I've been away from my blog and illustration challenge work for a while, working on a commission: A poster illustration for a puppet show based on the fabulous Children's Book (Novel) 'Momo' by Michael Ende. The client wanted it to be apparent from the illustration that this will be a puppet show and what kind of puppets they were going to be; larger than life rod puppets which the puppeteers wear and move from the inside.

I first encountered 'Momo' when I was 19 years old and was taking my first steps into learning german. An Austrian Co-Worker suggested Learning german by reading 'Momo'. With a dictionary in one hand and my Austrian friend to help me understand the grammar, we embarked on this adventure... We progressed incredibly slowly and I ended up reading the book in English long before my german abilities enabled me to get through the first chapter of the original.

It's a truly wonderful Children's book which has a depth of truth and insight that can nourish and inspire many adults as well. To read more about the puppetry project follow this link.

A funny thing that happened in the process of working on the poster was that by the time the poster was finished the costume designer had decided that Momo's coat would not be green as they initially told me but would be red, the painting was already finished. I wonder if it was surprising for people to see the main character's coat look so different...

I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with this magical tale and the characters Momo and Cassiopeia.

illustration for a poster for the puppet show 'Momo The Time Titan'