It's surprising to think sometimes that the book Fatbag, my first professional (i.e. paid!) job as an illustrator, was 30 years ago this year. I remember creating the drawings like it was yesterday.
Having graduated from Manchester I moved to Norwich, where my parents had decided to re-settle during my absence. Rural Norfolk was a complete contrast to Manchester. I knew nothing about Norwich at all, but there was a burgeoning music and arts scene which I slipped into pretty quickly. With virtually no budget I started anonymously publishing an indies music/arts fanzine The Blue Blanket, through which I interviewed bands, touring and local, ran local event listings, plus there were odd features on the arts, and opinionated flippant essays under various nom-de-plumes. And of course it was fully illustrated with my work. It was fun, made me a bunch of friends very quickly, and invariably sold out. Somewhere along the years of multiple housemoving I lost my own remaining copies, so I've only memories of the magazine now, but recently I did find one piece of artwork in my dad's house.
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| from The Blue Blanket Issue 4, 1982 |
After throwing most of my student artwork out of the window on the last day at Manchester Poly (see previous post) I just had a simple portfolio of graduate pieces I wasn't particularly happy with, mostly black and white. So I began looking with fresh eyes at the market for children's illustration. I worked on some story ideas and drew a full colour dummy picture book Bored Brenda, (a modern day twist on The Fisherman's Wife, set in Manchester) plus a couple of other watercolour portfolio pieces, and added drawings from The Blue Blanket to my degree show black and white work.
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| Bored Brenda at home (original dummy) 1982 |
1 Comments on Blue Blankets, Bored Brendas and Fat Bags, last added: 6/20/2012
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By: Joanne Friar,
on 5/4/2012
Blog: the dust of everyday life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Pen and ink, zoo, Black and White, THEMED ART, Early work, Joanne Friar, Add a tag
By: Joanne Friar,
on 4/2/2012
Blog: the dust of everyday life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Pastel, Colored Pencil, EGG, THEMED ART, Early work, Joanne Friar, Add a tag
By: Ellen B,
on 9/25/2011
Blog: the dust of everyday life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Watercolor, TEACHER, THEMED ART, Early work, Ellen Beier, Add a tag
1 Comments on Teacher, last added: 9/25/2011
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By: FreemanRetouching,
on 9/14/2010
Blog: the dust of everyday life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: UMBRELLA, THEMED ART, Early work, Laura Freeman, Add a tag
 
0 Comments on Santa's Umbrella as of 1/1/1900
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By: Editpus Rex,
on 9/6/2009
Blog: Editpus Rex (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: early work, Add a tag
Yet another example of my early work–my first picture book, if you will, dictated and illustrated when I was five. Presented with editorial comments. 
2 Comments on Early Work 4, last added: 9/7/2009
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By: Editpus Rex,
on 8/12/2009
Blog: Editpus Rex (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: early work, Add a tag
Another bit of early work–another Santa, even, drawn two years after the last one.Again presented with editorial comments. Click to enlarge.  
1 Comments on Early Work 3, last added: 8/12/2009
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By: Editpus Rex,
on 7/23/2009
Blog: Editpus Rex (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: early work, Add a tag
Another bit of early work, this time a drawing I did when I was three. Again, presented with editorial comments. 
3 Comments on Early Work 2, last added: 7/24/2009
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It may be ages before I find it, but I think I've got a copy of "the Blue Blanket" somewhere.
With any luck I'll have discovered, scanned, and emailed it to you in time for your 70th birthday!
Weren't you chums with Charlie Higson for a while in Norwich? You should look him up now he's a media personality.