On Monday, once the final checks were done on this batch of my
Baby Goes Baaaa! illustrations, I spent the day at my computer, preparing various resources for
my exhibition in the summer.
Like the show I had in
Tameside in 2009, there will be far more than just framed artwork, but we're adding lots of new ideas to build on the previous exhibition. I've been beavering away creating more children's worksheets, and I've written lots of new information sheets to work alongside the images, much like this blog I suppose.
We think the new show will probably be called
'Llamas in Pyjamas', to link with
Lark in the Ark:
On Tuesday, I took the train to Salford to be shown round the gallery by Amy Goodwin, the curator, and to meet Dave Robinson, the man behind lots of new and exciting ideas for children's activities. He is not only going to create a massive ark, but build Mrs Duck's house from Big Big Wolf is Good, as a 'drawing den': Another fun plan of Dave's is to build an 'anaconda tunnel' along one wall under the pictures (he has ideas involving fabric, hoops, hardboard and sponge...), so that children can enter the snake at one end and emerge from a massive 3D mouth at the other. I am in awe!
For the adults, we want to create a film booth with seating, where people can watch videos of me talking about various aspects of my work, and we are going to put together some glass cabinets containing open sketchbooks, my book illustration roughs, tools of the trade etc.
5 Comments on Llamas in Pyjamas: My Illustration Exhibition, last added: 3/14/2011
Remember the window display I'm working on for Sheffield city centre? Well, the roll of window vinyl came back from the printers on Friday. The courier arrived with a very heavy, very tall parcel - much taller than me. I couldn't wait to get it open!
The roll inside was 6ft wide and very, very long, so cumbersome in fact, that the only way to even unroll it, was over the dining table.
I then set about cutting out all the animals, to save time for the team at the other end. It was a bit tricky, as the vinyl kept flopping about, but it didn't take that long in the end.
It's all pretty exciting, as I'm imagining how dramatic they are going to look! The white is the backing paper, that peels off to leave clear, sticky-back plastic, much like the stuff we used to cover our books with, way back when.
This is stuck on to the inside of the window (apparently, you wipe the glass with soapy water first, which buys you re-positioning time), then another roll of white backing is stuck up behind the images, to make them more opaque and show up better.
If I've got it right, this then has to be cut to fit the animal shapes after they are actually up on the window, which sounds a pretty gruelling job. I will deliver them to the designer this week and then have to leave it to him and his team (which will be the hardest bit for me - I confess, I'm a bit of a control freak).
The publishers' sales reps are on the case, trying to arrange some kind of tie-in with the nearby Waterstones. Maybe an in-store event; not sure yet. I'll keep you posted and take LOTS of photos when it's done!
On Tuesday I had another fun day, storytelling in Birmingham. Young Readers is a lovely festival that lasts 2 whole weeks, and I was really pleased to be invited to take part.
As you can see, I went back to pencil again for the train journey. There must have been some sort of fertiliser conference on: he was one of several working on fertiliser documents (Nosy Parker Chapman).
At
Quinton Library I met the cutest Reception class. They arrived early, and then had to wait ages for their transport back to school, so ended up sitting for well over 1.5 hours, but they were so good. I practised reading
Stinky! and we drew smelly things, then I gave them an old favourite:
Big Bad Wolf is Good.
At lunchtime, the organisers laid on a really nice buffet in
Central Library for all the authors and illustrators to have lunch together, so I got to meet the lovely
Steve Smallman: great bloke, fab cartoonist and author of one of my faves:
The Lamb Who Came to Dinner (also on
Bookaboo - read by Meatloaf, no less!).
The afternoon was in Kents Moat Library with Blakenhale Infants - a bit of a squeeze, as it's only small and the school bought 90 children, but we had a stonking time. I love it when the kids are really up for it. Sometimes you get such a lovely vibe and it simply glows: all the old jokes work exactly right, new fun ideas just appear in the air and the children seem to be completely on your wavelength. Wonderful.
Big thanks go to the teachers, who had done lots of prep work with them. At the end they gave me some great paintings and pieces of writing they'd done in school. Here is a taster (thanks Holly!). There are more in the Picture Gallery.
I drew this man on the train back to Sheffield, but he spotted me half way through and the sketchbook was passed all round. It's always a bit embarrassing carrying on after that, especially when the victim is sitting so close. I stuck with it though and finished him off.
I little while later, when they'd lost interest, I managed to sneak a drawing of his friend (with his wonderfully beardy double chin) although I had to pretend to be drawing the luggage rack above his head whenever he glanced across!
Poor wee thing: he wants his mummy...
Your teaching methods are really good! It's nice to read your humorously written blog while still learning new things ^^
Thank you!
It is a good feeling to bounce off of fresh ideas with open minds. It looks as if you all had fun. When do you visit the adults for the same - I would really enjoy it myself?
I do literary festival events for adults occasionally, sometimes workshops though mostly talks. I generally blog them in advance, to let people know.
Because of my exhibition in Oldham, I am doing a couple of talks there soon, if you're interested: Sat Jan 28th (11am -12.00)in Gallery Oldham; and Tues Feb 21st at Oldham Library (1pm - 2pm).
Always open to invitations though. Big Draw in October is an excellent opportunity to run drawing events for different age groups.