A Comforting Cup of Tea: A Junior Narrative Illustration by Elizabeth Halliday (2013)

Through my Narrative Illustration, I am depicting the character of Chester, a school aged boy, as he tries to continue his love for magic while his prestigious school, especially the principal, continuously discourages and tries to stop his whimsical behaviors. Chester, and his love for magic and hypnotism, is represented by the cup of tea. Magic is something that naturally comes easily for him, something that comforts him and is something he goes to often, just as tea is often a comfort drink. The tea-bag is his inspiration: the creativity and daydreams that he thrives through. It is seeping through, giving the tea its flavor, or its ideas and motivation. The steam that is floating away from the hot tea is Chester's magic, the final product of his daydreams and passion. Additionally, the tea cup is sitting on a swing, held up by rope made of the things in his life which support Chester, especially magic. The thick vines represent character of the Principal, who is constantly trying to hold back Chester's love for magic, for it clashes with the Principal's ideas of a prestigious and academic school, and he finds it distracting for the other students. The vines are coming up and curling around his support and inspiration, trying to restrict them and hold them down. The green in the background represents that there are going to be many more vines than just the immediately visible ones that will be trying to restrict Chester in achieving his love of magic.