it would have been much too high, and we don't want that, do we?

The nice thing about this, is that I could go for a bigger window. My dormer window is actually a modified, regular window. This means that I added extra pieces to its sides, which then were carved, plastered and sealed with aluminum around the edges to make it look more realistic. After that I weathered the bejesus out of the innocent window for that eerie, derelict feel.

I really love the way the aluminum sealing turned out, it looks so realistic! It was made of thin aluminum strips, then glued into place and weathered. As with everything, it took more time to create my own, custom made dormer, but then the results are so much more satisfactory than buying one off the shelf!

Enjoy the pics, thanks for visiting, and see you next time!!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Rain

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of 'Rain' as a graphic novel character. A character born out of sorrow, out of loss, the ghost of a young girl that visits the realm of the living to tell tales of the beyond, and to bring justice and solace to those in need of it. 

Below is a watercolor painting which I did of her back in 1998. This and two other drawings took part in an exhibition for upcoming graphic novel artists held in that same year in the 'legendary' graphic novel shop 'Mekanik Strip' in Antwerp, Belgium. Today the portrait graces one of my living room walls.

Rain artwork, which was exhibited in Mekanik Strip, the 'legendary' graphic novel shop in Antwerp, Belgium.

After the exhibition I produced a couple of short stories featuring 'my daughter', as I affectionately call her. They were published under the name 'Rain's FreakShow' both online and 'on paper'.

During a comics fair in The Netherlands, I showed one of the stories to the late (yet immortal) Don Lawrence of 'Storm' fame. He looked at it with great interest, took his time and gave me his compliments for my work. I remember few moments in my life when I felt as happy as on that day..!

Following the initial success, the project came virtually to a standstill. I became increasingly frustrated by the feeling that I could not depict Rain as I saw her in my head. She became something larger than life to me, an entity that I could not 'translate' from the ethereal realm of shadows to the reality of crispy white paper. So the production of artwork stopped, and Rain continued developing in my head, and in my heart instead, invisible to the public, but very much present as part of my everyday life.

A 'one off' manga-style Rain comic strip (Dutch).

Rain's FreakShow 'BLACK STAR' logo.

Some years ago, while visiting a dolls & teddy bears fair, I saw something that took my breath away. There, standing on a display table, was a doll that bore an uncanny resemblance to my Rain! Some differences aside, she had a total 'Rain' feel to her!!! The maker, an incredibly talented lady named Mrs Willeke de Swart, had created a doll that made my heart jump with joy! Of course I had to have her, the hefty price tag that comes naturally with such a unique, hand made porcelain doll was the least of my concerns!

Rain, Oscar, and me.

Once I 'adopted' the doll, which of course I immediately christened 'Rain', I decided to commission a rather 'creepy' teddy bear for her, just like the one she has in the stories. This teddy (Oscar) was made according to my specifications by a real pro: the lovely Marrie van Vliet. She even made 'Oscar' in two sizes, one for Rain, and another, much bigger one for photography purposes. 

Fast forward to today, the 'Rain doll' has featured in countless photo shoots (and so has Oscar), and kept the dream alive that, some day, my Rain will come out in full force, ready to take over the world and fulfill her destiny as the bringer of solace, the comforter, the one that takes your tears away...

"I am your shadow, the echo of your soul.." (Rain)

"Sometimes, she comes to life, 

and is just there for me,

to bring me joy and peace..."

"Look at those eyes, those are not the eyes of a doll!

Behold her lips! Soft as the petals of a rose!

Look at her skin, that is no longer porcelain,

but real, warm, breathing skin.."

"Sometimes, she comes to life and is just there for me, to bring me joy and peace..."

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic, update XIII: A window with shutters.

Some time ago I was working on a window for Jane's attic. It was supposed to be a 'blind' window, intended to give the attic a more claustrophobic feel. 

However, as the 'Attic' project progressed, I kept thinking about the freakin' window... there was something about it that felt 'wrong'. Then I came across this other window with shutters, and suddenly I knew it: the window needed to be able to open, and have shutters to allow light to pass through them, giving the attic a more magical atmosphere!

In this feature, I'm gonna tell you how I transformed a boring, untreated window with very basic, false shutters into something much more realistic.

So the window I bought had awfully looking, false shutters stuck to its sides. The shutters were carved only on the front, simulating partitions, and obviously didn't allow any light to go through them, as they were made of solid pieces of wood.

The original shutters.

I couldn't possibly use these things, they were hurting my eyes, so I decided to take them apart, and reconstruct them in a more realistic way.

As you can see on the above image, the partitions were solid pieces, and their back was plain (see piece of wood to the right, which is actually a shutter viewed from the back).

I kept only the center pieces of the shutters, and added new wooden laths to the sides. Then I treated the frames with antique English wax.

Next I cut very thin strips of wood, to be used as partitions, and stuck them one by one between the frames. I did this is a very 'sloppy' way, because I wanted to give them a very old, battered look, with some of the partitions missing. Well, 'sloppy' may not be the right word, as I'm a control freak, so there is method even to my cough! Anyway, I studied pictures of old, battered shutters online, and tried to recreate them here. I painted each partition individually, and even 'mangled' some of them for a better effect. I drilled holes in the shutters and the window frame, and added metal pins, in order to attach them in place, so they would be able to open and shut. Below is the final result.

Then I stuck the window in the wall where it belonged (see below). I think it looks pretty neat! For comparison, I too a pic of the initial, 'blind' window, and the new one sitting side by side. I think I made the right choice. The other one will be weathered further, and be used for another project, so the work I put in it is not wasted!

Finally, below are a bunch of close up pics I took with my macro lens. You are free to drool while looking at them if you want, in fact I encourage it! Could they have been done even better? Sure! But these are far exceeding requirements for their intended purpose, so this boy is a happy camper, thank you!

Next time I'll show you how I did the walls!

Thanks for visiting and see you next time!!!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic intermezzo: Someone's looking through the windows..

Someone, or something, is looking through the windows of the old house. On the first picture the figure of Jane is easily identifiable. But on the second one, however, the identity of the figure behind the broken glass is less clear. Could it be... the Baby? Don't know about you, but these pics give me goose bumps!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.