Iris the Art Muse was groaning and face-palming. She couldn’t believe I was contemplating doing another art challenge. I told her, “It’s OK—see, I’m just going to do stuff that we have to do anyway—I’m going to draw, ink, or colour one comics page per day. That’s all!”

She said, “uh-huh”, and gave me That Look. Poor hard-working muse. “Why can’t you just do a little sketch every day in that wee Moleskine accordion book you’ve been saving for a special project?”

I wavered. It seemed so simple, so tempting, so doable. But I have four comics projects on the go, and this seemed like the ideal chance to push myself a little, see what I’m really capable of, and beat some deadlines. I went to bed anticipating the glorious stack of comics pages I’d have at the end of the month. Iris went to bed (or wherever muses go for the night) chewing her nails.

This morning I got up and checked the e-mail. The Opus Daily Practice Challenge had sent me a prompt! I wasn’t planning to do the prompts, but as soon as I read the word “egg”, I had a Vision! So I got out the wee Moleskine accordion book and showed Iris.

“Oh good”, she said, “you’ve seen sense”.

“Yes, I’m going to do 28 little sketches and then I’ll have a full book! It will be so cool!”

Iris nearly wept with relief.

“But since I have to get all these pages done, I’m keeping the challenge of the comics page a day too. Think of all the fun we’ll have in the studio together this month!”

Iris is on the phone. I think she’s calling for an intervention.

(If you haven’t met Iris yet, click on her name at the very beginning. You’ll like her, she’s fun and scrappy)

Here’s what I made today:

I did get my comics page done, and the prompt that Opus sent as well in the wee notebook. So there, Iris!

Fans of Mermaid Music will be pleased to know that the comic page you see above is part of a new mini-adventure featuring Aunt Root in her younger days. The page is drawn in blue pencil, in preparation for scanning it and then inking it digitally, hopefully in Manga Studio if I can figure it out (I’m trying something new here). It will be published in the first Kraken Komiks anthology, a comics collective of which I am one of the co-founders (I’ll write about that another time). I’m also working on keeping up with my page-a-week for Mermaid Music itself, a new kids’ comic, and some more Quadra Cats stories. And, um, I really should get going on that story about Iris and that upstart Music Muse, Melody.

Today’s prompt was “egg” and I immediately thought “dragon”. I also need some practice drawing hands, so I drew mine.

I’m also working on keeping up with my page-a-week for Mermaid Music itself, a new kids’ comic, and some more Quadra Cats stories. And, um, I really should get going on that story about Iris and that upstart Music Muse, Melody.

Iris is off the phone, and heard me say that. She says “I won’t let them take you away, if you promise to start on my new comic.”

Deal.