so far

Best laid plans went up in smoke early. Although what I learned was that it’s less exhausting if you go with the current than against it. Might not end up where you thought you’d be but better able to deal with what ever’s there because you’re happy and ready to go. 

January and most of February was swallowed by covid. Then a short holiday to Eden and home the long way through Canberra. Stayed with my sister-in-law and her husband , their construction is underway and making progress, I saw my niece and her beautiful family, fossicked in second hand stores and gift shops and played around in nature. Back in time to start the year in March.

With that, I’ve been quoting on some freelance work and about to start a book which the manuscript is on it’s way, but the best thing has been finally getting involved in a challenge on Twitter I’ve been stalking since, forever. #colour_collective  Has been going for a long while and run by an illustrator out of the UK, thus the spelling and one of the reasons I started following it. They post two colours (it used to be one, but now it’s two) and you have a week to create a picture with those colours. Some use it sparingly, others intensively, all look fab! These are some of mine:

Divas

Leaf season

Lily pond

Frog chorus

Fishies

Last blooms

I see such amazing diversity of work using #colour_collective and I try to like all of them (sorry if i missed anyones (eek!)). I often covet different illustration styles, marvelling at how these geniuses work, just amazing!

You can follow me @_essayer on Twitter and see all the other #colour_collective drawings they’re great!

Cheers!

SCBWI

So I’ve made the leap and joined SCBWI. This is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Based in the USA is has a couple of chapters in Australia so I’ve joined the Australia East/New Zealand. How this works in today’s social distancing environment is anybody’s guess, but I’m giving it a go regardless.

SCWBI Logo: Australia East andNew Zealand

I have long looked covetously at their website and it’s been at the top of the list of any person I speak to about children’s publishing. I’d even made the decision to do it two or three times over the past few years. Why I hadn’t joined sooner  was all around time. I just couldn’t get to the meetings. My geographic location and the demands on my time meant it was a (very) convenient excuse.

They’ve all evaporated with our move closer to the city and I actually have no external demands on my time anymore. The kids are all adults now... In short, I have no excuses. I have to take my own advice and be brave. Make some new connections and maybe even friends. It’s strange how the older you get, meeting new people is just as hard as starting at a new school or job or party. So here I go, making new connections. 

Hopefully the advice and support this group may give will help in getting my illustrations under the right noses. Although I won’t be putting carts before horses as I have been wont to do. I have to let this stuff just work the way it works and stop vacillating between forcing and hiding at any opportunity that presents itself. And, I can’t stress this enough, no leadership positions for me. NO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS EVER AGAIN . It’s just exhausting.

Chin-chin,

Perspective

In trying to improve and get better at all aspects of drawing I’ve been looking at creating whole story like images that push perspective.

The first was Rocket Kid. This was fun and came together relatively quickly and wouldn’t have been was it is without the help of my studio buddy, Rebecca Stewart - check out her amazing portfolio. Her experience in animation and life drawing really pushed me to put together a great dynamic composition.

The second was under the sea. This started out as fun colour but it was confused and lacked clarity so paring it back, pushing the perspective and using light to it’s fullest extent made it work. The text is there for balance as it was envisaged as part of a middle grade fiction book.

The third was a garden scene, and this was so very difficult. From doing this one, there are no shortcuts, if it’s not right, it’s not right so make it right, trying to find work arounds will take longer than doing it correctly in the first place.

There will be more to come, I have a lot to learn about colour, perspective, bodies and how they move and above all else telling stories with pictures.

Cheers!