Golden Shadow and Merry Christmas

Well, I guess I can post this now that it is a gift given. For my grandparents I painted a 16"x20" acrylic painting of their baby Shadow. As I didn't have the dog here in person, I drew the underlying sketch based on reference photos and painted the background from imagination. The title "Golden Shadow" is a nod to Michael Whelan's similarly golden painting for the Otherland books ;)

Merry Christmas everyone! I know mine was a merry and satisfying day. I am currently tired and full but happy... as is fitting after such a day of presents, food, and family.

Winter Wishes and Covey Awards

Apologies for the lack of updates. Like many people around the holidays, I've been busy with all sorts of things both art and not. I've been doing commissions, painting a really nice gift for a certain relative, buying and wrapping presents and getting together a business winter mailing (among other things).

I also saw The Golden Compass a couple days ago. The verdict is like but not love. Visually it was beautiful. Plot-wise I feel like they lost a good deal of the book's depth. A fun and enjoyable movie all the same :)

I got e-mails from the author and publisher on a contest my cover art has been nominated for. Please vote for my cover painting on The Fireborn Chronicles at the Covey Cover Awards. [There are polls vertically along either side of the blog, one for Most Eye-Catching Cover and one for Most Relevant Cover. My cover is #18 for both.] If you have a couple seconds please vote. Let's show up those photo manipulators! ;) Thank you so much.

Oh yes, I also updated my site with the image below... check out the full version in the Children's Illustration Gallery at www.LDiehl.com.


Warm Winter Wishes!