Here is my contribution to Our Favorite Scene Zine latest edition, which compiled over 20 artists’ interpretations of the reunion scene from THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA. This book was my first inroad to TJ’s staggering body of work, and remains one of my comfort books at times when my faith in humanity is challenged, or when parenting two smarty-pants gets particularly hard. 😅 From the outset, I wanted to focus on the kids’ reactions to Arthur and Linus’s reunion, because love is something that children inherit from their grownups, and that joy multiplies as they grow up in safe and accepting spaces. I hope you like how it came out. 💕
- Linus, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Special birthday art of one of our favorite scenes from THITCS for my dear @argylefetish / @penpanoply (without whom I might never have read this book)! She’s not only a handlettering master and my giveaway collaborator, but also just the most genuinely positive and warm person I’ve ever met. Like Linus, she is too precious to put into words, and I’m so grateful she’s a part of my life.
By popular demand: Baz in jeans. :)
“I’m trying to imagine what you’re doing at my door… Did you roll down a very steep hill and land here?”
“Baz…,” he says again. And I wait for him to get it out. “You’re–you’re wearing jeans.”
I tilt my head. “I am. And you’re wearing half the country-side.”
- Chapter 53, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Simon’s face is perfect, holy shit 😂
I know that I should probably be focusing on Simon and Baz (who look amazing by the way) but I also love all of the other details. Like the staircase? That’s so fantastic! And all the other things, too. The fire, the piano. And the DRAGON-SHAPED VASE?!?? That’s my favorite part, I think!
@angelsfalling16: You’re awesome for noticing those details. I’ve left a few Easter eggs for fans of the book to find. One was the strategic placement of that dragon vase behind Simon’s back (if you squint, you should see what I mean). The other two are subtle references to two very important ghosts. :)