Telegraph Hill

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Noise. Night comes early in late autumn - and sounds carry and are magnified. The remaining crickets are only faintly audible - but the sound of the flapping of a bird's wings is easier to hear. After a long bout of studying and caffeine intake, the imagination races as creatures of myth and fiction come to mind.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Octopus. The baby octopuses had been dropped into the pond as hatchlings and were both outgrowing the confines of the pond. They were ready to explore the world.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Exotic. It illustrates the metamorphosis of a pair of tools into living, breathing, organic creatures.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Spirit (with a Victorian Gothic look to it).

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Entangled. The horse spooked; the boot got entangled in the reins.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Together. Together, the little lanterns and headlamps of the train helped to dispel the dark of night.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Totem. Totem is defined as a natural object or animal believed by a society to have spiritual significance, and adopted by it as an emblem. Crane mythology has a long history in many cultures (particularly in Asia) as symbolic of happiness and eternal youth. In Japan, the crane is one of the mystical or holy creatures, and symbolizes good fortune and longevity. It has a fabled lifespan of a thousand years. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. After WWII, the crane came to symbolize peace and the innocent victims of war.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Hidden. The streets were empty, and all the humans had gone home for the night. That was when the animals emerged from the hidden trap door in the floor.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Rescue. This is a portrayal of a Maori hero, answering a call for help.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Jungle. It includes a mixture of jungle themes: Mayan ruins, an action man, and flora and fauna.

This is my entry for the Illustration Friday theme, Surveillance. Everyone in this room is under surveillance. Old mystery book characters like Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys were an influence for this illustration.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Stretch. She held the magnifying glass up to her eye. It produced the optical illusion of an outlandishly stretched eye.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Whiskers. When the ladybug landed on his whiskers, the yowling began.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Zoom. He gaze focussed on the scene like a zoom lens.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Tree. The tree is such a beautiful, yet underappreciated gift to the world. It produces oxygen for us to breathe, removes carbon dioxide (cooling the earth), purifies the air, and protects against soil erosion.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Shy. This entry features little, shy frogs peeking out from behind a large, showy flower.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Burst. The diver burst onto the scene out of nowhere. The cat eyed the man warily, as he looked like he might burst through the wall.

This is my posting for this week's Illustration Friday theme, Imagination. In many cultures, the raven was a symbol of communication with the imagination, and subconcious. It was also viewed as sometimes being a mischievous trickster. At times the sun will strike its feathers at the right angle, and reveal an iridescent band of colour.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Identical. Identical twin elves, and two sides of a hedge, identical in shape and size.

This is my posting for the Illustration Friday theme, Tall. Tall hedges, and tall hats.