More favourite illustrations

The delicate art of Kazuo Iwamura...
Have a look at the delightful illustrations from a range of his children's books.

The Bandicoot

The sweet bandicoot is a small Australian marsupial whose varieties are unfortunately in decline. They have fallen prey to domestic cats, foxes and dogs. Once they were commonly found in suburban gardens foraging for slugs, worms, snails and other pests. They have been known to add a little meat to their diets when in captivity.

The Long-nosed Bandicoot is found in Eastern Australia and this is the type I chose to illustrate in a light-hearted way for my book The Drover's Dream, published in 1979.

Illustration Deborah Niland:  The Drover's Dream  (Collins 1979)

These days the bandicoot is a protected species. Let's hope the numbers will increase, especially the particular varieties that are endangered.

Illustration Deborah Niland:  The Drover's Dream (Collins 1979)

A plethora of pigs

What is it about the charms of our porcine friends which attract the artist and illustrator?
Many a delightful character has been created in pigly form by a large number of artists.
Here is a selection of superb swines to appreciate. All by artists who have a special affinity with the inspiring pig.

Colin McNaughton, Illustrator:   Book - Who's Been Sleeping in my Porridge?

Carol Thompson, Illustrator:   Book - In My Bathroom

Anthony Browne, Illustrator:   Book - Piggybook

Arnold Lobel, Illustrator:  Book - The Book of Pigericks

Mick Inkpen, Illustrator:  Book - If I Had a Pig

A favourite book

Mister Dog is a childhood favourite!
The combination of the quirky story by Margaret Wise Brown and the perfect illustrations by Garth Williams makes this one a winner.

It was many years later before I stumbled on a reprint and I had just as much enjoyment from this book as I did when I was a child.

Garth Williams (1912-1996) as an illustrator was able to convey the furriness and character of the many animals he drew in his books.  As a child this is what appealed to me looking at his illustrations.

Garth Williams has a well-known reputation as an artist, writer and illustrator. His classics include Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

From an obituary article by Mel Gussow in The NY Times 1996:

"In his review of "Stuart Little" in The New York Times Book Review in 1945, Malcolm Cowley praised the book as "one of the best children's books published this year," but never mentioned the name of the illustrator (often Mr. Williams's fate)."

Another quote from Mel Gussow:

"He (Garth Williams) believed that books "given, or read, to children can have a profound influence." For that reason, he said, he used his illustrations to try to "awaken something of importance . . . humor, responsibility, respect for others, interest in the world at large."

May Garth Williams continue to delight generations of children with his thoughtful, skilled and humorous illustrations.

In praise of dragons

Dragons have tended to receive bad press over the centuries.

I'd like to concentrate on their good points. Despite somewhat fiery temperaments, dragons are relatively peaceful and generally keep a low profile, going about their work guarding their treasures. Their aggression only rises when confronted with a threat.

But isn't this what you would expect from a loyal dragon doing his job?

I'm sure the working conditions are less than ideal.  And what does a dragon receive for his stoic efforts in battling his enemies and protecting his treasure, be it money or maidens?

These days, I think small dragons could make good house pets.  They would be fairly low maintenance, although toenails would need clipping regularly, could light the barbecue on command, and be a great watch dragon for the whole neighbourhood.

Artists and illustrators have always been inspired by the myths and legends surrounding dragons.

Dragon from Korea, artist unknown

Netsuke with tiger and dragon, artist unknown

St George and the Dragon, artist Paolo Uccello

Another St George and the Dragon, artist Deborah Niland

Chinese dragon, artist Libico Maraja

Dragon Boats, artist Libico Maraja

The magic of twins

I enjoyed the opportunity to portray a day in the life of twin toddlers in my book Double Trouble.

Being a twin I can well remember the sense of unity our twinship had.
Always someone there to share the good times, and always someone there to commiserate with you during difficult times. I saw it as an advantage in my life and never envied the status of the 'sole trader'.
There is a special bond between twins.

Double Trouble was published as a picture-book by Penguin Books Australia in 2008. The story and illustrations were great fun to do.


Some of these illustrations are shown below.

Who can jump higher?

United in purpose

Feeling proud and pleased with creative work

Equally matched

More about wombats including a certain Muddleheaded Wombat

 

A brand new edition of the adventures of The Muddleheaded Wombat will be on the shelves from today!

Wombat and his two friends, the prickly, over-sensitive cat Tabby, and the calm peace-loving Mouse have been entertaining children since they began their lives on radio in the 1950's. They first appeared in book form in the 1960's and have been in print ever since.

What makes this new edition so special is the quality production. It includes four humorous Wombat stories, notes from Ruth Park, the author, a section about the life and work of the author, and biographical notes on Noela Young, the illustrator of all the Muddleheaded Wombat books.

Noela Young is an immensely talented and versatile illustrator, who throughout her long career has produced illustrations of superb quality and apt perfection. I cannot envisage the characters of Wombat, Tabby and Mouse being created by anybody else.

This is a book to treasure.

On my shelf I have other beautiful books which feature wombats.

The gorgeous artwork of Kerry Argent is a delight to look at in her picture book, Sebastian lives in a Hat.  Written by Thelma Catterwell, the story tells of a baby wombat orphan, his rescue and care.
This book was first published in 1985 by Omnibus Books.

Illustration by Kerry Argent

I was pleased to read recently of the magnificent donation of funds to a wombat sanctuary which is devoted to the care and health of injured and orphaned wombats. This will go a long, long way to assist the sanctuary's valuable work in wombat welfare and protecting this endangered species.

The author Jackie French has had a close and personal association with wombats for many years.
One of her books is the best-selling title Diary of a Wombat.
The illustrations by Bruce Whatley perfectly capture the charm and stubborness of this marsupial doormat.

 An equally delightful follow-up book by this author and illustrator team is Baby Wombat's Week.

The way of the wombat

Hairy-nosed Wombat. Illustration by Gordon Lyne 1967

Who is not captivated by the charms of a wombat?  He's a stumpy legged animal, blunt at both ends. The wombat is a herbivore, who feeds at night and sleeps it off in his burrow during the day.

Common Wombat.  Painting by Jean-Charles Werner 1847

The Australian wombat is a solitary marsupial. The female produces one baby and totes it around in her pouch for at least six months. The pouch, like the koala's, opens backwards. Otherwise the pouch would fill up with soil and debris when on burrowing expeditions.

Over two hundred years ago the explorer, George Bass, was fascinated by the discovery of the wombat.  He wrote to Sir Joseph Banks back in England.

‘It is a squat, thick, short legged, and rather inactive quadruped with an appearance of great stumpy strength. Its figure and movements, if they do not resemble those of the bear, at least remind one of that animal. The head is large and flattish and when looking the animal full in the face, seems independent of the ears, to form nearly an equilateral triangle. The hair on the face lies in regular order, as if combed.’

Illustration by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the English poet, painter and illustrator, was the proud owner of a menagerie,  including two wombats.  In 1869, he acquired the first wombat, naming him Top.
"The wombat is a joy, a triumph, a delight, a madness," he wrote. Top was much loved. He followed people around the room 'nestling up against one, and nibbling one's calves or trousers.'
Unfortunately, Top was short-lived. In his grief, Rossetti drew the self-portrait above and wrote this verse.

I never reared a young wombat

To glad me with his pin-hole eye,
But when he most was sweet and fat
And tailless, he was sure to die!

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies is the title of a new children's book I have illustrated.  Published by Allen & Unwin, it will be out in the shops in November 2010.

And what a fun book it is!

Drawing and painting twelve babies on nearly every page of the book was a challenge. Throw into the mix, a Tall Man looking after a houseful of babies and coping with the cacophony of domestic life.

Waiting for breakfast

I've created the illustrations digitally, incorporating various patterns that are repeated throughout the book, on the babies' clothes and the backgrounds.  However with all my digital work, I aim to have the finished illustrations look as 'hand-done' as possible.

The wonderful story for this new book was written by my talented nephew, Tom Champion, and his mum, Kilmeny, my late sister. Together they have produced a sweet and funny tale which will be well-loved by babies and children and many, many tall people.

Look out for it this November!

Still waiting for breakfast

Leaping into Spring...

Or mud...

Or flowers...

The joy of Spring!