(My personal Illustration Challenge for 2017 is to complete one 'page spread' from a popular, modern or classic children's story each week, picked randomly from a hat. Using lines from the original text, I am re-creating the 'imagery' in my own way, just for fun!)

Soooo...

Where do you start with the iconic Alice and the fabulous and much-loved characters created by Mr Carroll?

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll. Published in 1865.

There are the very well-known illustrations by John Tenniel (you know, the Mad Hatter with the big head). Gorgeous!

I walked into this challenge knowing that I have a tendency to draw 'lone figure against the world' type images, so I was hoping to get something that would offer some sort of interaction between characters. In theory, yes I could have chosen a specific scene (eg the tea party) from this book, but I suppose I was a little scared of doing a bad copy of previous stuff. Cop out? Maybe. 

So I created a scene in my head, and absolutely stand by that decision since this book is full of weird and wonderful situations, dreamlike states that merge together and create fantasy. 

 This took me flippin' ages. Seriously, a lot of re-working. A lot of fiddling and layering and questioning. 

Hmm. I got to a stage where I just had to leave it. 

In many ways I have not got the 'interaction' I intended since all characters are still in their own little worlds, overwhelmed by their own problems. 

But I loved re-imagining the characters, and bringing in a bit more colour. 

And can you spot the seventh character?