Pockets, Poo and other stuff I’ve done this year.
Last week, I was in a delightful meeting with other authors and illustrators and we were asked to reflect on our achievements for the year. It's thought I’d jogged a long in my usual manner this year, but I read back through my list it was pretty cool. I worked on eight books altogether. A series of six early readers were included there but the work involved was certainly significant.
Wombat Poo
This book is a delightful little romp through understanding different Australian animals and their interesting poo. I’m really proud of it, especially as I set out to illustrate more animals this year.
Although I did know about wombat poo, I didn't know that whale poo was pink! I’m really excitied for this book to be release and all the fun story readings!
Sewing Pockets
How I could I resist illustrating a book that combines friendship, community and sewing. THis is such a delightful story, I’m really looking forward to it’s release. I created a specific colour palette and a slightly nostalgic feel. I’m really happy with the final illustrations.
Teaching Workshops
One of the highlights of my year was running short courses through Chisholm TAFE. The focus was on introducing people to exciting areas of art, and it was such a rewarding experience. We kicked things off with Sketch Journaling, then dove into the beautiful world of Watercolor Basics. Both courses were held in the evenings at the college, and I loved every moment of it. Watching people light up as they discovered new skills in painting? It doesn’t get better than that!
Painting Big!
Teaching students has really inspired me to want to paint agin. Last January, we decided the living room needed a huge, statement canvas, and D was up for the challenge of building it—if I promised to paint it. We also wanted it to have a beautiful frame to finish it off perfectly.
D built the canvas, and wow, what a task! Let’s just say it’s not something I’m eager to repeat. I prepped the surface with a textured mix of plaster and gesso, and then... it just sat there. For five months, it stood on the easel in the garage, silently staring at me every time I passed by.
When I finally mustered the courage to start painting, I quickly realised it wasn’t easy. Painting on such a large scale is no joke! There were moments of excitement, frustration, and occasional despair along the way. The breakthrough came when I ditched the paint medium I’d been using to thin the paint and switched to a rubber spatula. Oh my goodness—what a game-changer! It was so much fun, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Now that the painting is complete, I’ve already ordered another massive canvas (this time pre-stretched—lesson learned!). I’m so excited to dive into the next project. To top it all off, D crafted the most stunning frame for this one using Tasmanian Oak, finished with tungue oil. It’s absolutely perfect, and I love it!
