Summer Sunday Sketches in Steinbach

Summer Sunday sketches in Steinbach.

Ok, try to say that five times fast.

Yesterday I spent a lazy afternoon wandering around my home town with my sketchbook and a new Faber-Castell brush pen. The clock tower in my drawing is at the corner of Reimer and Main, the epicentre of town, where everything happens.

At least, where everything happens on a weekday. On a Sunday it is perfectly quiet, and the only thing bustling down the street is a lazy, hot prairie wind.

I haven't used brush pens much, and I've discovered that I really love the long undulating line. I wonder: how long does a brush pen last before it can't achieve those delicate thin lines, and only drags thick, scratchy strokes across the page? I guess I'll find out as I learn.

Adventures in... London

It's my last day in London for a few months. I'll really miss it!

Here are a few pictures of my favourite places. Above you see the fountains in Somerset House. A free 'beach' for all the city children.

Standing in the middle of Waterloo Bridge and looking east. They say if you can walk to the middle of Waterloo Bridge from one end while holding your breath your dreams will come true. I've never managed.

Tower Bridge [not London Bridge, don't be confused]

And Somerset House again, at dusk. The most beautiful place in the whole city, as far as I'm concerned.

London Belongs to Me

There's something about being in London that makes you feel like you own the city. It's all spread out there, on both sides of the Thames, just for your enjoyment. The city is so polite, and considerate, and accommodating: for any request, it says, "It would be my pleasure."

It's comforting that no matter how long I'm gone from London, it always welcomes me back with open arms and a cup of tea. Like a prodigal daughter.

And I don't mean to say this in a self-absorbed kind of way. I think most Londoners feel this sense of ownership and welcome.

I just love this book cover from 1953. It sums up everything I'm feeling right now. Aren't vintage book covers just the best things for inspiration?

Sketching Haas

It just occurred to me that I should have draw rabbits. After all, "Haas" means rabbit in Afrikaans. Instead I drew all the rats, mice, birds and turtles populating the coffee shop named Haas.

Be not afraid, however, the animals weren't real: most were sculptures and some were stuffed. Jesse and I escaped our respective studios for another sketch outing. We've devoted the next few weeks to exploring the coffee shops of Cape Town with pencil and paper in hand.

It makes a welcome retreat from reminders of endless deadlines and to-do lists in our studios. The best thing about being a freelance illustrator is the luxury to sit leisurely in a sidewalk cafe and say, "I'm working; this is research."

Happy sketching!

Adventures in... Johannesburg

Mark and I spent the weekend visiting his sister and her family in Johannesburg (affectionately known as Jo'burg). The weekend was filled with socializing, seeing a bit of the city, and making new friends. I didn't really have time to spend sketching, but my eyes and my mind were still full of artistic inspiration.

We went on a game drive in a reserve called The Cradle. It isn't far from the city, in fact you can see it sprawling in the valley below the reserve. Everything I saw inspired me: the colours, the fresh scent in the air, the animals... but there was no way I could draw everything. It happened too quickly, and it was too cold to hold a pencil. So... I sketched with my camera.

It is completely possible to 'sketch' with a camera. Not everything has to be done with a pencil or pen. A quick photograph can record an idea, a composition, a gesture, and lots and lots of colour. I often see something, and challenge myself to name the tubes of watercolour paint I'd use to capture the scene.

The world is bursting with colour, and I can't wait to explore it more with my camera.

Adventures in... Cape Town #3

The thing about working in a studio is that sometimes you just need to get

OUT

or insanity will set in. After my month of hectic work for the curriculum publishers I urgently needed serenity and relaxation. (Can one urgently need serenity, or is that an oxymoron?).

So, we escaped the madness of the studio for a weekend in Hermanus where all you can do is walk by the seashore, spot whales, braai sausage and drink wine.

Bliss.

On Monday morning we returned from the quietude in a deluge of rain, and saw a rainbow (below) as we approached our house in Cape Town. A promise of future joy?

Adventures in... Cape Town #2

...the adventure continues. It's been rainy and foggy for the past week, and I've used that as a good excuse to hunker down in my studio to get work done for upcoming illustration deadlines.

However, yesterday turned into a peachy warm winter day, and we went for a walk in Bantry Bay. This peaceful enclave sits on the leeward side of the Lion's Head, and it is said to the be the least windy place in Cape Town. And... that's saying a lot, because Cape Town is perhaps the windiest place I've ever been (except maybe Wyoming). Bantry Bay used to be called Botany Bay, and Charles Darwin did some studies there on his trip around the world.

One of my favourite coffee shops is Haas in the Bo-kaap neighbourhood nestled on the other side of the Lion's Head. They roast their own coffee in house, and the waiters wear jaunty top-hats and wide smiles. I'm not sure what's best, the taste of the excellent coffee, or the smell of it roasting!

Adventures in... Cape Town

Since I'm discovering a whole new city, and a whole new way of life, I thought I'd share some of the adventure with you. I'm going to post photos regularly of interesting or wacky things I see whilst out and about in Cape Town.

I took this photo on the veranda of the Iziko Michaelis Collection on Greenmarket Square. I walked out into the sunshine and a flight of pigeons took to the air. Trafalgar Square has nothing on .

Greenmarket Square is in the centre of Cape Town, and is surrounded by amazing 18th century and art deco buildings. It used to be a vegetable market (hence the name green), but now it's filled with stalls featuring the arts and crafts of local creators. If you want a wooden sculpture or batik print, this is the place to go.

Or, you could go and 'feed the birds' on the steps of the Michaelis Collection.

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.

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....

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.

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.

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.

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').

A homesick prairie girl

Link

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.

Athens for Archaeology Lovers and Santorini

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I was stunned by Athens.  I love history, archaeology, and all things ancient. Then we spent a week relaxing on the island of Santorini.  I'm lost for words, it was heaven.  Just take a look.  

Santorini....