''The King of Clowns Descends'': small two-piece with a very personal story

Today, I feel the need to share a special kind of work with you, one, or rather, two, I haven't really shared with you before. It's a small two-piece I made in 2012 and originally, I intended it this two to expand to a larger series, but I never got around to that, because, even though he does reappear often in later work, the main character has a very special meaning for me.

It's called: ''The King Of Clowns Descends, #1-2''

This little two-piece is dedicated to my late Bigger Brother William de Witt, affectionaly known als Willy. A charming dreamer with a heavy heart and mind, who lightened up other people's lives, but didn't share a deep affection for life himself. He departed from this earthly building at the too-young age of 38, when I was only in my early 20's and trying to come to terms with this thing called Life myself. Which, in more ways than one, I never really could and never will - but still, in many ways more than he ever could.

In many, many ways I didn't know him really well, but I do remember his witty intellect and humour, his way with words, his boyish charm, his love for playing chess and for cats. I remember the sound of his voice as he was making fun with (or rather making fun of) my other siblings or my mother, but also as he was reading comic books with me, such as The Adventures of Asterix. But most of all, engraved in my memory for ever, is the sound of him singing along with one of his most favourite song of all time, the great American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka's ''King of Clowns''.

That pretty much explains the title of this little two-piece (and nope, this one is NOT for sale, EVER).

So long, my Bigger Brother, our very own King of Clowns. Wherever you are now, whatever destination you took off 27 years ago, I hope it's a place where you can play all the chess of the universe. And that there are lots of cats around.

Rediscovering "Willow Minnows'': a bunch of little cheeky bastards!

In 2012, I began working on a series called ''Willow Minnows''. As often in my work, this series also featured a bunch of little ''unsung heroes''. The little folk battling the far higher powers that be. The first two drawings came about pretty quickly, then somehow, my attention got divided and turned elsewhere, to other Witty Art Series.

It was not sooner than fall 2014, when I started working on what I thought was a new set of drawings, for a fresh new series. But as I was working on them, it soon became clear that these were part of ''The Willow Minnows'' family, or tribe, or whatever you want to call it.

It's within the very nature of Witty Art Series that some are ''ongoing'', as in: I can work on them enthusiastically for a while, and then put them aside for a while. Not because I am done with them at that moment, but because I have said what I wanted to say for now and it's time for a break. And it's not that I forget all about them, as I work on other series of drawings, and Singles too. It's more like often some work needs to rest for some time, to grow, to ripe, pretty much like a fine wine or cheese. And some work needs a bit longer time than others.

To me, it's always a surprise when I look at work I've stored away for a while. Will I find the work still as interesting, as thrilling as I first created it? Will I see new things, discover new insights, feel something I didn't feel before? When I do, I almost always instantly know there will be more of these. New additions to this specific series, or new ways of exploring the theme in a more Singles-like manner.

Sometimes, I just find the series is ''done'' all together. And that's also fine. 

But in the case of ''Willow Minnows'', none of the above. I just started working on them again, while not even knowing or realising I was doing so. And, it was just as good that I did, as I managed to sell one of the later drawings almost immediately.

Just goes to show what a bunch of cheeky ones these ''Willow Minnows'' are. Never underestimate them - at least I won't!

I will dedicate a separate blogspost to these new drawings soon!