2023

I have submitted my entry in for the Blarney Books and Art Biblo Prize.

I enter each year, not to win, but to be involved and support Jo at Blarney Books in Art, which is in Port Fairy, a few hours from Melbourne, This is its 14th year, staying the same but changing slightly over the years. This year you pay the entry fee and receive a random book title of an Australian book published recently. You then creatively interpret the book in any format. People knot, make installation art, weave or paint,

Of course, I draw in my book.

This is my finished work. my assigned book and my Artist’s Statement .

The Sitter is the story of two women each narrating about themselves and the other. The Writer is writing about the life of Hortense Cezanne, the wife of Cezanne, and also reveals circumstances of  her own life. Hortense is with The Writer as she writes. Much of time, is in Covid-19 lockdown in a hotel in Paris. Hortense tells her own story and that of The Writer. They are each narrating, revealing secrets to us and keeping others.

My drawing in the book is of the two women looking out over Notre Dame in Paris. In my interpretation, Hortense is outside of the frame for once, and The Writer is the one framed.

So where did I begin?

I read the book three times. First, as a story, but being aware of what I might like to draw. The second read is very thorough and involves putting post-it notes on potential pages and writing lots of notes. The third time is spot reading, refining to just a few potential scenes.

When I have decided on my idea, I then start looking for images that will suit me.

I photocopy the page I am going to draw on a few times and then move ideas around.see below.

Below is how I built up the scene

I have submitted my entry and now wait. All entries go online and 100 or so get chosen to be in the exhibition at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy from December to February.