Loss and Liminality

Dear friends

It’s been a while since I last wrote.

Quite recently I’ve watched a video crit on the film, “Spirited Away”.  In that video I came across the term liminality, which describes a transitional phase you could find yourself in, as with the main character of the aforementioned film.  I realized I am in such a phase.  Things I could use to define myself before, I can’t anymore.  I’ve lost a lot of things, and people the past two years. 

My grandmother passed away at the end of 2017.  She had a great influence in my life and I missed her dearly.   I used her life story as the foundation of my project, “Weerkaatsing”, and her sudden death left me heartbroken and directionless.  I did not know in which direction the project could or should turn next.  I didn’t know if I could still tell a story if she was not here to read it. 

At the same time our department got shut down and my colleague and I were suddenly without jobs.  They ‘let go’ of me, but I couldn’t as easily let go of the idea of not being a lecturer.  I loved my work with the students and believed I would be an educator for a long time.

There were other losses too.   Internal ones.  Things I realized that with time, I could no longer be.  

I couldn’t draw for a year. 

It was a rough time. 

My colleague and I collaborated to launch an online graphic design school.  It was a great project, and a lot of hard work.  We had big dreams, but amidst this time, my colleague and friend got diagnosed with cancer.  It was difficult news to digest, because I walked a road with her the previous two years when her mother and then her sister both battled with cancer.  And now it was her.

Many of our plans for marketing for the online school, had to be put on ice until she was strong enough to work.  By the end of last year she seemed to be out of the woods.   During December her sister’s condition worsened and she passed away by the end of January this year.  Before the family could mourn her death, my friend started to experience terrible headaches.  At first they thought it was TB, but it became clear that the cancer spread to her brain. 

She’s been in and out of the hospital for weeks.  Friends prayed for her and visited her in hospital.  Every time I went to visit her I could see how the cancer was eating away her life.  She didn’t want us to be sad or teary around her.  How difficult it is to smile for your friend’s sake, but then cry when you’re sitting in the car at the hospital’s parking lot.  Or when you’re sitting alone at home and it suddenly hits you -  She is talking about herself as if she won’t be here anymore.

Her memorial was held on Friday.  She’s been my colleague and friend for nearly a decade.  We shared a lot of secrets together, and a lot of dreams.

You might have seen previous posts this year on the blog – specifically videos.  I created a Youtube channel, aptly named ArtGerminate (to correspond with this blog), mainly to release some of the videos of the course I developed last year (Effortless Website Design).  The purpose was to showcase some of the videos so prospective students could see what product they would buy.

I don’t think I will be able to continue the online graphic design school without her.  She was the one who spearheaded the marketing distribution, whilst I contributed to course content and blog posts.  I have completed the development of the online course.  As I mentioned, it was a LOT of hard work - research, script writing for each video, voice over work, video, photography of photos used in the sample project and of course final editing - all done by me.  I have learned so much, but it is dreadful to think that no one will benefit from the course.   I’ve decided to release the whole course on my Youtube channel, ArtGerminate, for free.  I will spread out the upload of the videos. 

The course is aimed at graphic designers or people with a creative background who want to learn more about the foundation of HTML5 and CSS3.  If you want to be able to understand a little bit of the code, and not be constrained by template based website design, this is an excellent introduction course.  It is developed to be very practical.  Step-by-step we create a website together, from start to finish.  And a little bit of theory is sprinkled on top to provide enough understanding of what you’re doing.

So if you’re interested, or you know of someone who will benefit from such a course, you can direct them to my Youtube channel, ArtGerminate, and make sure they subscribe so they can be notified of a new video once it is uploaded.

Here is a link to the latest video I uploaded: Resizing Images for Website Design

I don’t know what is next for me, but I am drawing again.

Thank you for your continued support.

Grace & Peace,

E

Top Achievers' Club Cards

What I've been up to at the studio this week: 

I've created a set of personalised cards with a designed envelope with their name on to congratulate the students who achieved more than five distinctions during the first semester here at the college. 

Since it's not a formal function, but a get-together that will be held with a light lunch, I wanted the cards to reflect that and therefor it is colourful with a character and some text in a speech bubble.

New Book published: The Bridge

During August The Bridge picture book was published and distributed across Mozambique.  I have been so busy that I haven't had time to blog about it.  It is very exciting since the work is translated and will be published as a English, Portuguese & Shona version.  Literacy and to be able to read, is a wonderful privilege.  It enriches one's life so much.  I am glad I can be part of this literacy project and my illustrations help make the story come alive for them.

The published books will be printed in black and white (standard A5 size), but I also created a colour version of the illustrations to be printed as large print A3 size picture books to function as class aids.

Below are some of my illustrations in the book:

Moenie jou kwel nie

Matthew 6:24-34 NLT Translation

Dag vriende

Die winter is hier.  Mens voel dit saans byt-byt deur die groefies van jou jas wanneer jy die aandlug trotseer & in die weerstandigheid van jou liggaam om soggens onder die warmte van die bed uit te kruip.

Dit het tog 'n besondere seisoen geword vir my.  Juis omdat dit die 'stadiger' seisoen geword het (die plante neem immers ook 'n blaaskans van groei & party diere weier summier om uit die bed te kruip. Ons sê net diere mag hiberneer.)  Dit word 'n tydperk waarin ek kan terugstaan en herkou oor die gebeure van my lewe en die dinge waaraan ek dink.  

Nou die dag lees ek weer Matteus 6 & dis 'n mooi deel vir my, want dis ook 'n skrifgedeelte oor rus.  Rus jou brein wat onderworpe is aan negatiewe gedagtes en worry, want dit alles wat jy benodig weet die Here reeds en is in Sy sorg.  Hy sorg vir jou. In alles.

Mag julle 'n week van rus ervaar.

Groete, 

E

Die nuwe jaar en Komkommerslaai

Liewe vriende en lesers
Einde laasjaar het ek 'n lieflike wortel voor jul neus gehou in die vorm van 'n nuwe webwerf... Eerlikwaar het die proses langer geneem as wat ek gedink het dit sou (en sowaar dis nogsteeds nie volledig, nie naastenby nie!). Sodra dit na meer lyk as net 'n 'About page' sal ek jul soontoe verwys.

Intussen kan jul smul aan hierdie interessante slaai - wie sou kon dink mens kan rissies in 'n slaai eet! :)  Ek het die wonderlike resep gevind op Vegan Sparkles. Dis heerlik! Ek het dit geteken in ink en die kleur digitaal bygevoeg.
Groetnis,
E

Teenage girl of Summer

I enjoyed painting her immensely.  What initially caught my attention was her naturalness & the various chromes of toffee - so fitting with the warm Summer sun.  The pre-sketch to the painting is below.

Seven Day Diary

Goeie dag liewe vriende
Uiteindelik! Die comic is klaar.
Dit het effe langer geneem as verwag, maar tussendeur is daar soveel ander dinge wat veg om jou aandag & die kreatiewe muse laat ook nie toe dat jy haar sommer rondshunt nie.  Gelukkig is dit nou eindelik opgelaai.  Ek het dit aangeheg as 'n aparte bladsy op hierdie blog, kliek net op die link in die regterkolom getiteld 'Seven Day Diary'.  As jy ook op die indivudele bladsy kliek kan sal dit groter vertoon vir makliker leesbaarheid.
Dis die eerste keer wat ek 'n comic in kleur doen - daarom ook dat die proses langer neem.  Ek het vir 'n tyd weggeskram van kleur & is opnuut verras deur die intensiteit daarvan.  Maar die wonder van kleur kan ons 'n ander dag verder besing. Ek het die hele proses baie geniet.
Dankie dat jul lees.
Geseënde dag verder.
E

from Drawing to Poster

It was me and my boyfriend's one year celebration together recently.  To commemorate our anniversary I created this pinup version poster of me for him!

êrens het ek my woord verloor

êrens het ek my woord verloor

tussen dit wat was en wat bly oor

met dit wat is en wat het verloor

tussen traliehek en pad se spoor

hoop jy jou voete bly net voor

At the movies

During the workshop I presented this week we had a closer look at the power of Photoshop to create a collage of elements into a coherent design (as with movie posters) as well as an introduction to matte painting.  Students had to use a photo of themself in their design.  The turn out was positive and I post the examples for display I created.

Junior Champ

This pre-logo/sketch is created for a new porridge being formulated for children below the age of 5. The name was already given & they wanted a boy with outstretched arms & a rainbow somewhere in the mix. Oh, and they wanted something cute... I think our little boy fits the bill. There's wasn't a lot of time. If this project comes to fruition I'd like to work on his boxing gloves some more.

Bride of Christ

The Bible frequently refers to us, the believers in Christ as His bride. Although I suspect this might be a foreign image for men to associate with it illustrates something beautiful: how we are transformed to become pure in the love Jesus has for us. We need to find our value in that love.
I wanted to illustrate that.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." - Matthew 5:8

She's on fire

I've been asked to design an illustration for a game competition poster and took the inspiration of the classic Bond girl. I'm also taking the scenic route back to basics - making some sketches with graphite.

I kiss better

I've read this slogan somewhere and just knew it would look striking with a pinup inspired theme. I wanted her to be bold (hence the red), yet vulnerable.
I just love the crimson dress :) - wouldn't mind one of my own.

Break a' egg

I finally completed the digital illustration, phew! What an egg might look like if it spontaneously combusts.