the shop is open!

Hey-de-ho!

After a couple of requests I have made some greeting cards using some of the pandemic drawing I’d done throughout 2020 and into 2021. The inside of all the cards are blank so you can write something special of your own.

So I’ve re-opened my online shop and added them, check it out here essayer.com.au/shop

I’ve had them printed professionally, but only in a small run, to test the waters. Essentially the early bird will catch the worm here. But I’m happy to print more especially if you want to make a large or, dare I say, a wholesale order or would like to distribute them or… well the possibilities are endless, email shop@essayer.com.au and I’m sure we can work something out.

So, check out the cards, I’ve also got a few tea towels left and some copies of the book I did with Wild Dog Books, Earth Matters : loving our planet. Which you can opt to purchase, if you so wish.

There’s also a link to my Redbubble page there to order t-shirts, just in cases :)

Cheers!

Earth Matters: How to make a book, from catastrophic fires and through a pandemic

Part 1: Catastrophic fires can’t stop my self promotion

The story of how I got to illustrate this book is just as amazing as getting it done. Really, it is.

It all began with the 2019/2020 new year. We’d decided as a family to go and camp at the block my sister-in-law and her husband own. Spending a couple of days seeing in the new year, singing songs around the campfire, swimming in the cool clear waters of the Sapphire Coast, doing the Merimbula Shuffle (where you and all the other tourists wander up and down the main street of Merimbula), just like last year!

But it had already begun.

By the time we got there, the rest of the camp was on high alert. Not a lot of action in town, people staying put. Weary and worried, we were welcomed nervously. With the smoke already in the air, we settled in the best we could.

The next day we went to the beach, while there, a cavalcade of caravans and campers started setting up in an area not to be used for that purpose. Word spread. They’d been evacuated from Mallacoota.

The following morning, we went and did the Merimbula Shuffle, that is, we walked up and down the main street of Merimbula looking in the shops and eating all the foods.

We went back to the camp packed everything up leaving only what we actually needed to put our hands on, just in case. We had dinner at Eden’s Fishermans Club, deciding not to head too far away from the camp - but trying to get out of the smoke.

With the red glow showing over the mountain at the back of the block, we had a nervous night at the camp. Ash was everywhere when we woke up. Camp Leader decided we needed to move closer to town, out of the bush land. They had a friend with an empty house not far from town and we would all stay there. We made sure the cars had full tanks. The smoke was very thick by now, and everything was orange. The road to Melbourne was closed. The road to Canberra was closed.

NYE was stressful - to say the least.

New year’s day dawned and we woke to the news that the road to Canberra was open. We didn’t hesitate. We got the last of our belongings packed and we headed out in a convoy.

Camp Leader decided to stay.

So we went home the long way. Nose to tail until Cooma. We were on the road for 14 hours, with a short stop in Canberra. We were safe. A bit smokey, very tired and with raspy voices.

We continued to watch the emergency apps, hoping then camp and Camp Leader was keeping safe.

Alerts and stories were being shared all over Twitter: what can we do, who can we, help, where can we help. Celeste Barber had raised so much money but it was set up for a narrow band of recipients, so different parts of the community started to step up. #AuthorsForFireys  was born. Led by Emily Gale, it created a way for established Authors and Illustrators on Twitter to provide services like manuscript reads or portfolio reviews or query letter finessing or signed copies of works etc... Ran as an auction it raised over $500,000 (AUD).

I spied a little tweet.

I put in a bid and da da dahhhhh... I won a portfolio review!

It was from that quick look at my website that Donna saw something for a friend in the industry, and from there the rest is in the previous post. 

So out of the catastrophic fires came a book illustrator. Hopefully, that’s the last time that happens and the next one comes from a quiet search through portfolio sites. No more fires, thanks.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Pandemic Ahoy! 

Cheers,

…and Camp Leader and camp were all ok too.

Back and cleaning up the bird poop!

Having been out of the studio of the last little while – nearly a month! I came in to find my little studio buddy has left their calling card on my desk. The cheeky culprit was getting brave with no-one about, but is elusive now I’m back.

little studio buddy

Overused phrase I’m sure, but it is interesting times. How we go back to what we did and how we did it will be as fascinating as living through how it all turned upside down.

An opportunity to do things better but I fear is that the loudest and greediest will have their way and the rest will be cleaning up after them. Again.

What is interesting is the most effective way of protecting the community from the infection is caring work. Providing space for people, cooking, cleaning, teaching, reassuring, nursing. Caring. Caring about each other.

A vaccine is really the only way this will enable anything like how we used to travel, live, share. We will just have to keep caring.

But since it’s Mother’s Day in Australia in a few weeks (10th May). I’ve put some new cards up (see below) which are suitable for just this occasion, along with the tea towels and prints that may bring a smile.

So pop by the shop and see what’s available and to help you out I’ve set up a code for free shipping anywhere in Australia. Put in WINNING2020 at the checkout until 6th May.

The postal service is a bit slammed at the moment but with all that’s going on sending things by post is a fab way to connect with people you can’t see in person (who doesn’t like a surprise in the mail that’s not a bill?!?) so order early, order often!

Cheers,