Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 35

Week 35: Grandfather.

"Grandfather time." Freehand sketch in black Sharpie (no pencil, no eraser), shaded with graphite and yellow, red and blue pencils. Inspirational photos sourced from Google Images.

A weekend of art

On Saturday, I attended the annual Penrith District Show, having again lodged five artworks in the art competition.

Wow! I was not expecting to see a ribbon! (Last year, the organisers rang me to check if I was coming to the presentation.) My little octopus, drawn and coloured a few hours after my Masterclass with Leigh Hobbs, scored himself a gorgeous red rosette for Second Prize in Drawing!

On Sunday, another meetup of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge Sydneysiders was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Cafe & Sculpture Terrace. It was great to catch up with fellow artists Louise Harland-Cox (and her gorgeous new twins), Patricia Ward, Jolanda Jarman, Cecilia Timm, Peter Hinton and Ramona Davey.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 34

Week 34: Intricate.

Black finepoint drawing of a petal, duplicated on various colours in a photocopier, then collaged onto red recycled paper. Shaded in watercolour.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 33

Week 33: Father.

One of the first frogs I ever caught, as a kid, had an extra frog attached firmly to the larger frog. A few minutes later: frog spawn! And lo, I learned about froggy fatherhood. Design created on black "scratch paper", which comes in a pack of five sheets (plus tool) for $4.00 from a toy shop. Based on an image found in a Google search.

Update:

Week 33: Father II.

"Dreadlock Daddy". Freecut silhouette collage with various coloured cards and crushed papers, blue pencil and white Puffy paint. Based on a photograph of my nephew and his baby son acting out "The Lion King" at the beach.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 32

Week 32: Hairy.

"Orangutan at Perth Zoo." Freehand watercolour on textured paper, with white Signo highlights. Based on my own photograph.

Update:

Week 32: Hairy II.

"Cousin Itt and the Shaggy Dog". Charcoal sketch with black finepoint and white opaque Signo detail. Inspired by a publicity pic for TV's The Addams Family.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 31

Week 31: Realism.

"Portrait of Ian and Jack" (from a personal photo) in HB graphite and yellow, red and blue pencils on a black Sharpie easel. I hope this fits with the theme. I was inspired by some art examples in online articles on realism. My original intention was to draw an artist and two sitters, perhaps as less-than-real cartoons, with only the "painted" canvas featuring the realism. But I came to prefer the white space.

Update:

Week 31: Realism II.

"Elephants at Perth Zoo." Freehand watercolour on textured paper, based on my own photograph.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 30

Week 30: Vintage.

Sketch in black Sharpie and Biro on coffee-washed paper, with shading and highlights in 2B graphite and yellow, red and blue pencils. Counter arrangement based on a vintage haberdashery store.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 29

Week 29: Collage.

Freehand torn paper collage of a Jack Russell terrier, with acrylic paint, felt and finepoint Sharpie details, mounted onto corrugated art board. Based on a personal photo (flipped) and inspired by the same image when adjusted in the Prisma iPhone app.

Update:

Week 29: Collage II.

Cartridge paper in rainbow colours, black card, torn brown paper bag, organza fabric pieces and Kindy Glitz glitter glue collaged onto blue card.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 28

Week 28: Knitting.

Freehand sketch in finepoint black Sharpie, with watercolour pencils and shading in graphite pencil and coloured pencils.

Go Beyond!

Question: Will I like "Star Trek Beyond"?

I guess the answer is yes. If you liked those opening scenes of both the 2009 "Star Trek" movie, and its sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness" - both of which had a "strange new worlds, strange new life forms..." original-series' flavour - then I'm sure you will find plenty of that entertainment in the new movie. I was fortunate to see "Star Trek Beyond" at the first public world preview screening, right here in Sydney, this afternoon!

The preview was followed by an amazing Q&A session with the director and cast members. While we had to sign review embargoes (scroll down), we are able to give general impressions. There was lots of footage that had not been leaked, or even hinted at, yet. My Trek pals and I were delighted by some amazing visuals and humorous quips, many of which reminded me of TOS (and also "The Next Generation's first episode, "Encounter at Farpoint").

The "Star Trek Beyond" Q&A session, hosted by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, with Justin Lin, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban and John Cho at Telstra Experience Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Keep in mind that my favourite Treks are "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and the 2009 movie (almost equally), and I was a big supporter of TNG from the beginning. I didn't mind STiD at all, and my only niggle with it was that we were told, several times, that Benedict Cumberbatch was definitely not playing Khan. I probably would have loved the proposed "Phase II" series that begat TMP, too.

Also keep in mind that "Beyond" is a feature film, not a TV series, so it's only going to be as TOS as perhaps the "smaller" movies. "ST III: The Search for Spock"? Of course, fans who detested JJ's films from every angle will probably not have the patience for this one, but we don't recall seeing even one lens flare at the preview (not that they ever worried me).

Highly recommended!

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 27

Week 27: Canberra.

Finepoint black Sharpie on white cartridge paper, with highlights in watercolour pencils and opaque white Signo ink. Inspired by the current Australian $5 note and a holiday photo of my dog, Jack, on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin.

Update:

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 26

Week 26: Shoes.

"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; She had so many children she... decided to renovate and add a summertime verandah." Cartoon in black finepoint Sharpie and watercolour.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 25

Week 25: Invention.

"Professor Pat Pending builds the better mousetrap." Black finepoint Sharpie with watercolour, based on several cels of the character from TV's "Wacky Races".

Update:

Week 25: Invention II.

"Invention in the arts." Freecut symmetrical silhouette in black card, plus ribbon scraps, collaged onto a mounted print-out from Wikipedia.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 24

Week 24: Birthday.

"Jack at 14." White Signo pigment ink sketch on red Quill Metallique card, with black finepoint shading and coloured oil pastel highlights. Based upon two photos from my collection.

Update:

Week 24: Birthday II.

"Happy birthday, Bert!" Oil pastels and gold glitter on black card, based on a photograph found in Google Images.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 23

Week 23: Zoo.

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and sketches in black finepoint marker on white paper with watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a translucent blue plastic stationery folder. Based on elements from several photos taken by me at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo.

My blue cardboard had a bend in it, and I had to improvise. I had only found the folder on a forgotten pile last weekend. For me the exciting thing is how it photographed! Way more interesting and realistic than blue card, and the sea lions can be repositioned inside the plastic sleeve!

Update:

Week 23: Zoo II.

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and a sketch in black finepoint marker on white paper with coloured pencil and watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a mounted mesh baking sheet. Based on elements from a recent photo taken by me, plus a 1960s stock photo of Taronga Park Zoo's late feature attraction, King Kong.

It's as difficult to see the gorilla as it was at the Zoo in the 1960s. Infamously, Taronga's King Kong (and his partner, Mary Kong, in a separate enclosure) delighted in tossing sawdust and excrement onto the screaming human observers. Eventually, an additional perspex barrier had to be added. I thought people might like to see what it looks like inside the depressing 1960s enclosure, so here he is (below).

Week 23: Zoo IIa.

Week 23: Zoo III.

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and sketches in black finepoint marker on white paper with watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a mounted translucent green plastic stationery folder. Based on a memory of the original otter enclosure at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo and stock otter photos found via a Google Image search.

This was one of my favourite Taronga exhibits as a kid (and featured in a favourite episode of TV's Catch Kandy), but in the late 70s, it disappeared off the official Zoo maps and I had to use an older map (in the Jacaranda School World Atlas) to find it each time I visited. It was like my secret rendezvous with the otters. The new maps and Zoo signage showed only a newer exhibit, around the corner.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 22

Week 22: Science.

Ida Lupino as the evil alchemist, Dr Cassandra Spellcraft, in the "Batman" TV series of the 1960s. Oil pastels on A3 paper, with watercolour wash.

Update:

Week 22: Science II.

"Periodic Table of the Elephants." White pigment Signo ink and collaged black finepoint sketch on black card.

Read: Myriad Possibilities 2016

Thank you everyone for a thoroughly enjoyable conference last weekend (Menzies Hotel, Sydney). Gail Erskine, Felicity Jagavkar-Baker, Margaret Hamilton, and all the volunteers, did a spectacular job. As a veteran of many science fiction media conventions (as an attendee or committee member), and a number of TL-focused PD seminar/conferences (sometimes as presenter, or attendee/volunteer/committee member) over the decades, “Read: Myriad Possibilities 2016” compared very well.

This was my first CBCA Conference. The two full days had wonderful variety and no dead spots at all (that I noticed), and it appeared to be very seamless. I loved that the early release of the "Notables" enabled publishers to have every shortlisted title available for sale on the day of the Shortlist announcement on the Friday. (I know there was some trepidation about this when first announced.) I ordered my school’s books from Paul Macdonald (Children's Bookshop, Beecroft) on the Friday, and they arrived at school today, a day earlier than promised.

The authors and illustrators at the conference made themselves very available to all, and autograph sessions were well timed and well promoted.The Committee appeared unflustered most of the time, and glitches were quickly addressed. (And in the timeslots where I volunteered, everything seemed to be set up for success. Much appreciated!)

I also attended the Leigh Hobbs’ Masterclass (see pic above) arranged by the Australian Society of Authors in Ultimo, on the Sunday after the conference! It, too, was excellent. Worth every cent.

And then, on the Monday, it was back to Week 2 of my school's Book Fair. Stop the world, I wanna get off! #CBCA2016

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 21

Week 21: Ink.

Black finepoint marker, graphite pencil and coloured pencils.

Update:

Week 21: Ink II.

Black finepoint marker, graphite pencil and coloured pencils.

Week 21: Ink III.

Inkblot male seahorse and his brood, enhanced with blue ballpoint ink and a hint of coloured pencil, white Signo pigment ink and watercolour.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 20

Week 20: Still life.

It's all I had in the fruit bowl. Bananas with lime and garlic. Oil pastels on black card.

Update:

Week 20: Still life II.

Black finepoint marker, graphite pencil and coloured pencils.

Year 3 of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 19

Week 19: Adventure.

"Abseiling meerkat adventurer." Slightly 3D assemblage art, decorated with watercolours and sash cord on freecut corrugated cardboard. Collaged with natural shadows.

Update:

Week 19: Adventure II.

Sponged paper, newsprint and card collage, with a cartoon sketch of an alien adventurer. Stars in Kindy Glitz, moon is a prismatic sticker.