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Peter Taylor, the multi-talented SCWBI Coordinator , Queensland chapter, and the Book Safari Coordinator, the inimitable Jenny Stubbs roped me in to help with the Book Safari tents at Woodlands. This was a first for me and proved to be an excellent networking and promotional activity. Opportunity abounded to talk to lots of teachers, students and other writers, illustrators, publishers and editors.  In other words it was reading, hearing, viewing and doing STORIES, pretty much non stop!

Here is a pictorial overview from the days I was there – 2nd, 3rd and 5th of September.  PHOTOGRAPHS: 1-3 Woodlands;

Woodlands, Ipswich from the approach road

The heritage listed Homestead with the Book Safari banner at the entrance

Why it is called Woodlands.

4-6 Editors, Presenters, Writers and more…

Kristina Schulz, UQP, Leonie Tyle, Random House, Dr. Robyn Sheahan-Bright

Julie Nickerson, Cheryl Gwyther, Dee White

Justin D'Ath's very unique book launch

7-9 Illustrators and workshops…

Behaving like Wild Things at the mask making workshop with Lee Fullarton

Lucia Masciullo shows us her new books x 2

Lachlan Creagh inspires us with his own brand of wild things

10-13 The nomads at their tents…

Peter Taylor,writer, illustrator, calligrapher and SCWBI coordinator

Author/illustrators, Helen Ross of Miss Helen Books and Lynelle Z. Westlake

Lynelle Z. Westlake using every spare minute to create!

J.R.Poulter + books, Peter Taylor not losing a moment in the background

Jenny Stubbs and Book Safari Coordinators in hand-painted, South African t-shirts designed for the festival

MS Readathon Tent

14 & 15 Jenny Stubbs and the Coordinating Team outside the Jacaranda Room; MS Readathon Tent

16 – 19 The people who keep the writers and illustrators viable – the amazing folk of the BOOK GARDEN!

Like all good illustrators, Matias is a storyteller with paint and ink. The joy of working with folk like Mattias, Angel Dominguez, Bernhard Oberdieck, Sarah Davis and others, is that they can load layers of meaning into a single picture adding dimension to the text. They are also able to add illustrative subplots of their own that augment the main plot and add visual interest. The other joy, and I speak here as a writer, is that their very doodlated sketches and ‘just for me/ for fun’ works  speak, story positively oozing out the edges. I have episodes of  total right brain escapism let loose with Mattias’ tantalising takes on everything and anything and more. Many of the Wacky Wordages on my blog or available for teachers and students and others  via www.sharing-books.com, are the result of such episodes of  creative indulgence.

Characters

Beatnik Dragon -alias Mattias?

Monster 4

Person carriage with mini-elephant

and more characters…

Piggles

Sky Dragon

The importance of flat sock ironing

Bertie in bath - character in "Improbable Adventures..." with J.R.Poulter

Jennifer: The comic book element is present in many of your blog posts, you mentioned a course in comic writing/creation. What brought on that deviation? What are you ambitions in venturing into that genre?

Mattias:

I’m not a big comic reader (I used to be though) but I’d like to do some kind of comics/book soon. My priority has to be making a living though, so it’s hard finding time making something like books and comics on my own time without the monetary backing.

Jennifer: The sense of story in your works is strong. Do you have plans for your own children’s picturebook? What about a darkly humorous graphic novel? [You keep tantalizing us with hints of projects underway.]

Mattias: I have a problem with too many ideas at the moment, I need to focus on print and leaving the web perhaps, I spend far too much time doing internet things. Maybe a yearlong web sabbatical would do the trick.

Characters in current book project, “Improbable Adventures…” :

Henry takes off

Elery

Henry & ice-cream truck

Jennifer: I find your work inspiring in a dangerously right brain way!

Do you find the drawings evolve themselves from the end of your pen and do their own thing or do you try to control them?

Mattias: I often say that the drawing kind of evolves rather than being planned, but when I look at the drawings I do, or rather, I can see certain themes, I guess that my right brain does know what it wants to draw…

Some of Mattias’ ‘right brain inspired’ series :

Rocket series: Goth Spear Tower Rocket

Robot sea creature series: Magnetic Fish 3

Domestic Monster series: The Manual Clothesline

The House Flower Series - House Flower 1

Jennifer: Do you get many approaches from the corporate world? I mean if I were Mojo, I’d want you to design my logo! What are some of the more oddball commissions you have had?

Which commissions do you enjoy the most?

Mattias: I get some approaches but not enough and far too few are oddball, I’d love to do textiles or pottery (not sure about the right name for this). The strangest was doing fashion Illustrations for an English magazine (I’m totally uninterested in fashion). The best commissions I’ve done are when I get a free hand (surprise)!

A variety of  output….

New Ideas in Vacuum cleaners

This is the back of the book "Till mitt barnbarn" Mattias had been working on, it's all the objects from the first page neatly packed.

Jennifer: There is a great ‘new’ interview with Mattias on Design Taxi for the curious. So, Mattias, having barraged you with questions, which one that you DESPERATLEY wanted me to ask, have I left out? Now is your turn!

Mattias: Do you sometimes fret over if you are too much of an illustrators’ Illustrator and may be not have a very commercial style?  The thought has occurred to me lately. I’m trying to get commission work and maybe an art sales rep, but it’s hard and very time consuming.

Jennifer notes: The mechanics of earning a living with art and literature require in many instances  having to have a full time job to do the job you want.  The one seems constantly to threaten, to rob that precious and closely guarded creative element, ‘time’, from the other and yet the  art/literature is the raison d’être and the other, the ‘intrusive’ work, merely essential if we are to do something as mundane as eat.

More variations of Mattias’ output:

Parade: on a roll - Some additional drawing to the book Mattias is doing (Bonnier & Carlsen) with his sister as a designer.

Cooking utensils series - done whilst commuting on the train

57 birds and one owl

Early adopters adopting their adaptations

Lonely Chinese Tree

A rose is a rose is a rose

And, just to show Mattias does not just do humorous work, but very delicate and detailed pieces as well, I have included the flowers at the end of the interview.

House Tree Lower by Mattias Adolfsson

Soupilifications by J.R.Poulter

“Soup”, said the little bird up in the tree,

“It’s SOUP they want to make of me!”

O> O> O> O>

“Disgusting!” the parrot replied, but he lied.

He’d helped brew the stew of the others who’d died.

O> O> O> O>

The little bird looked at his trembly wee feet

And went , Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeet….”

O> O> O> O>

“Alas, ‘tis sad,” the parrot sighed,

“Come sit on the branch here, by my side.”

And the parrot preened, stretching his wings out wide.

O> O> O> O>

“You have big wings, I could curl up and hide…”

The wee birdy twittered. The parrot obliged.

That was the last that was heard of wee bird.

O> O> O> O>

So here’s a tip for you or whoever,

Birds of a feather should NOT stick together

If one of them’s on the menu ever!

The Ancient Hero and the Robot by John Blackford

Little People shouldn’t play… by J.R.Poulter 08

Little people shouldn’t play

With things that stab and prick, okay!

I say this to you little man

For your protection and I am

Going to take your sword away!

No off you go, good boy, and play!

Wizard by John Blackford

Expelling spell by J.R.Poulter

Now which one was it?

I must get it right!

The king wants his horse,

He wants it tonight

And, of course,

He can’t ride it far in ajar!

////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\

Abble dabble kibble cow

Come out now!

////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\

That didn’t work

Did it….

////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\

Ribbit! Tip Rabbit!

Jars are a bad habit!

Give up and get out!

////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\

Sigh……

////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\

Well I could try and fake it

And just up and break it!

But how do I

Resize the horse that is in it

When I’m on a deadline

That ends in ONE MINUTE!

Bowler-Hatted-Cat by Tricia Waterbury

Cat Character No. 1: “Mes Feline” by J.R.Poulter

I have a cat in a bowler hat

Who struts his stuff in style!

He went to dine at Le Chez Feline

And ordered jalapos and wine.

>o >o > o >o

The wine was fine but the chilli was hot,

Hot as pepper from the pot!

The cat spat the chilli back into the vat,

Threw up in his bowler hat,

Was booted out onto the welcome mat.

>o >o > o >o

A sorry cat with a ruined hat,

He sadly sat under the neon sign

Drank the rest of the bottle of wine

And that was that for mes feline!

Self Portrait of Mattias Adolfsson

REFLECTION UPON THE SELF PORTRAIT OF MATTIAS ADOLFSSON, by J.R.Poulter

Nice shade of Blue!

Do you do other Hues too?

A puce or vermillion

Could look like a Million.

Heliotrope’s a nice shade

But a bit prone to fade….

+++—+++—

Just tan is so boring,

Common White isn’t scoring

Can you really bare to be inked

In pink!

And then there’s yellow

Well that ‘s a tad mellow…

Black’s back,

At least on the fashion track.

+++—+++—

I do think blue

Looks good on you!

Would you colour me too?

+++—+++—

[This is brave stuff - he has also done a selfportrait as a merman, or is it being half eaten by a sharkodile? I might have to do a wacky wordage on that one too...]

The Armour-Plated Elephort

The Armour-Plated Elephort by J.R.Poulter 08

The armour-plated elephort

Lumbers through my mind

On his way to Fanciful

To join more of his kind.

xxxx—-xxxx—-

He rumbles on, he never sleeps

He tumbles down the mountain steeps.

He snorkunks through the ocean deeps

He goes to join his kith and kin

Fight their way through thick and thin!

xxxx—-xxxx—-

NOTHING stops the elephort

And nothing ought!

xxxx—-xxxx—-

Each night he goes to Fanciful

He wades through blood and gore,

Each war is more FANTASTIC

Than he fought the night before!

xxxx—-xxxx—-

But alas, when we get

To the interesting parts

Of ripping off heads and

Tearing out hearts,

xxxx—-xxxx—-

My mother comes in

And gives me a shake,

“ENOUGH!” She yells,

“Time you’re awake!”

xxxx—-xxxx—-

I wish the elephort would come

And chase away my meanie Mum!

[Illustration by Mattias Adolfsson]

The Queuing by J.R.Poulter

What shall we do?

Let’s form a queue!

…………..

You cannot form a queue right here

Because it’s not to anywhere!

…………..

What’s it matter what it’s for?

It’s better than standing round being bored!

…………..

Me to the front.

No that won’t do!

…………..

You behind me.

What, can’t you see?

…………..

Well goodness me gracious

You’re NOT efficacious!

…………..

NO need to swear,

The piggle will hear!

…………..

Oh dear……

The piggle has peedled himself with fear….

…………..

Now, where’d they all go?

How should I know!?

…………..

Nothing’s doing,

No one’s queuing,

Just piggle on his own boohooing,

……………

“I weedely wodely wunt be awone!” *

…………..

Go home!

…………..

[*Loosely translated piggleese – “I really and truly am awf’lly alone and I don’t want to!”]