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.

Colouring Book number 2 & featured in SARIE magazine!

I've been very blessed. I have some exciting news to share:  The colouring-in book my artwork was featured in last year was chosen to be distributed in a special edition colouring-in book for adults for SARIE magazine - a popular women's magazine in South Africa - for the June 2016 edition.  It was distritubted along with every SARIE magazine purchase of that month.  I was so thrilled to see my work published nationally and seen across the country. And even more privileged that it stated that the colouring-in book featured work by famous South African Artists - and my work was displayed alongside them :) I brushed shoulders with lovely artists such as Wendy Malan and Piet Grobler.

On the left: The cover of the colouring-in book which features my artwork.
On the right: The SARIE June 2016 cover.

On the left: My artwork entitled 'Out there' as featured in the colouring-in book of SARIE.
On the right: The June edition of SARIE the colouring-in book was sold with.

Other news from my studio is that the artwork I drew titled "I love SA" and featured in a post earlier this year was also selected as part of the second colouring-in book for adults by the same publisher.  This colouring-in book was A5-sized, ring-bound and also distributed across Gauteng and Cape Town. Thank you thank you thank you!

The printed "Inkleurboek vir Grootmense" featuring my artwork "I love SA". 

The artwork as featured in the printed colouring-in book.

"I love SA" Colouring-in Art

The artwork "I love SA" digitally coloured-in.

I'm working on the manuscript for the next project and have only this page as a spoiler...
will keep you updated on the progress thereof.  To be honest, the manuscript is taking a lot longer than I anticipated.  It's undergone multiple rewrites and at the moment it needs a new perspective, so I'll need a bit of time to mould it some more. But I'm very excited for this project.  It focuses on historical narratives. I'm not saying anything more at this time, because there's a metamorphoses on the way.

xoxo
E

Spoiler: A page from the new comic I'm working on. It's still in manuscript phase. Exciting times :)

Little Girl - pattern

Dear friends, it has been a wonderful week. I've been notified that my illustration 'Out There' have been chosen as part of a special June/July supplement edition of the Sarie magazine! Will keep you posted when I hear more.

I painted this design in gouache. It's a personal project, intended as a repeatable pattern. :)

Afro Chic

Chic Afro-chick

I drew this as a consideration for another colouring-in book being edited and compiled.  It is in black, of course, but I added in colour as my suggestion what the drawing will look like with colour :) She has a birthmark in the shape of South Africa on her back.

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:

Exciting Exhibition & publishing

I've been part of an exciting opportunity to create a design for a colouring-in book.  It was compiled by Fearika Heyns.  It was an open invitation to any and all artists to submit an artwork for the book. (Read the press article here: http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/pretoria-news/20150629/281874412058579/TextView ) Over hundreds of entries 60 were selected to become the content of the book.  Twenty illustrators were commissioned to create artwork for the book as well.  It also resulted in a collective exhibition held at The Ring Gallery in Lynwood Pretoria last week (20-28 September 2015).  The exhibition ends this week, so if you're in the area go check it out.

Below is my artwork displayed at the exhibition:

The artwork at the exhibition: "Out There", watercolour and ink, 297x420cm.

I've also interpreted the design on a mural:

Me and my co-pilot on the project, Kobus, painting the wall.

The completed mural

It's been a lot of fun!

Oh and the book is available for purchase at most Bookstores across the country. :)

Have a wonderful blessed week.

xE

Precis cebrene Trim. - Nymphalidae

Geelgesiggie  │  Yellow Pansy

Ek loop deur die winterbos.  Onder my voete kraak takkies en droë blare.  Tussen die vaal monochroom breek 'n blerts kleur deur.  Dit wapper voor my gesig.  Sonneblom erts en saffier.
Wapper wapper wapper tot skielik sag-stil voor my voete.  Dis jy mooi geelgesiggie.
Dis nie meer net winter nie, want jy is ook nou hier.

Exciting! Country Mouse published

The original watercolour cover painting

Good day dear friends
I am so excited to announce that the illustrations for  my latest picture book is finally finished and sent off to the printers for publication.  It is titled 'Emagundvwane Ayavakashelala'.  It is the original Aesop fable translated into Siswati by Busi Malinga for Books in Homes.  They distribute books to less privileged children in rural areas where libraries are few and far between.  Most of the printing  cost is kept low and carried by donations so that the cost of  distrbution of the literature can be kept to a minimum price per book.  I have a passion for stories and books - it is wonderful to take part in such a project where I can share this passion with others.

The cover will be printed in full colour. Therefor I painted it in watercolour and decided to play around with another medium this time.  The inside illustrations will be printed in one colour black.  I drew them in ink & applied some screentones afterwards to give them more variety of 'grays'.  It was also the first time I played around with screentones.  I am quite pleased with the results.
With this book most of the illustrations circled around the mice and how they experienced eachother's world.  So I placed a lot of focus on their facial expressions - more so than what I did with previous projects which carried more other detail.

The published cover

Published spread

Published spread

Illustration from 'Emagundvwane Ayavakashelala': Rozi tries to pry Thembi away from the danger of the trap

Illustration from 'Emagundvwane Ayavakashelala': Rozi tries to warn Thembi from the danger of the cat

Some pre-sketches for the character development for the book (so you can experience some of my process work)

There is more exciting news to share: very soon I'll move over to my own website, where you can view more of my work & I will stay in contact with you there.  It's still a work in progress, thus when it happens I'll let you know!  OOO, I'm so excited!!!

The Christmas season is here.  May you experience a blessed and jolly festive season.  Thank you for your support and comments throughout the year - it really is appreciated.  You help me to shape my craft.  It's nearly time to close up shop for the year and have a long awaited holiday.  I will be quiet during the festive season and only post more again next year.
Keep well,
xE

Uitjies in rooiwyn

Liewe vriende
Ek post weer 'n resep wat ek geïllustreer het. Hierdie resep het my pa gesien op Nataniël se kookprogram.  Dis absoluut heerlik!  Veral saam met aartappels. Die mans sê weer dis perfek saam met steak.
Mooi naweek vir almal!
Groetnis & vrede,
E

Winterwyn

Hallo liewe vriende
Ek weet ons is baie ver van die Winter af, maar miskien is daar 'n koel Someraand oppad, of maak dit en geniet dit inelkgeval - dis heerlik. :) 
Ek wil al lankal 'n resep illustreer & 'n ander benadering tot resepte lees uittoets.
Dankie vir jul kommentaar, dit bied my baie insig.
Mooi naweek vir elkeen.
Groete,
E

Mossie

Redelik tyd het verloop sedert die laaste inskrywing.  Ek het aan 'n paar projekte gewerk (o.a. 'n lino & comic), maar meeste daarvan is nog onvoltooid & ek het nie tyd gehad om foto's te neem daarvan nie. 

Interessant genoeg is ek onlangs weer genader om 'n voëltjie te verf & kon werk daaraan hierdie week.  Ek het besluit om anders as die vorige twee voël-projekte met ink en waterverf te werk (instede van die waterverf en kleurpotlood).  Die ink laat mens toe om fyner te werk & dis meer gepas by 'n delikate mossie volgens my.

Die klein, ligte mossie wat ons nie altyd raaksien nie. 

Hopelik kan ek binnekort die comic vertoon.  Ek werk bietjie in kleur vir 'n verandering.

*

I've been asked to paint a sparrow.  Thus quite accidently I ventured into the painting of a bird again.  This time I chose watercolour & ink as the medium instead of the coloured pencil.  I also worked on a textured paper which resulted in the 'patterned sky' you see.

Owl

Since I've made the last dove with a mixed media of watercolour and coloured pencils I've been asked to draw an owl with a similar process.  Herewith the results.  Hope she likes it. :)
May you have a wonderful day,
E

do your thing

Playing with some copic markers today :)

a gift to Michael

It was my boyfriend's birthday recently.  I made this art book as a gift to him. I am sharing some of the pages here.  The project took longer than anticipated, but it was very gratifying to work 'unplanned' and in a multitude of media without trying to create a coherent whole.  Each double spread is treated as a composition of its own.
He was a wonderful recipient of this gift.  He's simply wonderful.

Gogo's Story

The drawings for Gogo's Story Colouring Book are finally complete & sent through.  Once again, it has been an incredible privilege to work on this project - to just fall into the wonderland of drawing.  As you can see, the story contains some disgruntled kids.  It deals with the unique role grandmothers play in many households in South Africa:  being a caregiver to her grandchildren, because the parents are deceased.  It is a sad reality of our country.

Oh, and of course, gogo means grandmother in siSwati & Zulu - for those friends reading this from overseas.

Jy is presies waar jy moet wees

Die idee is Morley s'n.  Hy's 'n straatkunstenaar van Amerika.  Ek het so baie gehou daarvan ek het gedink dis woorde wat ek naby my moet hê.  Toe maak ek my eie weergawe daarvan.  Dis 'n positiewe herinnering op die dae wat jy sukkel om te voel dat jy behoort.

My Family poster

I've recently been asked to draw an educational poster of the family. It is intended to be coloured in by pupils of the class so as to involve them in the process. The poster is available in any standard size: A3, A2, A1. It will be distributed to schools in rural areas all over Mpumalanga & beyond. Here in sunny South Africa eleven official languages are recognised - that's a lot of languages! In Mpumalanga most speak either English, Siswati, Sotho & Afrikaans. To sovle the printing cost/language dilemma I left the boxes blank for each teacher to fill in the appropriate word in their mother tongue of choice. The above image serves only as illustration of what words are intended for which boxes, but the original obviously is blank.

Since then I've begun on a new comic that's been with me for a while now. It's only been an idea though, I haven't had the courage to draw it yet, until now. It's a tough story to write - I'm not even sure if I will publish it, but it has to come out to the light. It can't stay in my head anymore. So write we shall & what will happen in the future, we'll see when we get there.
I've read this graffiti on a desk, toilet door, somewhere recently: 'nothing interesting happens when you know where you are going'. It sums it up well.

P.S. Oh, I should've mentioned: distribution of this poster is free, so if you want a mahala copy for your classroom in high res pdf format (A2 size), just post your request & I'll e-mail it through to you.

Hurrah! Off to the printers!

I'm so pleased to report that the illustrations for the project are complete & sent off to the printers. This is really exciting! Can't wait to see what the book looks like printed. It was such a joy to be involved in this project. Hope many more to come.

Breakfast

"I'll have another slice of that delicious man, please."

Ahead (for IF)

#Pencil
The frustrating thing about deadlines is that sometimes you have to hand in what you've got when the gong strikes. I would've preferred to still work more on this.