Life, Love and Fancy

The Botanist's Castle

2011-11-04T10:15:00.001-07:00

An illustration I am very fond of and had forgotten about! Did this one in 2004? 2005? For a book I wrote during my Master's program called 'The Botanist's Castle'. Pencil on watercolour paper. Done before I discovered Fabriano 4.

Home from the World Fantasy Conference

2011-11-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

So, I've just surfaced from a marathon sleeping session (15hours?), unpacked at least half of my stuff, and had breakfast. I did, unfortunately sleep through Halloween, but William assures me I did not miss much.

So my first time to San Diego, my first time to California, and more importantly my first time to a World Fantasy Convention.

Firstly I must say, for a bunch of supposedly anti-social creative types, I was rather overwhelmed by the sheer amount of socialising that went on. There was even a room, stocked with a never-ending supply of food purely to encourage the socialising. I suppose that everyone works by themselves, and then once a year comes out to party with their fellow book lovers for a year?

I met all sorts of interesting people - writers, editors, artists, more writers and even some people who just like reading books. I learned that Dianna Wynne Jones had a travel jinx, that Neil Gaiman is working on American Gods II and a very entertaining book that ISN'T about milk, but what can happen on the way to buy it. I learned that Patrick Rothfuss is very hairy and sweet and that Connie Willis is hysterically funny.

The art show was an interesting mix, with some lovely people. I particularly enjoyed Ruth Sanderson's art, and Lee Moyer's. Ruth's oils were fantastic to see in real life. Oh and William O'Connor was great too.

I spoke to quite a few editors, and got some good feedback so I'll see if that comes to anything (I hope so!).

I read Eon on the way home by Alison Goodman, who is a new author to me. It was very good, I recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Tamora Pierce.

All in all I think it is going to take me a while to sort out the whole experience in my head. It was very inspiring but rather overwhelming as well. I have a list of inspired things to do which I shall work through... better get started!

Photos: The Yellow Skeleton Lady was in 'The Old Town' San Diego, where I breifly wandered the day before the convention started. No, it is not me after the convention. The other one shows Ruth Sanderson talking about her work at a panel.

World Fantasy Convention San Diego!!!

2011-10-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I haven't written since June - but have good, busy excuses. Busyness with the perfumery in South Africa, preparing for the Cape Town launch, busy teaching (art and dancing) and then busy preparing pieces for the exhibition at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego. I'm leaving tomorrow, [yay] travelling all day and backwards in time to arrive Tuesday evening.

I hope I get to wiggle my toes in the Pacific Ocean....

Here 's a painting I'm taking, starring my sister as a Koi Mermaid.

Morgan's Ghost

2011-06-27T06:40:00.001-07:00

The Royal Gazette did an article on my exhibition which you can see here.

Just got back from a week in Florida - witnessed some awe-inspiring thunderstorms! Was wonderful to get away, now I'm back and ready to work again.

And here's another painting from my exhibition 'Morgan's Ghost'. This cloud formation is one that I see frequently hanging over the length of the island. 'Morgan's Ghost' is an old Bermudian name for this cloud shape. According to Wayne Little as quoted on Bermuda Footprints:

"...The local supporters of George Washington and his Continental Congress found a way to "trade" the British powder, stored near Tobacco Bay in St. George's, for food and supplies which were badly needed locally due to a British embargo of trade with America.

On a hot August night in 1775, Captain Morgan (not to be confused with Henry Morgan the pirate of the previous century) and his associates, using Morgan's ships the "Charleston and Savannah Packet" and "Lady Catherine" safely transported 100-odd barrels of stolen British gunpowder to George Washington which helped the American patriotic army win the Revolution.

A local resident, upon hearing afterward of the powder theft, proclaimed that it would be a dark cloud that would hang over Bermuda.

So, on hot summer days, when that dark cloud hangs over St. George's, oldtime Bermudians say it is Captain Morgan's ghost returning to haunt the scene of the crime, perhaps even to apologize...."

Cloudscapes & Skylines, aka My First Ever Solo Exhibition

2011-06-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

So my first ever sole exhibition is fast approaching, the opening will be on the 12th of June at the Dockyard Art Centre.

The theme, very obviously is 'Cloudscapes & Skylines' featuring my favourite subjects...it will be great to see them all hung together. I haven't had a full exhibition since I left Stellenbosch in 2006, its so much better than having one or two together in a group exhibition. But also so much more nerve-wracking!

The paintings are all done, most of them are dry, they are cluttering up my living room (and hallways) and waiting to be wired. I've done the invites, now I just have to wait until I can take everything down and hang it the day before...

Rose en Bos Botanical Perfume

2011-05-16T09:35:00.001-07:00

A poster advertisement based on the 'Imithi' fragrance label that I painted for South Africa's Rose en Bos Perfume house. Alphonse Mucha inspired of course. I am trying to channel the beautiful hand painted perfume posters of old.

Hopefully this one looks as good as the botanical perfume smells!

This is to appear in the June edition of Vintage Lifestyle Magazine.

Exhibitions 2011

2011-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Super exciting news - my art has been accepted to exhibit at the 2011 World Fantasy Convention in San Diego, USA!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!! Neil Gaiman and Ruth Sanderson and some of my other favourite all time people are guest authors and artists... I truly cannot wait.

On the fine art front my exhibition 'Cloudscapes and Skylines' starts on the 12th of June, so I'm hard at work painting for that. Here's one of the first finished pieces - a view looking inland from the Northshore of Bermuda.

Intergalactic Medicine Show

2011-02-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

New Illustration for Intergalactic Medicine Show - pencil on fabriano 4 paper for Cat Rambo's rather beautiful little story 'A Frame of Mother- of- Pearl'. I enjoyed drawing the stormy seas...

First Sleeping Beauty Illustration

2011-01-28T16:51:00.001-08:00

And here is the wicked fairy/ Carabosse from the Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose (I haven't decided on the title yet! I prefer Briar Rose, but the Sleeping Beauty is so much more recognisable...). This is the first finished painting - another 7 to go!

I decided I wanted to do a version of a fairy tale where the princess has glasses. One day I forgot to take my glasses off one day (I only use them for driving and watching films) when I was late to teach a dance class. One of my beautiful little dancers (bespectacled and all of eight years old) was so delighted to discover that I wore glasses it set me thinking how few bespectacled role models little girls have.

The boys have Harry Potter (hurrah for JK Rowling), but who is there for little girls to look up to? I had a think and I couldn't think of any childhood figures*...

And really why shouldn't a princess have glasses and be beautiful too?

To cut a long story short I am now working on a steampunk version of sleeping beauty (lots of clocks counting the years!)... we'll have to see how the rest of it turns out...

*Okay Velma from Scooby Doo..but let's face it she is wearing glasses because she is 'brainy'... glasses and brains have such a long association, but what about pretty girls, adventurous girls etc etc....rant rant

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

May this year be better in every way than the last....

To start things off - here's my offering for the Winter Show at Dockyard (badly stitched together, but you get the idea). Showing a blustery Bermuda day over Castle Harbour (is that what its called) as you drive across the causeway towards St David's Island and the airport...

Hoping that the colour is the start of...more colourful cloudscapes and good things to come...

Sketchbook Project

2010-10-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

So my sketchbook arrived from the Art Coop - to be apart of The Sketchbook Project, that will go on tour before ending up at the Brooklyn Art Library.

As you can see I plan to cover it in stars (in my spare time!), a theme from my youth that I haven't aired in a few years. Stars make me feel peaceful as I contemplate my place in the infinity of the universe...although it is highly likely I just come off as an obsessive compulsive nutter...Have I mentioned that I miss university..?

Wee paintings

2010-09-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Little eensy cloudscapes...sketches of the summer.

Spring in the Western Cape

2010-09-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

The mountains around my home in South Africa are just so beautiful - every time I go and come back they completely take my breath away, and I dream about them at night...

My sister and I managed some walks, in the Helderberg Nature Reserve and in Jonkershoek which was great. The proteas are looking magnificent, they seem to be thriving after their fiery rebirth a year or so ago!

Perfume Labels

2010-07-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Vintage, Mucha inspired labels... channeling the anti-art school vibe and having a wonderful time being girly and flowery. I do love flowers. And perfume! And perfume made from flowers. ~ For Rose en Bos botanical perfumes...

Cloud Paintings for summer

2010-07-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

The summer has truly arrived here in Bermuda... the clouds are magnificent - huge plumes of cumulo nimbus rising off the sea and thunder in the air. Lovely, and just how I like it! Can't spend as much time as I would like painting the sky. Hope to do some plein air painting in the next week or so (with colour...maybe). The top two are teeny tiny, the smallest cloud paintings I've ever done.

Jock of the Bushveld

2010-06-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

This illustration is for a picture book of South African author Sir Percy Fitzpatricks' Jock of the Bushveld. It's inspired by a combination of Alphonso Mucha and Ndebele designs... a mix of African and European influences (much like yours truly). I have a long long way to go! But I've stared at this one enough, so I'm putting it to bed.

Colour

2010-05-09T14:35:00.001-07:00

Elusive colour...

Spring Exhibition

2010-04-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Now all my highland dancing exams are over (both for the children and for me!!) I can get back to painting...its just wonderful to spend the whole day with a brush and canvas. Of course I have to make the canvas first so my kitchen is covered in sawn wood, wood shavings and drying pieces of wood being clamped. Good times! The weather is beginning to heat up a bit too, I'm looking forward to the summer and the swimming season.

Here is a new painting for the Members' Spring Show at the Art Centre in Dockyard, Bermuda. This painting is called 'Longtail's Over the Great Sound' - very seasonal! This is a rather large painting, I hope I can get it to fit in my car...

New illustrations

2010-02-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

The last two days have been revoltingly windy... I'm not sure if its called a hurricane if its in the winter (probably not) but its been great working weather, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea... especially when the power stays on.

Here's two more for educational publishers... I'm certainly learning a lot about my wacom tablet ... I could imagine this as a children's comic strip...not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

Next week...building canvas and painting storm clouds!

Our house From the Street

2010-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

A wee new watercolour and pencil... I am beginning to enjoy this as a medium...hoping to finish one more (they want to be a set of three, they say) for the first exhibition opening of the year, which I think is...2nd February. I will have to take them to the framers which is a first and I'm not sure how long that will take.

Our house is the bright yellow one on the right. We are on a hill overlooking Harrington Sound, and the north shore of the island (and the open Atlantic) is to the right, just out of sight...

Educational Illustration

2010-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

I did my best...

New Watercolour and Pencil Painting

2009-12-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

My latest burnt offering... I can't decide what I think of this. I wanted to do something for the new 'Small Works' exhibition (this is small - about 10cm by 15cm) that was more colourful and I really felt like taking a break from oils. I can't decide whether it works as a painting, or whether this would work better as an illustration style I should try and develope... arg.

Royal Visit

2009-11-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

I went to see the Queen Elizabeth the II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Dockyard this afternoon... here she is just after getting off the ferry. The weather is so beautiful today - not bad for November in the Northern hemisphere, I bet the Queen wishes she could stay here in Bermuda a bit longer!

New Cloud Painting

2009-11-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

A new painting - my house is the one of the right. I painted as if I was standing on the road looking back over the brow of the hill, over Harrington Sound, and over the skyline of the hills of the island on the other side (the sound is a lagoon). Makes me appreciate how tiny Bermuda is, and how little land there actually is....

Enjoyed doing this painting, its one of my favourites for a while (probably because its of my home!) but I'm really depressed at the moment...can't seem to shake it. Partly homesickness, partly frustration with the lack of progression my illustration career, I think. Every time I get a decent job I think 'this is it' and do it, enjoy it, get good feedback from the publisher and then nothing again for weeks. I know there's a recession on but still... nothing seems to be going according to plan and I just keep getting older.

Children's portrait

2009-11-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

Finally finished with the two little girls' portraits!! I like this one much better than the first, the size the colour scheme - everything!!

Lines

2009-10-29T10:32:00.001-07:00

This is my painting for the "Lines' exhibition that opens in Dockyard on Saturday... This is entitled 'Northshore Skyline' - I'm guessing they were thinking more of the ink 'line' variety but still - mine has clouds and a moon and some electrical lines in besides...what more could anyone possibly want?...

Bermuda Tattoo 2009

2009-10-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

So the Bermuda Tattoo has been and gone in a blur of movement and the skirl of pipes! I was very proud to have been involved and very pleased with what my 20 dancers managed to achieve despite limited experience and difficulties with unsuitable music! I would do it again in a heart-beat (as long as I am allowed to get some sleep first).

The Us Army Drill Team were excellent and I loved the Scots Guards, I thought their musical piece was in a class of its own. My favourite act overall has to be the masses bands...the sound of all those pipes under the open air just awes something in me!!

The Gormless Girls

2009-10-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is a page from a graphic novel I am thinking of working on from one of my short stories - a fairy tale/horror hybrid called The Gormless Girls and the Tower of Terror. I like the story but it might be too difficult to pull the reference material together... I haven't decided yet!

The story is about two rather dim-witted girls who just don't know how to be afraid. They leave their home on a quest to rectify this 'short-coming' in themselves... Along the way they generally kick-butt fighting bandits, ghosts and demons etc. For some reason they are wearing highland dancing jig outfits which probably means I shouldn't be illustrating my own stories...

Little Red Riding Hood

2009-10-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

An old idea intended for a chapter heading in a book... Been really busy lately with my dancers - the Bermuda Tattoo is next week and I have twenty-one dancers involved...I've enjoyed coming up with the choreography but the rehearsals have been stressful! A full week of dancing next week and then I can concentrate on other things again!

Highland in Bermuda

2009-09-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

This is the image for a flyer I made to advertise the new St Georges Highland Dancing class. (that starts next Tuesday). I'm not overly enamoured with our official 'title'... but anyway.

New Illustration and Busyness

2009-09-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

A new illustration for a short story named 'A Judgement of Swords and Souls' by Saladin Ahmedin in Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show issue 14...

Sorry I have n't posted for so long but life has been exceptionally busy. We've had visitors, I've been working on art for two books for MML, I helped out at a three week ballet workshop here in Bermuda with the Bermuda National Dance Foundation and American Ballet Theatre. Also my husband's contract is coming to an end at the end of October... at this point we still don't know whether we are staying on in Bermuda, going somewhere new or making tracks back home... there are pros and cons to all three solutions... and needless to say it adding a extra degree of excitement to my life! I'm also busy choreograohing highland dancing for the upcoming Bermuda Tattoo, which is very exciting. The first performance is on the 22nd of October so there isn't much time and the kids need to start rehearsing tomorrow...

I've got lots of art on my desk that I should be able to post soonish. But for next week my mission in life is to finish the design of my website...

Portrait

2009-07-26T16:45:00.001-07:00

This is a piece of a portrait I did of two little girls who live here in Bermuda... This is painted traditionally in oils.

Haven't done a lot of new work lately - been very busy with highland dancing. I am also busy designing a website for my art that should be ready ...soonish as in the next month or two! (I hope)

New Painting

2009-05-28T07:44:00.001-07:00

This is my last black and white painting for a while...just a wee one. After this no more exhibitions till August which in a way will be a relief becasue I've done an awful lot in the last six months or so! Time to focus on something else - illustrations or perfume, or writing! I'm currently busy with a portrait of two children which I will post eventually, so I'll have to think of something else to keep me busy after that...

The title of this painting is Inland From Crawl Harbour I and II, and it is exactly what it says. I enjoy the electrial wires especially.

My First Perfume

2009-05-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is my first finished, wearable perfume! As yet unnamed...its warm and fruity, blended in baobab oil. Its has topnotes of sweet orange and grapefruit and the heart is the very South African buchu. It sits on a warm base of oakmoss, sandalwood and labdanum... The baobab oil makes the perfume look very yellow and I think it looks beautiful....

Mangrove Bay I, II, III

2009-04-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

And here's the last three little ones for Dockyard... these are pretty small, about 12 inches square each (small for me, anyway!). Going to have a busy day tomorrow, packing to go home, taking these in, and dancing at the exhibition opening for 'Traditions' at Hamilton City Hall.

These were painted from the bridge just over from Mangrove Bay going towards Dockyard.

Gallery 400

2009-04-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

These are new paintings - for Gallery 400 to be held at the City Hall exhibition space in Hamilton, celebrating 400 years of settlement in Bermuda, and for the Members Spring Show at the art centre at Dockyard (one each!)

They are something new for me - I've never painted landscape with this much detail before, usually I just focus on the skyline in silhouette. Can't make up my mind what I think! The one looks a bit like a scene from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow... Either way, one shows Flatts as you look across the inlet towards the aquarium, the other is the tree on Marsh Folly road. Both imagined as they would look during a midnight gale, of course!

Going home for two weeks soon! Can't wait to see South Africa again! I miss the mountains (and family obviously) so much!! Stopping off in New York to see 'Wicked' on Broadway...very exciting!

Journeys

2009-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

New exhibition opening at the Dockyard gallery on Sunday. Have just finished my offering - entitled "#10 Over Bay Island" and #11 the same. I like splitting the canvas - it means I can paint as large as I liek without having to worry so much about transport (Dockyard is half an hour away on the bus, then half an hour on the ferry, on a different island!) The title of this exhibition is "Journeys"...hence I am exploring the positbilities of adding birds to my skyscapes, I quite like the idea acturially, adds movement.

New Year's Exhibition

2009-02-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here' s a painting from the members' new year's show at the Art Centre at Royal Naval Dockyard. More silver linings, this time inspired by the islands off Elyham harbour.

Also my art was favourably reviewed in the local paper!!

SCBWI Winter Conference!

2009-02-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

So I'm back from a hectic 3 days in New York - first time there, first time to the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) annual Winter Conference... It was all a bit overwhelming, I must admit, but very inspiring. I have much to chew over - I definatly need to get myself a 'proper' website, not just this blog (everyone kept asking for my online portfolio address, and it was quite embarrassing to admit that I didnt have one!). Another this is apparently everyone sends out postcards to publishers, rather than whole packets. This makes sense - they can decide whether they like your work or not in 3 seconds, but its another thing I didn't know .

Am a bit depressed about the quality of my colour work - WOW there were some amazing illusrtatiors out there! Think its time to focus a bit more on my black and white (Its always been my first love). Many people suggested to me that I should look into doign graphic novels for older children, which is also something I havent considered up till now, and I think I would quite enjoy.

So lots to be going on with and lots to do - a new exhibition coming up at the local gallery and I havent started building canvas yet...

New York was VERY cold...glad to be back in the warmth (relatively) of Bermuda, but next time I hope I get to see a bit more of what is an amazing city. I did squeeze in half an hour at the MET though - much to short a time but great regardless.

City at the End of the World

2008-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is a cover for a young adult thriller which is being published in South Africa by Maskew Miller Longman... It is set in the Cape Town of the future, in a rather ghastly world that is ruled by teenagers. The main character is a runner called George.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

2008-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here's Goldilocks on her way to wreak havoc on the innocent bears...a sample illustration for a publisher...holding thumbs that they like it!!

Just My Imagination

2008-11-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

Art for the group show 'Just My Imagination' at the art centre in Royal Naval Dockyard... these paintings are rather large so it was a huge mission to get them there (had to go on the ferry on a trolley I borrowed from the Perfumery...) The next show however is call 'small works'... so I think I might try and downsize a little (although I really love making large paintings).

Anyway Silver Lining #2: Crawl Skyline (oil and charcoal).
(Crawl is the area we live in, awful name isn't it?...but it has a very beautiful little harbour about 2 mins walk from our house where I like to go and sit).

Been busy...

2008-10-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Been busy teaching highland, dancing at various shows, working at the perfumery and of course illustrating... Here's some work I've done for a book called Mis (an Afrikaans fairy tale published by Maskew Miller Longman).Hoping to get lots more work done over the next couple of months... desperatly need to get my portfolio sorted out before January, when I hope to attend the SCBWI winter conference in New York. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Stuff and Jam

2008-07-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

The summer in Bermuda gets stickier and stickier... August is apparently the worst so I'll wait for that with baited breath... Haven't been doing much art lately as I've been bitten by a writing bug. Hope to get back to it soon though.

Meanwhile here's some little bits I did awhile back for Something Wicked magazine, based back home in Cape Town.

And here's the link for an interview I did for Les Bonnes Fees, a new fairy tale magazine. Here's the second issue.

New Illustration

2008-07-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

For Intergalactic Medicine Show, issue 9... for a story called 'The God Voices of Settlers Rest'.

And one more...

2008-05-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Life on the rock continues... I always seem to be busy! Having your own house and keepin git habitable seems to take a lot of time! Then the washing always takes days to dry because of the humidity.... (how domestic!)

Anyway, here's the lates painting - some kids against a backdrop of St Georges. It's the last in this bunch.

More new paintings...

2008-04-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

From the same series...

Latest wacom painting

2008-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

So here I sit in Bermuda - its lovely, but difficult to get around. Its been raining an awful lot, but that's a good thing since all our water comes from the rain, so I don't feel so guilty having a bath in a thunderstorm! I'm settling in fine, not too homesick since I'm with the muse. Been having lots of fun exploring the islands, when the muse isn't too busy working overtime. Had my first swim a weekend or so ago...water was a bit chilly, but still warmer than a Cape Town summer! Can't wait for the water to heat up here, although apparently it can get too warm...

Joined the Arts Society here, although I haven't really met any artists yet (been being a hermit). Anyways here is my latest wacom piece - a children's book sample.

Bermuda

2008-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

From the park in St Georges...

The Braiding

2008-02-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

An illustration for Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show...

Jossie and Leon's Wedding

2008-02-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

I've just got back from Jos and Leon's wedding in George, where I was doubling as guest and photographer!! Despite the inevitable stress of photographing a friend's wedding the day was beautiful and Jos looked beautiful.

My own wedding plans are starting to come together, and I'm beginning to get excited at the thought of seeing my fiance again (its been three months!!!)He's arriving back in SA the monday before the wedding... so its all going to be a bit of a whirl-wind... Other than that I am working hard, and hoping the power-cuts will end soon.

But as far as Jos and Leon's day goes ...here are some photos, from the beach at Little Brak River, and the painting I did of Jos for their present. (I did my best but I don't think I'm a natural portrait painter)

Last Man Standing 3

2008-01-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year! A bit late I'll admit... with any luck next time I'll have hundreds of new digital works to post (well maybe a few). For the meantime this is my entry for 'Last Man Standing 3' - being run over at Conceptart.org ....I don't have a chance but hey ;)

The topic this round was 'Underneath it all'....

My very first digital painting!!

2007-12-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

Lucky me got a wacom tablet fro Christmas....haven't had much time to play, but this is my first digital effort...

Jos at the nature reserve!!!

2007-12-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

What do you think Miss Bruce?

My Studio...

2007-11-08T03:52:00.001-08:00

IN which ...things happen

2007-07-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

OKay life is very full right now... Went on holiday to Kwa-Zulu Natal with the Muse and another friend which was great. Stayed in Durban for a few days, then drove down the south coast via Bazley and Scotburgh to Port Sheptstone, where we stayed in a beautiful little house on the banks of the Umkimzulu River... really beautiful.

After a night there we drove north again, stopping off at the Oribi Gorge for the boys to jump in (160m!!! Needless to say I just watched...and photographed of course). Stayed that night at a 'tree-house' in Mooi Rivier, then went on to the Karkloof Forest for a canopy tour (which I DID do). That rather exhilarating although I don't know if I would recommend it as a mode of transportation...

On arriving home I discovered another mail from the art director at Baen's Universe, asking if I was interesed in a story. This was a silly question as the story under discussion is by L.E. Modesitt, Jr!!! Hurrah! (One of my favourite authors for those plebs who don't know). ALso this is the first 'proper' fantasy I've illustrated for Baen's Universe - the others have mostly been ghost stories for some reason which I enjoy but aren't quite my forte....

The BIGGEST news I have a the moment is that the Muse has been offered a job in Bermuda... and he wants me to go with him (and I want to go with him) although the concept is a bit scary. Don't knwo any importanant details yet (like when) but it will probably be early nxt year or the end of this year... so its a way off yet and I have a tattoo to dance at and get ready for in the meantime...

So life is busy :)

Top: Tree House and Muse in Mooi Rivier. Bottom: picnic by Kloof Falls, just outside Durban (thanks again, Les!).

More mermaids

2007-06-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here' s a first concept painting of the Little Mermaid... Hold thumbs I've sent it to the publisher.

Leaving for Natal tomorrow for a weeks hoilday! Hurray ... hoping to find some warmer weather - I'm freezing and it's suppossed to be raining again this afternoon :P

IN which the cold weather inspires a creative frenzy

2007-06-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

I only wish it were true. :) Here is one of my illustrations for the latest edition of Baen's Universe. It was for a story called Touching the Dead, about a blind girl who sort of 'absorbed' the organic history of things through the sensitivity of her fingers.

I'm just adding the finishing touches to the first Little Mermaid painting, so I should be able to post that pretty soon. Otherwise I've been quite busy. Not much work in the offing - a small possiblibity of a cover for a fantasy book for a small press but I'm not betting on it as they have a strange system whereby different illurtators send their ideas to the publisher and then the author gets to pick the illustration they like best... All seems a little on the daft side but I guess that's life.

On the upside I've been sending my portfolio to a couple of art agencies in London and a couple of them have expressed what can only be described as cautious interest. This is enough to send me jumping for joy, nonetheless. So everybody hold thumbs for me.

IN which there are cold underwater creatures

2007-05-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been really busy - I finished the two paintings that are to appear in the next Baen's Universe, and now I'm working on an illustrated fairy tale that I'm hoping I might be able to shop to a publisher ...after a lot of thought I've settled on The Little Mermaid by Hans Christain Andersen. It's a story I've always liked and I feel I might be able to do a nice adaptation of it as well.

My friend Antoinette kindly agreed to be my mermaid.This is very very nice of her considering this involved underwater photography in what felt like the sub-zero temporatures of my swimming pool... Next time I have bright ideas about mermaids I will take care to have them in the summer... Still, I got some decent reference shots and here are some preliminary sketches. If anybody has any comments please let me know!

In which Emily decides she wants to be a Scot

2007-04-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

Its official! I am going to dance at this years Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle during the Edinburgh Festival! I am so excited, I think I will cry my eyes out when I walk out onto the esplanade for the first time... There are about 20 (Highland dancers) going from South Africa, I don't know if the pipe band is going this year. There are also Highland dancers going from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The whole tattoo has over 800 people in it! Wow, I still can't believe I'm really going. The tattoo is on for pretty much the whole of August, after that I'm going to go to London to shop around my portfolio....see what happens.

I don't have any photos me dancing (becasue I'm usually either on stage or on the other end of the camera) but the first is Hayley's studio performing a traditionally-based choreography for the November Western Cape Celtic dance concert. The other is Sandi and Taryn performing everybodies favourite dance: the Irish Washerwoman's Jig at the Edgemeade Competition in March.

In which Emily and her Muse declare a truce

2007-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

So it seems like threre is a truce - my muse declares his undying love, I am yet to be convinced (only time will tell etc) but I feel there may be a little bit of hope for my future happiness.

With this in mind I'm taking a break to let the paint dry on a story I am illustrating for the next edition of Jim Baen's Universe. I'm not allowed to post any of these yet (becasue Universe has first exclusive rights), so instead I decided to post the first images I illustrated for them, last year.

These were painted for a story by Gene Wolfe called The Old Woman in the Young Woman. Gene Wolfe is porbably the most famous person I have ever illustrated for and it was a little intimidating because I had only just begun working in oils (and in colour). Before this all my illustrations were blck and white in pencil. This images are the rough/ value study and the final piece.

In which it gets worse and worse

2007-04-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

Just when you think it can't get worse it does... I really wish I had a crystal ball that told me what to do. But I don't and I don't know anything. I wish I could switch off my head.

In which Emily discovers aquariums are full of fish

2007-04-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first photographs taken by my new camera!! I took it at the Two Ocean’s Aquarium in Cape Town. I am thinking of doing some (or one!) mermaid paintings. I thought the aquarium photos would make grand background references.

Having a camera again makes me feel less hysterical and more in control of my life (I know this is an illusion but it’s a pleasant one so I don’t care). The aquarium was very soothing, even though it was packed full of people on their Easter holidays.

In which Emily discovers that baboons suck

2007-04-08T01:44:00.000-07:00

In continuing the theme of depression and woe, my sister Kate and I were attacked by a baboon as we were hiking through the gorge on the way to Crystals Pools (about 5kms outside Gordon’s Bay, by the Steenbras River Mouth). This monstrosity of a creature was as tall as my shoulder, with muscles to make a gym-fly drool. I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified in my life. And I really didn’t know that baboons grew that big – but I suppose normally you see them far away up the mountain and there’s no scale comparison. We came round a bend in the river and there he was, half a metre away. Larger than life and REALLY REALLY hairy. And he just came towards us, in slow hairy motion, although it was probably quite fast actually. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he pulled me back by my backpack, which I managed to wriggle out somehow and run for it. I have never seen my sister move so fast. The ranger went back to look for my stuff (I was too scared to go) and I got back my car keys and cell phone but my very beautiful and expensive camera he could n’t find. I had wrapped it in a Pick n’ Pay packet to keep it dry, and I figure the baboon thought it was grub and took it off with him somewhere to munch. L

Needless to say the whole day was a real bummer, and probably the closest I’ve ever come to losing my mind. But as everyone keeps reminding me, it could have been worse, we could have been hurt and we weren’t. It could have been a lot worse. My family are amazing; they are going to help me out towards a new camera.

I can’t really continue with my illustration without one – I use it all the time, for reference and to document the finished paintings if they are too large to scan.
For a while there I thought I was going to have to give up art and become… something office-y… then I really would lose my mind.

In which Emily begins her blog

2007-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog!

My love life is just so many ashes in a heap, my muse has left me, so I have decided to start a blog in an attempt to rediscover it, or at least as a constructive distraction to the ravages of the heart.

I am a freelance illustrator. I finished my MA (in illustration) at Stellenbosch University a year ago and since then I have been working, on and off.

I love being an illustrator, it’s very exciting never knowing what or when you’re are going to work, rather I imagine like being an actor waiting to hear back from auditions. Sometimes it gets a bit dodgy money wise – hopefully as I get more contacts and more experience this will even out a bit (here’s to hoping!).

What I enjoy most of all is fantasy illustration and art. If I had to choose to be someone else I would be probably pick William Waterhouse … a Pre-Raphaelite definitely. I am working hard to improve my oil painting, and I am going to use this blog to post my sketches and paintings.

The image at the top is a painting I finished a little while ago – my sister Bethany and my friend Shauntel modelled for me and the background is one of the trees at the Second Water Fall in Jonkershoek. I was trying to capture that beautiful light that is only found in mountain gorges in the western cape.