Category Archives: books

Blarney Books and Art Biblio Art Prize

If you have been following my art for a while you will know that I have had several projects where I have drawn in books about to be discarded. See the end of this blog for links to my previous projects .

The current project is for entry into art competition. Blarney Books and Art are holding their annual Biblio-Art competition. The brief : create an artwork which is clearly inspired by a book you’ve known, in any medium.

I had left over books from my Drawing in Books exhibition. I had never knew what to do with this particular book, as there were so many potential pages to draw on. For this competition I get to draw on them all ( or as many I want to) .

My book is Teachers’ Notes on “Nature Study: Plants and Animals” published 1910 by Blackie & Son Limited in London and Glasgow. hardcover, 233 pages. 11.5 cm x 18.5 cm .

Purchased at Kyneton Church Book Sale in a bag of books. Stamped inside book Mary L Norman, The Studio, Ararat . Inscription in pen C.E.G.S 1920

Reading the teacher notes for this 1910 book is fascinating, It is amazing how many lessons require a live object and also the way they incorporate English and Maths into the Science lesson.

I have drawn in watercolour pencil on 43 pages so far, illustrating the animal or plant on discussed on the pages. This blog post has just a few of those I have done so far. I will put them all into a Flickr album over the next two weeks . It has been great fun to illustrate, as I am under no pressure, doing simple drawings. The print on the page takes away the need to go into too much detail in the drawing.The paper of the pages are a decent weight, so it takes the pencil well, but stops me doing too much.

I have another three weeks before I need to submit my entry. Up to sixty selected entries will be chosen for display before judges make decisions. All works are for sale (including this one!) .

My previous “drawing in books”

The first was an exhibition You Can’t Draw in Books as part of Melbourne Rare Book Week in 2016. This exhibition was also shown at East Melbourne Library and Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy. some of the drawings are here . There are some of them available for purchase on my ETSY online store

I drew in a recipe book as a special birthday gift for a friend. see all the pages here.

I will be adding more of these pages to my flicker website…

Weekend sketching extremes

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This weekend was full of variety, in both experiences and sketching subjects.

Saturday

Yesterday I held my second 2018 Travel Sketching class with Melbourne Library Service.

Last Saturday I took my own group out on a Travel Sketching walk through East Melbourne in perfect weather and we sat on nature strips in in the centre of the road to sketch. This weekend I woke early to the following rain radar (below) over Melbourne and the heavy clouds in the sky.

Thankfully, by 1pm the steady rain cleared, although the class of nine started the walk from under the East Melbourne Library entrance, sheltered from a bit of rain.

After 20 minutes we walked up the block to the next shelter of East Melbourne Cellars for another 20 minute stop to sketch whatever attracted each person.

I spend the first 20 minutes of the class introducing everyone to watercolour pencils, the waterbrush and paper. From then we walk three blocks and back again, arriving back for coffee, biscuits and discussion. Once again everyone grasped and enjoyed the concept of travel sketching and capturing the essence of what they see in just a short amount of time.

I can say that I had my youngest class attendee, at nine days old ! He was there with his dad carrying this little bundle and his mum sketching, as well as visiting sketching grandparents from Canada. Everyone who comes along is keen on learning.

Sunday

On Sunday I had extremes of subject matter in my drawings. I worked on two fun commissions – a gothic theme – this is inspired by the raven from Edgar Allan Poe. This page is a draft version.

I alternated between the black page of the raven on A3 paper to the prettiness of a lacy pink parasol drawn in a paperback book.

Happy sketching everyone!

drawing in a book – a work in progress

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I am drawing in books again.

Those of you who have followed this blog may be aware of my 2016 exhibition “You Can’t Draw in Books” as part of Melbourne Rare Book Week.

Initially I had an exhibition as part of Melbourne Rare Book Week in 2016, showing 45 books which then travelled to another library and a bookshop.

I am now selling the individual pages and books on my Etsy store .

I have just begun another exciting special project as a birthday gift. (Louise, if you are reading this – stop now , and don’t spoil the surprise). I was asked by a good friend to draw in 1909 recipe book that she had purchased. I have identified about 20 pages that have recipes which have attracted my attention for drawing potential. There are some very ‘of the time’

Below are six of my drawings on the recipes in watercolour pencil. The pages are a wonderful thickness and texture to draw on and I am have a wonderful time deciding which to draw on.

I am working on another four pages and identified another six recipes that have potential.

I have about four weeks to finish and it is on track for completion. I love a project !

MRBW Day 9

MRBW Day 4

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A quiet Sunday, with only two Melbourne Rare Book Week events on today.

REMINISCENCES OF SECOND HAND BOOKSHOPS IN MELBOURNE: 1970-2015

John Arnold is an Associate Professor at Monash University lecturing in publishing and communications. He has been involved in the second-hand book trade as a dealer and collector for over forty years. In this talk he reminisced on bookshops past and present. Lots of people in the room nodding their heads as he mentioned various people and businesses. This talk was held in beautiful room in the Old Treasury Building, so I decided to colour the room in this sketch.

PENGUINS ON PARADE

Melbourne book collector, Professor Chris Browne, presented an entertaining illustrated talk about Penguin Books, focusing on their interest to book collectors, particularly looking at early Penguins from 1935 to 1970. He pointed out the important role of Penguin books during the Second World War and show how important innovations in book design were introduced by Penguin, He outlined the history of Penguin Books, both in the UK and Australia, illustrated the talk with examples from his personal collection of around 2000 Penguins.

MRBW Day 3

exhibition preview

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Today I held a special champagne preview for some close friends of my upcoming exhibition “You Can’t Draw in Books?” for Melbourne Rare Book Week.
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from left to right. Leon, Alissa, Louise, ,Michaela, Adam

Today’s preview was at my apartment for some good friends who will not be in town while my exhibition is on. The books were displayed, grouped as they will be in the different areas in Melbourne City Library. The difference was that today, they were spread out over a table, mantle piece and my bed, instead of labelled in display cabinets.

The exhibition is at Melbourne City Library, Flinders Lane from 14 – 24 July. I will be giving a talk with book collector, Chris Browne on Monday 18 July at 6pm. We will explore aspects of drawing in books, from early manuscript illustrations and the presentation of pictures on the printed page, to my own informal drawing in books. Book here for the talk.

Above are a selection of the books. There are forty in total.

We are now at the stage of designing the flyer, and writing the content for the different areas of the display. In just over three weeks we will set up the exhibition. Today, it was great to receive some lovely comments from my friends and to get their feedback on some questions I had. Thanks all for a lovely celebration and sharing my exciting art adventures.

Melbourne Rare Book Week

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“Melbourne Rare Book Week – for the love of books” was launched on Monday night. The program of free events has been announced and bookings are open. It is on from 14 -25 July 2016.

I am absolutely thrilled and humbled to be involved with the event in two ways. Melbourne Rare Book Week (MRBW) is a very prestigious event – attracting a wide range of local, Australian and global visitors.

Firstly, I have an exhibition, “You Can’t Draw in Books?” and an accompanying talk. I have over 40 books that I bought for a dollar or two, or were being discarded. I am illustrating on pages in reaction to the text on the page. One of my thoughts is that this drawing may make the viewer look deeper at the page and the book. And by doing this, giving the book a new life.

The drawing from my exhibition that was chosen to go in the MRBW promotional brochure (above) for the event is drawn in a old law book. I have illustrated the Hare Preservation Act 1892 (UK) . Just read deeper and you will find out about regulating the hare breeding season.

The exhibition has an associated talk , with book collector Chris Browne, who will explore aspects of drawing in books, from early manuscript illustrations and the presentation of pictures on the printed page to some examples of formal and informal book illustrations in more modern times.

Here are some of the sketches in books I have already shared online. They are all still “works in progress “as I have a bit more to add to each before July.

Ross’s Outlines of English History

Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

All but one of the books are on open pages.

However the London A-Z Street Map is falling apart and is just asking to have many pages drawn on.

July may seem a long way away, but is rapidly coming closer. My time between now and then will be spent investigating signage, labels… and completing the drawings.

Secondly, I am involved as an urban sketcher. I was excited to be contacted by Chris Browne last year after Kay Craddock (the organiser of MRBW) had seen some of my sketches from various Melbourne Rare Book Week events last year.
Chris suggested the idea of me visually recording some of the events and activities in 2016 through drawing. I started by sketching the launch (above). Urban sketchers draw what they see, on location, in real time, as it happens, and share their drawings on line. There are 55 events over the week and I will be kept very busy! You will see more about this over coming weeks on my blog, facebook, Instagram and flickr.

And then before it ends, I jump on a plane and fly to Manchester for the Urban Sketchers Symposium !

drawing in books project

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I am currently working on a project that involves illustrating in books (but only old cheap books!). Todays blog has a sketch about those books and some drawing in the books I found.

I have previously written about the concept of drawing in books.

The books were being sold so cheaply that they might as well have been given away free, At $5 a bag these filled my idea of cheap. Some books were old and some were newer (these are titles that you see at every secondhand bookshop)

Below are both “works in progress” in two books. The drawings are in watercolour pencil. I have discovered that in most cases I do not need to ‘prime’ the pages before I draw on them.

Undomestic Godess by Sophie Kinsella

Ross’s Outline of English History

Ross’s Outlines of English History

Dromkeen Literary Festival

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On Saturday I was fortunate to go to the Dromkeen Literary Festival at Riddells Creek, 45 minutes train ride from Melbourne.

It is a festival celebrating Australian Children’s Literature and Storytelling, where “authors and illustrators bring favourite stories to life”.

the Festival Opening of the Making of the HUSH Treasure Book “Created for the Hush Music Foundation, famous for its original music albums used in hospitals all around the world, this book is a treasure trove that will delight and entertain the whole family”