Jane Heinrichs

Adventures in... Dublin

2012-02-14T11:27:00.002Z

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland

I just returned from a weekend in Dublin, visiting a friend who recently got a job lecturing in medieval art history (think the Book of Kells) at Trinity College Dublin (I'm so proud of her!).

I've never been a very good at keeping travel sketchbooks, so I decided that my one goal for this trip was to take some time to do some sketching. Luckily it wasn't too cold in Dublin, so I didn't have to try to hold a pencil with mittens.

I only brought pencils along with me; I tend to pack far too many art supplies and then never use them at all. This time, I only travelled with a selection of pencils, an eraser and a sketchbook. The simplicity of my supplies made the sketching less intimidating. There were no decisions to be made (pen or pencil? Colour or no?), and less to carry in my satchel.

I haven't posted all my sketches. Many of them were really messy, just little doodles to help me remember moments I enjoyed.

This trip to Dublin was a substitute for going to Bologna. The past two years I have joined thousands of children's book writers and illustrators in an annual pilgrimage to the Bologna Children's Book Fair. I love the fair, and I love spending time with so many talented and inspiring people...

But this year is different...

For the longest time I've been working relentlessly towards my goal of becoming a children's book writer and illustrator. I love what I do, and I love striving for ever-greater opportunities... but... somehow... the relentless pursuit of one goal at the expense of everything else results in a very flat and shallow life.

I need to take a small step back to spend time with my friends; have new experiences; be inspired by the random things I encounter.

And on that note, I need to hunker down in my studio and work towards another illustration deadline (due Friday! eek!). So much for my previous post and thinking I was free of work! :-)

Dublin Castle

Georgian House and Plane Tree, Dawson Street, Dublin

Into the great beyond

2012-02-02T16:30:00.004Z

This week I finished the last of a long sequence of deadlines. I rushed and panicked, and then sent everything in on time anyway (so why worry so much?). And now I have this feeling of release. You know that moment when a helium balloon escapes your hands and it bobs around within arm's reach for a moment before zooming upwards into the great void of sky?

That's exactly how I feel: at the moment I'm bobbing around, not far from removed from my previous project. I can feel the rush of air, and that sense of free breathing. I'm done! Yay!

But, any second now, I'll zoom into the great unknown and I'll be surrounded by the outer atmosphere. What? You mean there's no work on the horizon, for the foreseeable future? Eek!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the illustrations I completed for my latest illustration projects. They're all commissioned by Pearson Education and Oxford University Press (both in South Africa).

Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon on Reading

2012-01-28T11:20:00.000Z

Hello! I feel like I've been away for so long!

The month of January has been a whirlwind of disparate tasks. I've worn the hats of illustrator, veteran traveller (see previous post), letting agent, landlord, home-repair-man, and many, many more. I think this calls for a post on balance, but not right now...

At the moment I want to talk about Michael Rosen (Yes, THE Michael Rosen famous for "We're going on a Bear Hunt.") and Mark Haddon (famous for "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). They inhabited the Canada Water Library for an evening, talking about why reading is good for us. In this technological age, why should we stop what we're doing and pick up a book?

Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon discussed the transformative qualities of great books; how reading them can change our outlook on life.

Michael Rosen did a reading, the the manner of his father, demonstrating the magic of "Great Expectations." Apparently, Rosen first heard Great Expectations when his father read it aloud to the family on a rather wet camping trip in Yorkshire (or was it the Urals?). Rosen held the audience in the grip of each word as he read the first few pages of book, complete with actions and voices. If you want a sampling of his dynamic reading style, don't miss his youtube rendition of "We're Going on a Bear Hunt."

Mark Haddon, by comparison, explained how learning ancient Greek profoundly changed his appreciation for reading. Suddenly he could read the Iliad and the Odyssey in their original form. Translating the ancient language into English made him consider every word, and every expression seriously. This isn't something that we do when we read fluently in a language. Too often we skim forward, only stopping at the 'best bits' to read slowly or re-read.

And while Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon were discussing the merits of different kinds of reading, I was sketching. I intended to draw both men, but got stuck on Michael Rosen. He bears an uncanny resemblance to my uncle Paul and my Dad! Those blue eyes, slightly rounded nose and wiry grey beard. My first attempt at drawing Michael actually ended up being my uncle Paul, totally by accident! (See top left sketch).

If you're interested in finding out more about the importance of reading. Pick up a copy of Stop What You're Doing and Read This! which is a book of essays on reading by Michael Rosen, Mark Haddon, Zadie Smith and many more.

Cheers!

Christmas in Namibia - the desert

2012-01-14T10:02:00.000Z

I think I still have sand in my pores, even though I've been home for a week. Namibia is the kind of country that stays with you long after you've left. When I close my eyes, I still see the shifting dunes, and arid, rocky desert, and the wild sea.

My only excuse for not having filled a sketchbook with watercolours of the dunes and the waves is the mountain of illustration work I had to complete (over Christmas!).

Mornings in Swakopmund are always submerged in cool Atlantic mist. I'd wake early, set up on the kitchen table, and churn out as many finals as possible. Then, every afternoon, when the desert sun had burned the mist away, we'd escape the seashore, or take a drive into the dunes with a picnic.

One one occasion I came face to face with a lovely little chameleon. He was crouching in the sun, and looked so melancholy that I named him Leonard Cohen. All he needs is a cigarette, a tumbler of brandy, and a guitar, don't you think?

A desert chameleon

The Swakop "River" - a dried river bed

Welwitschia Plant - over 2000 years old

Here's to an amazing year!

2012-01-09T14:01:00.002Z

Whew!

2011 was an amazing year: a sprint, a marathon, an obstacle course and very, very fun.

It seems that everyone in the blogosphere is doing reviews of their year, and across the board I'd say it was pretty successful for all of us.

And my year? January of 2011 started with a BIG change; a change of cities, continents and hemispheres. I travelled from London to Cape Town to join my husband for an extended holiday. Since that moment I've been on the move through approximately 22 cities, including: New York, Amsterdam, London, Chicago, Toronto, Bologna, Johannesburg, Brussels... Pretty far flung, huh?

Of course, the year wasn't completely leisurely. I had a lot of illustration work to do as well. In fact, I travelled with my scanner, sketchbook, pens and paints wherever I went. I joked that I worked in the great portable studio (more on that in another post). This year, I've finished commissions on hotel bedside tables, tiny guest-bedroom desks, and near-strangers kitchen tables.

I can only hope that 2012 will live up to 2011.

Here's to you all, may your 2012 be happy and prosperous, and worth blogging about!

{Coming up soon I'll blog about my portable studio and my fantastic Christmas in the world's oldest desert}

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-19T15:35:00.000Z

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Frohe Weihnachten!

I'm so excited about this Christmas: more than usually excited, in fact. It will be my first Christmas in Africa with my husband's family... and my Mom. We're all gathering together in Cape Town, and then travelling to Swakopmund in Namibia to celebrate in the desert by the sea where the dunes fall directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

How does one celebrate Christmas in a desert? I'm used to Canadian/British cold weather: snow, rain, coniferous Christmas trees, twinkle lights and lots of blankets and hot chocolate. Instead, we'll have sun, wind, heat and a thorn tree for a Christmas tree. I can't wait to experience all these new things.

I won't be blogging much between now and the beginning of January. This is mostly because I need a Christmas break (and so do all of you readers!), but also because I'm swamped with deadlines. I'm actually going to take my art supplies and scanner with me to the desert, so that I can keep on top of things for January. Crazy!

So, while things go silent all 'round the internet, and we celebrate with our families and friends, I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. Thanks for reading my blog; you make every day brighter. And... I can't wait to catch up with all of you in January!

Christmas Elves on Strike

2011-12-14T14:50:00.006Z

Are Santa's elves on strike?

It doesn't bear thinking about. This is a comic for the Canada Post Newspaper in London.

Bah Humbug!

On a brighter note: I'm really not at all grouchy this Christmas. My Mom's come out to Cape Town for the festive season and we're visiting all the tourist haunts.

There is something so soul satisfying about his landscape: the sea, the mountain, the forests. I constantly feel like I'm traversing some fairy-tale land. Around any corner I might come across the witch's cottage (don't eat the trimmings!), or a princess's castle (you must save her from from the dragon!). Doesn't this little patch of forest look like the inspiration for an Arthur Rackham illustration?

From Jane Heinrichs

The Tea Robot

2011-12-07T15:27:00.003Z

Yesterday afternoon Alicia Padrón and I had a twitter conversation about our mutual wish for an assistant in the form of a robot. Alicia wanted hers to make her coffee and bring cake; I'd love mine to bring endless cups of rooibos tea.

She drew the cutest coffee robot ever invented. (See here) And I promised to draw my version of a tea robot. This is a super-duper quick sketch because I'm panicking to finish a huge job before tomorrow.

Where's that soothing cup of rooibos tea when you need it?

A Few Things That Make Me Happy

2011-12-01T18:30:00.002Z

With the beginning of the holiday season (and deadline season) looming, I've decided I need to focus on the things that make me happy. I need to slow down the pace for a moment and really notice what's going on around me.

This morning, after receiving some disappointing news regarding a long-hoped-for job, my Mom and I went for a coffee in the Bo Kaap neighbourhood. My mind was a fog of sad thoughts, but then I lifted my head and looked around. It's impossible to be melancholy for long in the Bo Kaap, where candy coloured houses tumble down the cobbled streets from Signal Hill to the city centre. Who can be sad when someone is growing pink petunias on the pink wall? It made my heart sing.

Another thing that makes me really happy is my messy desk. Every so often I try to clear it up, but in less than a day it always looks like a whirlwind again. But, I know where everything is, and the mess feels cozy!

What makes you happy this December?

The Sea! The Sea!

2011-11-24T11:58:00.003Z

Being a prairie girl, I've never had a close acquaintance with the sea. I've admired it on summer trips; I've stuck my toes in it and shivered; I've dreamed of living in a beach house; but, it never seemed like a "real" place. The seaside was a dream and a vacation, not a home.

Now I find myself living within a short distance from two seas: the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic ocean. Each has its own distinct personality and moods, and each are inspiring in their own way. And I love them both!

This new friendship with the sea led me to contemplate children and mermaids. How much fun would it be to have a secret mermaid friend? (See above).

If you're interested, you can find these prints at The Fringe Arts in Cape Town and in my Etsy shop.

The Cape Town Aquarium

Riding Horses in the Atlantic.

Illustration Friday - Vanity

2011-11-21T10:07:00.002Z

This image started out as a failed sketch from the Royal Academy's exhibition "Degas and the Ballet: Picturing Movement." The exhibition combined Degas drawings and paintings with stop-motion film and photographs of 19th century dancers. I loved the graceful arch of her shoulders, but couldn't seem to get the drawing right while in the gallery.

I put the sketch aside, and only thought of it again when I noticed this week's illustration friday topic. With the addition of a mirror, the sketch made sense! It's not the most original idea for 'vanity,' but that doesn't really matter.

At the Fringe!

2011-11-17T12:07:00.004Z

Cape Town is really one of the most inspiring places I've ever been. There is so much colour and life everywhere. The city bursts at the seams with creative energy.

Two weeks ago I started drawing every day. I wanted to post the all sketches on this blog, but the thing is... they started becoming things. They weren't just sketches any more, but ideas for paintings with energetic African themes. Elephants, lions, and a mermaid filled sea lept out of my paint box and onto the page.

Now, I'm soooo excited to announce that these prints are available at The Fringe Arts in Cape Town. Just pop by their stores, either on Kloof or in the V&A Waterfront.

If you're not a Capetonian, you can find the prints in my online shop. From now until Christmas, if you enter the coupon code MAGICPRINTS in my etsy shop, you'll receive 10% off any order. How's that for a great deal?

Illustration Friday - Stripes

2011-11-09T10:00:00.002Z

{The challenge to do 1 drawing every weekday}

Here's the sketch for today.

I've been staring at a blank piece of paper all week, trying to figure out what to do next. I have two large projects that need starting (need finishing actually, but starting comes first). Do you ever get that crippling feeling of artistic insecurity before you start something big?

It got so frustrating this morning that I just had to draw SOMETHING. So... I did an illustration friday painting. The theme was "stripes." I didn't want to over-think the challenge, as I've been over-thinking my projects all week, so I just did a simple stripey portrait.

And, you know what? Suddenly I think I have more creative chutzpah to tackle those overwhelming projects. :-)

Sketching Llandudno - Cape Town

2011-11-07T12:26:00.006Z

{Drawing #who knows? of a challenge to do 1 drawing every weekday}

I promise, I have been drawing every day. I just can't prove it. Really. Every day I sit down with my sketchbook and watch my pencil skim across the paper. Sometimes I'm happy with the result; sometimes I'm not; and, sometimes, the sketch turns into something I don't want to share. What I mean is, they turn into something more substantial, a full painting that I will share at a later date (you know, to keep the suspense going).

These daily drawings have forced me to really think about my style. What is my visual language? How do I make marks on paper? The trick with drawing is to be able to anticipate what might unfold. You need to draw as though the sketch could turn into a full painting. That means different things for different people, as everyone works differently. For me, it means working with clear lines and tones (three shades: light, middle, dark).

The exercise has forced me to draw with greater clarity. I have to see clearly in order to be able to draw clearly.

Above you see a little pencil sketch of Llandudno, a lovely bay in Cape Town. To the left is the Klein Leewkoppie, the smaller lion's head mountain. This tiny sketch was done quickly, in my evolving visual short-hand. I couldn't draw them, but the waves in the bay were teaming with seals frolicking in the waves.

Oh, and if you have a moment. Check out Philip Reeve's sketches of Dartmoor. I just love his blog.

Save the Beaver, Canada!

2011-11-04T11:12:00.003Z

**Breaking News!**

A Canadian Senator

wants to replace the beaver

with the polar bear as the Canadian national animal.

Personally, I rather like the humble little beaver. It has strength beyond its size; engineering huge dams and changing the surrounding landscape.

Isn't that exactly like the Canadian people? We're the quiet ones from the North, who work hard, and manage to make a small difference in the world that surrounds us.

Happy All Hallows Day!

2011-11-01T11:08:00.002Z

A little sketch for Hallowmas.

A Week's worth of sketches

2011-10-28T11:51:00.005+01:00

{Drawings #3-7 of a challenge to do 1 drawing every weekday}

I haven't forgotten my resolution! Don't worry. I've been doing one sketch per workday. But, as I was working on them I decided that perhaps it might be wiser to post them as an omnibus rather than individually to avoid blog fatigue. Honestly, I don't want to post every day, and you readers probably don't want to read a daily post from me either.

It's been one of those weeks where my drawing skills have been completely inconsistent. Some days I feel confident, and my pencil flies over the paper. Other days (like today) I just muddle, muddle, muddle, and nothing seems to come out right.

Jesse Breytenbach and I spent this morning sketching in Cape Town. I drew the tree (far below), and then tried some random people, who all seemed to walk away before I could make any sense of them. So.... oh well... it was just one of those days.

The thing with drawing is that you just have to keep at it to get anywhere. There's no substitute for practice.

SCBWI Cape Town Spring Conference 2011

2011-10-24T17:01:00.004+01:00

This weekend I attended the SCBWI Cape Town Spring conference (2011). It was such a treat! The roster of speakers dazzled the attendees: Steve Mooser (SCBWI president and founder), Erzsi Deàk (founder of Hen and Ink agency), Nicol Faasen, and Stephan Spies (publisher).

The afternoon consisted of crit groups moderated by prominent South African publishers: Michelle Cooper (Tafelberg), Sally Howes (Watermark), Carol Broomhall (Jacana), Aldré Lategan (Human and Rousseau), and Miemie du Plessis (Lapa).

The consistent theme throughout all the talks and critiques was how we all need persistence. It can be hard to trust the process of creating, but this conference definitely affirmed the need for bravery and persistence when facing blank paper. There is a story within you; cajole it out of hiding with songs and soft words, otherwise it may remain in the shadows forever. Don't give up!

The problem was solved

2011-10-20T14:50:00.003+01:00

{Drawing #1 of a challenge to post 1 drawing every weekday}

I spent all morning industriously trying to draw a still life of my brushes in their jam-jar. My muse wasn't playing fair, though; the more I worked on the drawing, the worse it got.

Then I decided I wanted to draw a lady. But how? With the addition of a scarf, the problem was solved.

Well, hello there, old friends

2011-10-19T17:00:00.002+01:00

There is something cathartic about organizing the studio. These long lost friends of mine, sequestered in suitcases and plastic bags, have finally found their way back into the daylight. My brushes, pens, pencils, and paints have travelled with me across two hemispheres. From Cape Town to Winnipeg and back, with many stop-overs in between. They've served their wandering master well, with no complaints (except from the paint tubes... some exploded inflight and left my art-bag full of pigment) and now they've come to rest on a my studio table again.

One thing I've learned through all this travel and upheaval is that here is no 'magic' place to make art. I used to think that I needed a perfect studio, and all my art supplies arranged 'just so,' before I could create something worth-while. On this trip I haven't had that luxury; In fact, I've had to create illustrations for silly deadlines in all manner of inconvenient places. All that really matters is that I have the time to stop and draw, no matter where I happen to be sitting.

We're back in Cape Town for the next couple of months, and I'm back in my studio with the view of the grapevine and Table Mountain. I'm definitely going to have lots of work to do in the next few months, so perhaps this next statement is foolhardy... but... I want to start a drawing challenge. I resolve to draw something every weekday and post it on this blog. [There, I said it. Now you can keep me accountable!]

Flying South for the Winter

2011-10-12T11:18:00.003+01:00

Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded

to it, and if I were a bird I would fly

about the earth seeking successive autumns.

George Eliot

This is a recent comic for the Canada Post. Canadians are famous, of course, for being snow geese. We fair-weather-friends habitually pack our belongings and fly south the minute there is a suggestion of cold weather in the forecast. Why sit through frigid northern winters when one could live in a land of eternal summer?

It's a nice idea, I suppose, but I rather like George Eliot's desire to live in a land of eternal autumn. The warm days, and crisp nights; fresh produce harvested from the gardens; mulled wine and pumpkin pie. Bliss!

In a week I also fly south, just like the little Gosling in my cartoon. Alas, I'm not following autumn, though... No, I'm a regular snow goose, and I'm following the summer sun all the way back to Cape Town on bottom tip of the southern hemisphere.

So, for the time being, I'm going to make the most of this glorious autumn!

Courtauld Alumni Authors Event

2011-10-07T12:17:00.009+01:00

One of the best things about being a Courtauld Institute of Art alumna is that I get to rub shoulders with fantastically creative people on a regular basis.

This week was the first (annual, I hope) Courtauld Alumni Authors event. All Courtauld Institute alumni were encouraged to submit books they'd authored in the past few years, and a select few were chosen for the reading night.

On display were hundreds of great, authoritative, art historical tomes, worthy of the best ivy league libraries. But, amongst all those scholarly books were a few exceptions, and those were chosen for the reading: two novels, two memoirs, and poetry.

I wasn't selected to read, as the audience was too erudite for children's books, but at the post-reading soirée Magic at the Museum was prominently displayed with all the other 'fiction' books. (See above)

And now that my Friday work is done, I'll brew a cup of coffee and hibernate with my copy of Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. I'm giddy with anticipation: a New York Times bestseller, set in Paris, and written by a Courtauld alumna. It just couldn't get any better than that!

Jacqueline Wilson: saving Kensal Rise Library

2011-10-05T11:47:00.005+01:00

Last week the inimitable Jacqueline Wilson did a reading at our local library in Kensal Rise. The literary event was a protest against Brent Council wanting to close 6 of its 12 libraries. Can you believe that a busy, bustling London borough is closing half its libraries! It's ludicrous!

If they wanted any proof that libraries are important, those council politicians should have attended Jacqueline's reading. The hall was filled with a riot of children ages 5-13. When the organizer announced that Jacqueline would be 15 minutes late because of traffic the young crowd let out a collective sob.

But, Jacqueline did arrive, and what a glorious reading it was. She told tales about how she writes her stories, and how writing has been her passion since she was very little.

I almost sobbed with overwhelmed emotion, but not because of Jacqueline. No, it was because there were a hundred children, hugging their beloved books to their chests, thumbing through the pages to show friends their favourite passages, and asking the author erudite questions about the stories. It was glorious affirmation that, no matter what happens in the cock-eyed publishing industry, children are going to read books and love them.

Thank-you Jacqueline for the demonstration. And, please, Brent Council, don't close all those libraries. We need them.

If you're interested in the campaign, check out their website here:

http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/

Sketches from New York and Minneapolis

2011-10-03T18:52:00.008+01:00

A whole week in New York... and I spent practically the whole time staring at the skyline. The variety of roofline shapes, colours and heights sent my head into a dizzy spin. Or perhaps it was the vertigo of staring up all the time while trying to walk in a straight line and not crash into a harried New Yorker.

I wanted to record the crowds, and the activities, that I saw around me in that great city. Instead, I found myself drawing all the fire escapes and water towers. Did you know that practically every New York building of a certain age has a small water tower on its roof to increase water pressure? They seemed so old fashioned and quaint, like a nod to the past in the ultra-modern, ultra-fast-paced city.

I imagined that Yakko, Wakko and Dot from the Animaniacs would burst out of a random water tower and break into wild song and dance. Perhaps to interrupt the UN General Assembly with their antics. Do you remember that old Warner Brothers show?

The last water-tower sketch is from the old Pillsbury Flour mill in Minneapolis. And here's another old children's TV trivia question: Do you remember the Pillsbury Doughboy? I loved the way he always said, "Hoo Hoo!" with a giggle whenever the industrious Mom tickled his stomach. He was so helpful in the kitchen; and the cookies, buns and rolls always turned out perfectly.

Hoo Hoo!

Adventures in... Chicago

2011-09-15T15:26:00.002+01:00

Today we leave Chicago. This is my second time in the windy city, and I love it more with every visit. It has the perfect mix of cosmopolitan hustle and bustle combined with small-town friendliness.

I've been sketching as much as I can. The pace of travelling doesn't automatically lend itself to leisurely sketching time. I admire those who seem to make travel sketchbooks so effortlessly. How do they do it?

I tried to photograph my sketchbook pages, in the hopes of posting them as I go along. But the pictures were fuzzy and poorly exposed, so I'll rather post a selection of my best sketches at the end of this epic journey.

Today we leave for New York! It will be my first time in the 'capitol of the world' and I can't wait!