Dom Civiello

Far Far from the Falling Leaves Dom Civiello

"Far Far from the Falling Leaves" is a story of mystery, adventure, and the unexpected that follows an agent who investigates strange occurrences. This book offers a 100-page narrative with over 30 illustrations. Whether we instigate it or not, it is ordinary to encounter problems. Big or small, a false lead, trap, storm, bandit, or fire, we usually premeditate the difficulty we will have to endure in order to prevail. Often, we get caught up in a cycle of foreshadowed thinking, confine our actions to those thoughts, and restrict ourselves from anything unanticipated. Where we end up maybe wildly different than where we expected to be, but it still will be somewhere. Problems do not have to be a problem. It is only a momentary perception. As a problem develops we should bend with it, like branches in the breeze, instead of turning the tides against it. In some ways, we are all agents on missions and should invite unexpected happenings more often because this is where true adventure, growth, and discovery hide. During the month of October, as the season changed, leaves fell, and the wind turned cold, I wrote a story and created an illustration each day. With no preconceived perceptions or advanced planning, Everyday started with nothing and ended with something. The story developed naturally based on the previous day's work. The narrative was prefixed with vocabulary that would dictate the images and overall context, while simultaneously experimenting with style, craft, and storytelling. From idea to process to product, the story metaphors of persistence and unexpected outcome were continuously rediscovered in every phase of the project.