For some reason I've been singing "Wake Me Up When September Ends" while I've been drawing this picture of Millie. I think it's because she is the epitome of innocence, and little children grow up way too fast. Then it hit me, I could enter this into Cataclysm-X's contest for songs - I had something else in mind, but I think I like this better! Contest info: [link]

I'm really proud of this drawing. The ref pic has such a special quality and I really feel like I've been able to translate that into this drawing. Whew! My hands are tired from all that dark dark shading. A couple of years ago I would have never thought I could make a drawing so dark, but I've learned what patience and layers of different leads can do.

Ref pic by the talented Claire Bradshaw : [link]

I can still remember the first time I heard this song...It was late summer/early autumn in New England - we had just moved there *again* and we were in our hotel room (6 people in a hotel for THREE MONTHS) and that song came on and I immediately fell in love with it. I can't describe the feeling I get when I hear this song...it's about newness, adventure, but also about memories, some of them which fade with time despite our best intentions. I still feel as young and innocent as Milly sometimes, and yet, here I am, with four kids, and life is just speeding by... Sometimes I just want new adventures, and sometimes I just want to be young again, with no health problems and even so, want life to slow down, so I can experience these moments I will never be able to get back....

This image just captures it for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wake Me Up When September Ends"

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends

- Green Day