New Illustrations for Cambridge University Press

I'm finally finished!

Cambridge University Press (African Division)

commissioned over 20 illustrations from me for their Grade 2 English textbook. It was a huge project, and learning process for me. How do you illustrate the lives of children in a completely foreign country? I spent a lot of time asking Mark seemingly irrelevant questions about South African childhood.

But, all the wondering and worrying was worth it. I packed them up and sent them off to my editor last week. And someday soon, a gaggle of young seven- to eight-year-old children will be learning from my illustrations.

Working on reference works is a huge responsibility. These images will inform the young children, and stay in their memories for years to come.

And the icing on the cake? Walking away from my editor's house on 'delivery day' and seeing a hummingbird buzzing in a purple bougainvillea above my head. The perfect end to a huge project.

Making Friends in Michaelis Iziko Museum

There's nothing better than spending an afternoon in a museum. At least not for me. I absolutely loved the afternoon I spent wandering through the Iziko Museumsof Cape Town. The big National Gallery is situated in the middle of the peaceful Companies Gardens, a corridor of green that runs through the city. It was lovely and informative....

...but... my favourite was the smaller Michaelis Collection in a restored Old Town House off Greenmarket Square. It holds Iziko's collection of Netherlandish art. There are paintings by Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Ruisdal. They were all lovely, but my favourite painting (above) was by someone rather unknown. So unknown in fact, that I forgot to write down his details. The minute I saw it I knew I had found a friend.

Did I know her in a previous age? Were my ancestors acquaintances of hers? We're both of Dutch extraction after all. She looked like she might have had a pithy sense of humour and a nose for fun.

Mark Rutherford's Amazing Photography

My husband and I decided that our sabbatical in Cape Town would be a time to let our creative minds wander. We both needed a break from our carefully planned and maintained London routines. Sometimes change (of pace, of location) can be exactly what the creative spirit needs.

I've spent the time working on finishing projects (hopefully I can share some of them soon), and thinking about new possibilities.

And Mark Rutherford, my lovely husband, has transformed himself from an computer-geek-banker into a computer-geek-photographer. He's always carried a camera around, and seems to see the world through a lens. When there is no camera available he often laments, "Oh! That would have been a perfect shot!"

I'm so proud to be able to share his new website with the world. The amazing picture of Canary Wharf above comes from his home page. I think it is my favourite image right now. Check it out on Pinterest and repin if you like it too!

We had an intimate launch party last night at Wakame (just the two of us), and toasted the new site with a sundown gin and tonic.

Check it out at: http://www.markrutherford.co.uk/

I hope you find it inspiring!

Wow! Tulips... Deadlines... Boing!

Absences make the heart grow fonder, at least so I hope. I've had a super busy offline month, winging across the world from Bologna to London, London to Amsterdam, and then all the way back to Cape Town. Some of it was work related, but a lot of it was play, and I enjoyed every minute.

The best part of the trip was an afternoon in the Keukenhof Garden in the Netherlands.  The tulips and other bulbs were in full glory, and the garden was a riot of fragrance and colour. It was so inspiring, and I hope I can infuse some of that wild colour into my illustrations.

We also spent a few days in Bruges, which was the most beautiful town I've ever seen. Seriously.

My travels have been a month of "wow." Wow sights punctuated by

WOW

deadlines. Nothing like taking too much on your plate at one time! You know that line from White Christmas? When Bing Crosby is asked by Danny Kaye “What’s Wow?” And Bing Crosby says, "Right between “Ouch” and “Boing-g.”

That’s about how I’m feeling right now.

Hopefully I'll soon be able to share some of the Wow (or is it Boing-g?) illustrations I've completed. Stay tuned!

And... In Bruges....

A few more Bologna sketches

A random lady and an exhausted illustrator from the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Bologna Children's Book Fair 2011

Illustrators in the illustrators cafe

Here is the promised (massive) post on the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2011. For those of you who don't know, the BCBF is the place where all publishers from around the world gather to sell publishing and translation rights for their latest kids books. That's the main function, but along with the buying, selling and trading, there are great exhibitions, seminars, and opportunities to talk to the decision-makers themselves.

As an illustrator, I attend the fair in order to see and be seen. I carry my portfolio and business cards, and make the effort to talk to the top editors/art directors of all the publishing houses I admire the most. Sometimes they are interested, and sometimes they're not. It's kind of like having job interviews all day long for four days straight. Even if one doesn't receive a contract (and few do), the art director's comments are usually insightful and inspiring.

I've gone two years in a row, and this year I was more relaxed than last year. Last year I felt compelled to speak to everyone and make a good impression. I was desperate to make contacts and show everyone my portfolio. This year I already knew a lot of the editors, so I felt more at ease.

My favourite place is the illustrator's cafe. It is a large carpeted area where illustrators can lounge in their down-time. Several times per day there are great talks and seminars for illustrators led by the best and brightest in the industry (think Brian Selznick).

Around the illustrators cafe is a large white wall, where everyone can leave their business cards. Below you see my business card on the first day...

And here is the same patch of wall on the last day...

Can you spot my diminutive card?

I met up with the London illustrator Amanda Pollard for a lovely dinner at a small restaurant near the piazza maggiore. She is just starting out in the children's book game, and was keen to learn the ropes and get her name out there. Bologna is certainly the place to do it, and I hope she was successful!

The town of Bologna loves the children's book fair, and puts on events and exhibitions to coincide with the fair. The public library had an exhibition called "ABC Africa Children's Books." It exhibited the best children's books about Africa.

Bologna is often called 'la dotta', which means 'the learned.' The university is the oldest in Europe, and one of the most respected in Italy. It seems that graduation falls on the same week as the book fair. In ancient Roman style, the graduates wear laurel leaf wreaths parade around the streets playing loud instruments.

And, of course, no post on Bologna would be complete without the obligatory picture of the fountain of Neptune. I just love the slightly risque sea nymphs/mermaids riding their dolphins.

Tomorrow I will post a few more sketches I did at the fair.

Bologna's Two Leaning Towers

Pisa has nothing on Bologna. It may have that ONE really famous leaning tower, but Bologna has TWO! And they lean in opposite directions!

I had an absolutely wonderful time at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2011. I promise to post pictures shortly.

And the dust settles

We've been living in a building site for the past month and a half. It it's not one thing, it's another. First the courtyard was collapsing, then the roof was leaking, then the toilet blew up... this house has incurred a long list of wounds over the past few years.

But now, finally, things are coming right. Hopefully the biggest and most destructive work is done for the time being.

The dust is settling, and now we can clean up the detritus, pour a glass of wine, and put our feet up.

An Afternoon at University of Cape Town

Yesterday I spent the afternoon talking books and publishing with Ron Irwin at the University of Cape Town. It was a most inspiring afternoon, the perfect combination of inspiring conversation and the perfect surroundings.

The University of Cape Town is one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever set foot on (apologies to y alma mater). It sits half-way up the side of Table Mountain, overlooking the the city in the valley below. It is an intellectual aerie, bustling with students.

I had to restrain myself from running to the admissions office with an application. Wouldn't you want to study here? I sure would.

Next time I'll bring my sketchbook.

View from Rhodes Memorial

The Ivy

Views of Vredehoek

I am slowly, but surely returning to my sketchbook after a month of neglecting it for household D.I.Y. It was a necessary distraction for the leaking pipes, leaking roofs, crumbling courtyards needed immediate attention, but I'm very glad to be over the worst now, and able to concentrate on more artistic pursuits.

We live in the Vredehoek district of Cape Town. Roughly translated, Vredehoek means "peaceful corner" in Afrikaans. It is really quite peaceful, aside from the gale force winds that blow practically every day. The trees are permanently bowed like hunchbacks.

The view out our front gate is amazing: Table Mountain soars above, and there is some of the most beguiling architecture with lacy-white ironwork railings.

Birthday Self-Portrait

Another year has rolled around, and another birthday is past. In continuing with the Birthday Self-Portrait challenge I drew myself in beach gear.

What is Cape Town?

I’ve been in Cape Town for three weeks now; three weeks of frustration punctuated by moments of inspiration.

We’ve been waiting for Telkom to connect our phone/internet for over a month, each time a technician comes to our house he finds another obscure technical fault that needs repair before we can be connected to the grid.At first I was furious, but now I just laugh.What will the technician say today, I wonder?How ridiculous will it be this time?

Life here is a bundle of contradictions, which makes me ask: What is Cape Town?Cape Town is a non sequitor.

The biggest contradiction is probably the clash between the two oceans – the warm Indian and cold Atlantic – over the various mountain ranges makes for interesting and unpredictable weather.It can be cold and cloudy on one side of Table Mountain, and warm and balmy on the other.The wind can blow with gale force speeds in one borough, and whisper gently in others, all depending on the oceans and the mountains.

But there is also a conflict of society, culture, affluence…Every opposition serves to make this place more fascinating.

How many contradictions can I think of?

Windy/calm

Hot/cold

Clean/dirty

Affluent/poor

Wise/foolish

Stylish/grungy

Expensive/cheap

Traditional/irreverent

Beguiling/infuriating

And, there are so many more.

But what I realized, as I was contemplating these differences, that Cape Town can’t be defined by its attributes… rather, the city somehow defines you by how it makes you feel.

Maybe, after all, Cape Town is just a bundle of feelings.

N.B. I haven't been able to post any recent drawings, so above is a little piece of experimental typography.

Cape Town Studio

Slowly but surely we are sorting out the house. On the weekend I set up my studio in one of the spare bedrooms. The table is a hand-me-down from who knows whom, and the chair was from M's Oma (German grandmother). The window looks over our beautiful courtyard with a huge grape arbour, and above that I can see the tip of Devil's Peak.

It is inspiring. So inspiring in fact, that I can hardly concentrate. I tried to get a large chunk of editing done this morning and I was constantly distracted by the view, the butterflies, the sounds...

And then I thought: isn't it ironic that I'm writing a story set on the Northern tip of Africa (Tunisia) and my studio is on the Southern tip of Africa (Cape Town)?

In Cape Town

I've arrived on the bottom-most tip of Africa!

It's been a busy week of moving, cleaning and re-orienting. The house is beginning to feel livable, and I'm almost finished setting up my studio (photos soon, promise...)

There's still much to be done, and we don't have internet set up yet, so my blogging may be more sporadic in the near future.

In the mean time, I wanted to share a quick, unfinished sketch of the profile of Table Mountain. It's the view from M's parent's house, where we were staying before moving in to our own place. I have no scanner, so forgive the fuzzy photograph.

And below, is the view of Table Mountain and Devil's Peak from our back patio. Stunning.

Glamorous Travel

Travel isn't glamorous.

Destinations can be glamorous... New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles...

Travel is mostly horrendous. The stress of packing bags, and then the interminable sitting in an airplane waiting for the minutes to pass before landing (all 12 hours of them).

I dream of travelling in style. I'd wear my skinny jeans and vertiginous pink heals, and carry beautiful luggage (instead of the ratty bags I currently own). And, there would be absolutely no weight restrictions or baggage allowances. Everything I wanted would fit into my bags, just like Mary Poppins.

Of course, if I were Mary Poppins I'd just open my umbrella, catch the next breeze, and float to my destination. Now that is glamour in a nutshell (after all, glamour is old English for 'magic' or 'enchantment').

The importance of doing something else

Illustration by Carl Larsson

As New Year's Day approaches it is natural to take stock of one's life and ambitions. I've always considered myself lucky that I've known exactly what I wanted to do with my life: tell stories through words and pictures. But, this single-minded focus of passion can sometimes be too intense.

So, I think it is necessary to cultivate other interests. Sometimes it is important to follow one's curiosity in order to spark more inspiration. And, also, it isn't fun to be 'all work and no play' all the time.

My efforts in doing 'something else' are two-fold. One: I'm rekindling my love for playing piano. And, in the spirit of winter and all things Northern, I'm working my way through my rather heavy book of Edvard Grieg Piano Works. (Hence the Carl Larsson illustration to head this post; more Scandinavian inspiration).

And Two: I'm also contemplating a sabbatical in a rather different hemisphere. Some time-off to tend my creative inspiration and give some breathing space for the soul. (More on that later).

But, for this Christmas season, I want to leave you with a few songs from my Grieg Piano Book to inspire your creative studio time. I won't inflict my own playing on you, instead I've found some other, very accomplished, people on youtube to play them for you instead. Enjoy!

1.

Norwegian Melody

2.

Melodie

3.

Im Balladenton

4.

Matrosenlied

5. (the one I could play 10 years ago, and need to refresh...)

Hochzeitstag auf Troldhaugen

6. And... as a special treat, the piece I have been playing for 10 years, and still working towards perfection.

Poulenc's Novelette #1

.

And the best part of all this is that none of it really matters. Whether I play the pieces well or dismally is of no consequence to me or anyone. All I'm doing is keeping my soul engaged while I grope through the darkness trying to turn my passion into a reality.

One of my heroes, Madeliene L'Engle, often described how she would work tirelessly on perfecting her Bach fugues, because the mathematical precision of them helped her to order the plots of her stories. Perhaps that's what I'm doing, subconsciously... using music to help order my creative mind.

And, thinking about ordering plots... I must escape into my imagination and get back to writing chapter 4.

And, I'm curious about other illustrators 'other interests.' What do you do to keep your creative soul balanced?

Posy Simmonds at Laydeez do Comics

Last night we hosted the Posy Simmonds at our last Laydeez Do Comics of 2010. What a wonderful Christmas treat! She has the most delightful attitude: part comedienne, part anthropologist, examining the motives behind different people. And, she slips easily in and out of character, accent or dialect. For example, when she talks about Raymond Joubert (from Gemma Bovery), she slips into a French accent and her facial expressions and hand movements suggest a middle-aged baker from Normandy. This made her talk delightful and very entertaining.

Here are some of my notes:

Posy studied at the Central School of Art and Design (which later became Central St Martins). She was taught typography more than drawing, and that influence definitely shows through her work. She did all the lettering by hand in Gemma Bovery, and she said she can draw a 12pt font perfectly.

She started out by doing spot illustrations and cartoons for the Guardian. She lived nearby, and they liked to call her to do rush last-minute work, because they knew she could run the finished product over very quickly. Posy said that she probably did about 14-15 illustrations per week. Then, the Guardian started a 'women's page', where they asked Posy to start a comic strip.

Another huge influence in her stories and artwork are things. The stuff people surround themselves with. Those things can say as much about a person's personality or 'class' as their actions. For example, different people have different kinds of coffee makers, and the type of coffee maker they have signifies their taste as well as how wealthy they are.

Her process for creating a strip is threefold: first she scribbles sketches and notes on layout paper to get the feel of the strip. Then she works to find her characters, modifying them slightly so they fit the parts. Then she draws out her rough cells and figures out the on composition. Then, she finishes it.

For writing longer stories, such as her serialized Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe, she works on a huge A2 piece of paper. She divides the paper in half and writes all her stream-of-consciousness ideas for one page of story on the right hand side. Then, she sifts through those notes to create a complete text for the page on the right hand side. That way her notes and text are in the same place, on the same A2 piece of paper.

The reason why Gemma Bovery is in a long-thin format is because that's the space the Guardian gave her when they serialized the comic. So, the newspaper informed the shape of the book. Gemma's gamine look was partly inspired by the way Princess Diana always looked upwards through her fringe.

At the end of the talk Posy answered questions and drew cartoons on an overhead projector. It was wonderful to see her live-drawing. I took a short video of her comparing the process of drawing the two teenagers, Jody and Casey, from Tamara Drewe. I was about to post it on this blog, but then I got a twinge from my conscience. Would Posy want me to post a video of her drawing? I don't know? What do you think?

I had to leave early, because I'm fighting a terrible cold. If you want to read more about the talk (and some of the things I might have missed), go to the Laydeez Blog HERE. Ellen Linder's post should be up in a day or two. Or, go to Sarah McIntyre's exhaustive POST on the evening. And, HERE is a great article about Posy by the Telegraph.

The Moment of Privacy has Passed

The night of December 10th was the opening for The Moment of Privacy has Passed at the Usher Gallery in Lincoln. It was a star studded affair; the exhibitors included Grayson Perry, Tom Gauld, Nicola Streeten, Sarah Lightman, Daniel Berry, and of course.... yours truly.

I was delighted to find that my sketchbook was scattered directly underneath Tom Gauld's inimitable sketchbooks. What glorious company I'm keeping in Lincoln! He draws weekly cartoons for the Guardian newspaper, and is a hero of mine. You can see one of his sketchbooks HERE.

My sketchbook contained research drawings for Magic at the Museum. The page the curator John Plowman chose to display was my architectural measurements for the interior of Somerset House. The funny thing is that the page relates to a spread in the book that never got published. Below you see the sketchbooks, and the page from the book.


Here you see someone looking at my sketchbook... or Tom Gauld's sketchbook...?

The opening was packed

Déjà Vu:

The funny thing about being included in this exhibition in Lincoln was that I've been in before Lincoln as a little girl, and never expected to return. At least not as an artist exhibited in their major museum. Here is a picture of me riding on my Dad's shoulders by the castle. I was almost 4, and very camera shy (hence the head turned away from the photographer).
Somehow, the fact that life has come full circle and I'm back in Lincoln doing what I love means a lot to me. It seems to signify that I'm on the right track. Hopefully more synchronicity will occur in the next few months as we prepare for big developments.

A homesick prairie girl

I spent a wonderful, wonderful day in Lincoln yesterday, where I attended the opening of

The Moment of Privacy is Passed

. I'll blog about the exhibition shortly (and my previous connections to Lincoln), but for the moment I want to share my love for the prairies.

Let's play spot the difference..... Which picture is Lincolnshire and which is Manitoba?

Can you tell? Both are flat, both have telephone poles, both have a lone tree, both have snow...

Well, the top is Lincolnshire and the bottom is near my hometown in Steinbach. Similar enough to make any prairie girl pine for home.

Cezanne's Card Players at the Courtauld

Paul Cézanne’s famous paintings of peasant card players and pipe smokers have long been considered to be among his most iconic and powerful works. So says the Courtauld of their new exhibition Cézanne's Card Players.

The rustic card players were some of my favourite paintings when I was studying at the Courtauld. In particular, "Man with a Pipe", and "The Card Players" which depict the same man named Alexandre in two different situations. Alexandre was one of my favourite characters to illustrate in my children's book Magic at the Museum.

Alexandre was a peasant gardener. Cézanne strove to capture the essence of these sun-beaten farmers with the rough application of paint and deep browns.

If you look closely, you will see that his head is very small compared to his body (or, perhaps he is just very tall). I used this feature to advantage in the Magic at the Museum action scenes; Alexandre always looks very strong and powerful. In response to the sometimes odd perspective in his paintings, Cézanne told his critics, "I have a lazy eye."

The famous English critic Roger Fry wrote in 1927: “It is hard to think of any design ... which gives us so extraordinary a sense of monumental gravity and resistance – of something that has found its centre and can never be moved.”

This in an interesting quote, because I imagined Alexandre to be the strong, solid centre of the crack-the-whip game the characters play on the Somerset House Ice Rink. Here you see him holding everyone steady while they whirl around the ice.