May 26, 2011

Soaking off Grim Island














Caption: Top image: 'final image', second image 'halfway through post work', bottom image: 'pure render image w ithout post work'






Okay, sorry to be away so long: Ugh.

Without further ado I'd like to state that my real reason for being away from my blog is:

a) I fell overboard (port side)  from my yacht 'Reginaldus Rogerina.III" and was eaten by a baby Blue Ringed Humpback whale who mistook me for a giant cooked prawn (I was sunburnt). I was only released after eight non stop hours of  singing Barry Manilow songs at the top of my voice.

b) I've been holding my breath taking part in the World Breath Holding Championships off Tahiti and came second with a time of eight hours, seven minutes and twelve point 2 seconds. Part of my prize was to act as a human bean bag at the following week's Sudoku wrestling championships.

c) I had my finger stuck in the tap and couldn't get it out till the local green grocer got in a supply of Aldo Moro Cold Pressed First Virgin Olive Oil from Mt Ararat..





d) I was kidnapped by some sardine eating Tasmanian terrorists wearing black pantyhose on their heads (the kind with the sexy zipper seam at the back of the leg). 

e) I have been making a book that I actually finished.

f) I was mistaken for Barak Obama and locked away on a desert island by a bunch of  deprived and depraved echidnas looking for a fun time and the answer to the riddle of the Spinx: ("What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?")

g) I was arrested for misspelling both 'handkerchief and 'miscellaneous'  in one sentence. (The old fat man sat on the small thin boy to make sure that he couldn't escape with the pale green handkerchief and the other miscellaneous frippery.)

h) all of the above.







Sorry, that's enough miscellaneous frippery for one post.....

 To be honest I was lucky enough to be included in an Artists's Book Exhibition which opens on 11th June here in Newcastle. You can see part of my work here. It's about Fairy Tales in the modern world with specific emphasis on feminine stuff that I don't understand ....

Just kidding. To quote from the official site: 
An exhibition of artists’ books at the John Paynter Gallery, Friday 10th – Sunday 26th June 2011, and Artspace Mackay, Friday 22nd July- Friday 28th October 2011, curated by Caelli Jo Booker and Helen Hopcroft.
The exhibition is conceived as an interdisciplinary collaboration between artists, writers and craftspeople invited to work together to create handmade books which explore female narratives within the fairytale genre.
While the classic fairytale ending ‘happily ever after’ envisages a single, finite destiny, the contemporary feminine experience encompasses a multiplicity of roles, expectations, endings, beginnings and relationships. Thus the exhibition theme is probably best conceptualised as a celebration of diversity within destiny, with the fairytale genre used as the narrative vehicle to explore this idea. 
I started work on the book two months ago. It's an accordion folding book. And it's now longer than my living room (about twenty metres plus). I've also adapted it for the Blurb format  and it's come out at 74 pages...... I never know when to stop.





But one of the items in the show is to illustrate a specific scene in a book named Cape Grimm.
So the top image illustrates a moment where the "Holocaust Preacher is Taken by Giant Squid."
I made it this morning in between scrubbing the kitchen and ironing my shirt for work - so it needs some fine tuning especially round the thighs/legs where they are vanishing into the darkness.



The other scattered images are part of the finished work. With thanks to some of my friends. You know who you are! :)

Thanks again for looking at my work and your patience with me.










29 comments:

  1. I know the real reason you've been absent. You've been up to your elbows in gum arabic again haven't you. Great stuff here Andrew--just checking in. Wm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haha William, :) Ah yes I have learnt how to use glue, I have not used glue since I was six. Alas my gluing skills have grown even less over the years :)

    I did read, take the paper with the glue to the paper without the glue, but I still have discovered how to trap air superbly - so my book will float .. :0

    ReplyDelete
  3. Welcome Andrew!
    that lucky, that your absence was due only
    the alternative 'e'.... is the least dangerous!
    I enjoyed seeing your work, so 'long'
    participating in this exhibition, that refreshes the tales to female staff! Great idea.
    And imagine how much they are beautiful, yours impeccable and indefectible illustrations!
    this 'sample' that you posted are amazing! :)
    Congrats! is tremendous work!
    cheers!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you Denise, you are very kind :) Yes to pick 'e' is the best choice, though the echidnas sounded interesting. !

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Andrew!
    Fantastic imagines...
    really like a lot

    a big hug and kiss

    see you

    ReplyDelete
  6. You, my friend, has a very active... well maybe "overactive" imagination. But having to know you all this time, I think I've learned to just go along and believe whatever you write. It's kinder for my brain and more exciting to visualize. I mean, what could be more delicious than Tasmanian terrorists wearing pantyhose, eh?

    Anyway, six thumbs up (yes, I have six) to your book. I have no doubt the next one will be even longer than the Blue Ringed Humpback that ate you! :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Did you notice my superb grammar? I has very eggcellent vokabulery too, but I'm show you next time. Heheh.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Such a lot of exciting happenings and between it all you found time for the book . . . you are a resourceful bunny/wombat/echidna/hungry humpback . . . .

    Magical images!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Andrew, well here I am, not to apologize to you. because I really hate that someone deleted your comments on my blog:):) (two smiles)
    I know what you said in your first comment, and really, I do not think it was a comment to be deleted.
    (Could I know what was in the second comment ... there is some money to open your mouth)
    well. everything is OK
    Good weekend

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice to see you back here Andrew! :) That book looks just wonderful! Congrats on getting into the exhibition too, your work definitely deserves to be there!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'll go with h. All of the above. There's no way I can lose :)
    That book looks amazing. Congratulations, Andrew!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Now I'm leaving to learn some Barry Manilow songs.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ahhhh, I love your excuses, you are cracking me up Andrew. I love the accordion book open across your floor. Have I said Congratulations, I think I have but in case I haven't, I'll say it again, "Congrats"!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. ...menemukan diri terbalik tergantung dari kandil??!!! Bwaahahahaaa...!!! Kamu terlalu banyak mendengarkan lagu Barry Manilow. XD

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh Grandma! What huge suckers you have! That is SUCH a cool image! Fantastic tilt of the horizon and eery glow from the depths below. Gosh, I wish my thighs would vanish into the darkness. Can you do something about that, please?

    And whooaaa, the accordion book looks incredible!!! Immensely impressive and a great treat for the eyes, like an everlasting gobstopper. And all this in two month's time. You are a wizard. Surely.

    Only you could think of 7 wild excuses, each as delicious as the next!

    Congratulations on a fantastic job well done!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice to see your work in C3DE congratulations
    Best wishes Nick

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hey Laura thank you :) And thanks for the hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey Amalia! My Indonesian is better than my amglais hey? :) Oh it just ocurred to me that scary bank robbers terrorist people wearing ladies' tights on their heads was a kind of weird look, you know err not quite macho. I mean if you were going to get your pic in the paper robbing a bank you'd want to look good I reckon! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you Arija, I can see your clouds from here :) They are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hello doctor, :) Oh it's funny you can make a hundred keystrokes and erase them with one, or spend ten years writing a book andburn it in eight minutes. The second comment was a negation of the first - so they have negated each other :) Did yoy know your art is refreshed since your holiday. It is becoming more eye opening with each masterful piece .

    ReplyDelete
  21. Vanilla thank you very much. I'm glad I have had a chance to admire your pastel palette.!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ana, heh Barry Manilow is underrated I think, haha! We had a flock of starlings living in the roof for six months, they moved out after three days when I bough my first BM record :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Karen thanks that means a very muchalot :) I will weigh the book when it is covered and post a pic. I think it is coming in at about eight kilos at the mo!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Bella you have me giggling whic is not a good look for me. Hehheheh! Thank youtoo for your kindness! I think my next bookwill be 'Grandma what huge suckers you have and other stories'

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hey Nick That is a great mag eh? They are very kind to put my work in, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  26. hi andrew :D
    my buzzing mate, welcome back to the cruel world.

    this is wonderful, congrats Andrew, im so proud of you i really mean it, wish i could buzz the whole world how amazing you are.

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  27. Always great to read your post:)Your new illustrations are fantastic and powerful:)
    Congrats for the exhibition:)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Very nice looking book you've got there. Interesting story, too. Gretel and the witch teaming up against Hansel. Poor boy. So, are you going to sell this through Blurb? Just asking.

    ReplyDelete

Hya! Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I appreciate your time and thoughts.