Old John Mossfoot a new art and story in my Animal Series

Old John Mossfoot watched dainty Ida Acorn slip onto his little trap waiting to be transported, "She'll be an easy load at least," he thought, as he waited for his old mare to have a drink before trundling the old creature back to his carriage.

Old John Mossfoot had been 'Old John' since he himself was still a young lad, having got the moniker from his Father when he passed. His Father used to work up at the old Manor in it's heyday, a sort of dog's body odd job man of all sorts, was the first "Old John". The type of gent who'd get you what needed getting or put his hands to land or house work.

Of course His father, Old John, saw fit to expire on a warm Autumn day after a day's labor gleaning in the fields. Young John found his father thus under the old oak with a smile on his face and a pint in his hand smiling up at the sky. Since then Young John became Old John and his mother his responsibility at a young age.

Old John was truly Old now and his dear mother gone to Heaven to be with his Father. He thought of her and the smells associated with her: The warm scent of bread and kitchen scents from the tiny back kitchen in their little cottage. He Smiled recalling her as he tipped his hat to Ida and took off on their journey to the Old Manor.

"I'm hoping to get half a chance at the Old Manor with the new Folk, have you heard anything of them?" Ida Acorn asked innocently enough, tho she knew if there was anything to know Old John would know.

Old John Knew such questions were not innocent, but probing. It was true he often held the secrets of the district, but he found the less one talked and more one listened, the tittle tattle of town and country was handed to you on a silver platter.

He knew all about the Lady taking over the Old Manor. He even knew how she came about it and what her business was to be here, but he simply shrugged and gave his old grey mare a soft nudge with the reins.

"Them that was, has returned, I reckon," was all he said to her. His stoic ways gave little information, one had to ask the right way to get the sea of information from Old John.

Ida was too nervous to play at such a game, so she fiddled with her little handbag as they continued onto the Old Manor. Ida would have Old John over later and ply him with warm food in her little back kitchen. He always opened up more there, with a hot cup in his hand and warm bread on the board.

Old John Mossfoot was the the keeper of the Districts secrets and his own secret was to not expire as young as his Father, thus he plied his wares with patience and thought and always considered everything before he acted.

He knew this new adventure of the Lady returning to the Manor would give his business of information a great boost...things were going to be stirred up a bit, he felt it in his Old bones."

The sketch of Old John Mossfoot before color is added.

Well, it's a gorgeous day, the snow is still with us, but you can see the sun has been out. This is day number two, making the sea brilliant. One really has to squint, wear sunglasses on a day like today. Yet, it's warm enough that you can hear the sound of the snow falling in the distance. Today, I'll share a little snippet from my journal about one of my characters, Old John Mossfoot.

Introduction

In this blog post, we delve into the story of Old John Mossfoot, a character created by the narrator. As the snow melts and the sun shines upon the sea, we follow Old John Mossfoot's encounter with Dainty Ida Acorn and his ties to the old Manor.

Intrigued? Let's uncover the tale of Old John Mossfoot.

Old John Mossfoot's Story

Old John Mossfoot, a seasoned individual known for holding the secrets of the district, embarks on a journey with Dainty Ida Acorn to the old Manor. Through his interactions and musings, we learn about his past, his father, and his role as the keeper of the district's secrets.

Conclusion

Old John Mossfoot's narrative offers a glimpse into a character steeped in history and mystery. As we follow his journey to the old Manor, we witness the unfolding of events that hint at a stirring of secrets and revelations.

Stay tuned for more character stories and musings. Enjoy the journey through storytelling and creativity. Cheers!

I'm still having fun with my characters and a little story seems to be forming. Tho I'm still not putting any pressure on myself to create a story, I'm letting the characters come to life on my page and then they tell me about their lives and we'll see what comes of it. It rather feels like truly meeting people in a new place and getting to know snippets of their life before forming the story of a place; That's how it's been with these characters.

A GIF of some of the layers of the piece.

I’m having fun with these little fellows and I hope you are enjoying them too. I will be making them available as prints and on things in time, watch here to see , tho I’ll most like mention it on my vlog.

Here is the Video where I read the story out: