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Monday, February 20, 2012

Emerging Indigenous Authors & Illustrators Workshop

Hi, Friends! After the right hand surgery, I've happily come back to work. I helped an Emerging Indigenous Authors & Illustrators Workshop (Overview) in Glebe, Sydney. The Little Big Book Club and Allen & Unwin(*publisher) ran the workshop, funded through The Australia Council. This initiative has a focus on developing picture books by Indigenous creators. What a wonderful project!!
My mentor, Ann James was one of the presenters and ran a hands-on art workshop. Julie Vivas and I joined the event. (*Friends, think of it : "Ann James" and "Julie Vivas" are in our workshop = "The Rolling Stones" and "The Beatles" joint concert!! Got it?) On Sunday, the first workshop was on "process of publishing." The handouts were clear, concise and spot on. I fell in love with Allen & Unwin and The Little Big Book Club's ongoing project. Their goal is to promote the love of and importance of reading to children from a very early age, especially in families.
Friends, do ye know? An interesting linguistic research we studied at uni is "bed time story makes a middle class." The research revealed the influence and the importance of reading books for young children. It gives children lifelong literacy, success in formal schooling and improved life chances. Apart from socio-economic analyses, anyone loves listening to parents' reading at bed, don't we? It's nice and will be very sweet memories in our lives! So, I'd support The Little Big Book Club objectives.

Each presenter, Erica, Ann, Sarah talked on. Particularly, Ann's talk was practical and helpful to learn how to illustrate. She, originally dreamed of becoming a social worker, but chose an Art teacher career. She started,
"Draw from memory." An enthusiastic illustrator Ann was born!
Although the making process has no difference in general, each illustrator has a unique methods to develop drawings. Ann's way is just fit to me.
"Draw from memory" is a very useful methods to illustrate a text. It purifies visual information. In our memory, visual information gets through our mind filters. Only impressed info is left that responds to emotions well.
Another memorable Ann's say is "Lines and colours are different languages."
Yes, I'd explore both more!

After the talk, participants enjoyed varied medias : watercolour, pastels, oil pastel and acrylics. Great fun to practise drawing and painting! We, mentors assisted students in person. I explained about "simplify info," "value study" for figurative drawings and a technique, "wash off & sedimentary pigments." One portrait demo for the student.




Ohhh, this is one of our students' hard work! She sketched me. Lovely!









Our great bonus was Julie Vivas, an Australian national icon for picture book industry. Julie, this humble superstar showed her fantastic work nearly at the end. Beautiful and so sensitive. All of us uttered, "Ohhhh!!! Waaaaa!!!!" Kind Julie explained another technique to use a pen for very detailed watercolour work. The lovely, lovely end for us.It was a great joy to meet youngish talents and see their wonderful work. I have no doubt about these talented Indigenous artists' bright future. They will crack into market. Hope we will see again soon.May many "Indigenous picture book illustrators" will come up from this project and gain a public attention!

Friends, happy painting!!!





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28 comments:

  1. Fabulous sketches, Sadami - and what a wonderful workshop!
    So glad your hand was better so that you could take part.
    xx

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  2. Hi Sadami! I enjoyed your post and sketches! I have fond memories of reading to my son when he was little, and he still loves to read. So I agree with you!

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  3. What a great workshop, love the photographs of the event, it must have been a fun day. As always you capture people with such a little paint, I am amazed at that and in awe....if only I could draw faces:( still I will keep trying.

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  4. what a neat illustrated write up of the workshop! 'simply info' 'value study' are indeed great advice :)

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  5. さだみさんへ
    あらあら、楽しそう!
    がんがん描いてますね。
    手のほうは、順調のようでよかったですね。

    わたしのほうは、2台あるカメラの1台がこわれ、もう1台は、きょうなくしたみたいで、
    ぎゃふんの1日となりました。
    かめらないと、ぶろぐにいれられないのよねん。

    せっかくかいたのごりらは、
    を見せられないのは、残念です。

    かたちがあるものは、こわれるようになっているとわかっていても、、、、。
    この国は、砂のせいで、カメラの寿命は、みじかく、
    暑さで、車の寿命も、短いのだーーー。

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  6. Hi Sadami! Good to hear you are back, and full of energy. Your great enthusiasm for this project and for illustration in general is so very apparent when you write - LOVE IT! What a dynamic, fun group!

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  7. ann must be a wonderful mentor sadami ... super portraits and post.

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  8. Dear Pat,
    Thank you! You, too, always "enjoy" challenging. The workshop and the project are so nice. BTW, how's your teaching going? My right hand gets stronger.
    xxSadami

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  9. Hi, Judy,
    Oh, that's lovely. Sure, you and the son shared time and made wonderful memories. That blooms out, which will make his life rich.
    Kind regards, Sadami

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  10. Hi, Ann,
    Thank you! If you are interested in figures, I will write about it in a post. Actually, I was asked to assist the student to know how to "colour" a figure. What would you like to know? If you do not mind, you can leave messages as comments(*not to be published). I'll think of them.
    Kind regards,Sadami

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  11. Hi, Meera,
    I know you're a hard worker and enjoying painting, too. Keep up. Your work is charming!
    Kind regards, Sadami

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  12. Yahahooo, Dora!
    Thank you!! My right hand gets stronger and stronger.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  13. Hi, HaniHani,
    カメラ、お気の毒です。 そうかあ…暑さと砂嵐にはきっと誰も勝てないわ。 一台出てくると良いのにね。しかし、えええ!カメラでいままでuploadしていたの?スゴイわ。うんと写真が上手なのネ。私はスキャンします。ごりら楽しみにしています。 右手はまだ弱いけどよく動きます。傷跡のマッサージと,感覚過敏で無くなる様に色んなモノに文字通り、手当たり次第触りまくっています。エヘヘヘ。
    Cheers,Sadami

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  14. Deqar Kath,
    Thanks! I handed in the work. Great feeling! Kath, all we know, joy must come first whatever a job would be. You, too, enjoy drawing and painting!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  15. Hi, Jane,
    Your comment encourages Ann so much! Thank you so much. I'm one of the luckiest illustrator in Australia.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  16. Sadami -

    I'm glad to read and see that you are doing so well after surgery. Thank you for sharing the workshop with us. Everyone is so engrossed in their and each other's work. And I love that tiny watercolor palette of yours!

    Best wishes for your continued health and success and pleasure at work.

    Nanina

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  17. Las ilustraciones muy buenas, y todo lo que cuentas me parece tan interesante que te llena de curiosidad por todo el proyecto de la ilustración. Un abrazo.

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  18. Dear Nanina,
    Thank you! Ahahaha, you like my palette! I made it by my own. Group activities are great fun.
    You, too, keep enjoying art work and success!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  19. Hola, Tina,
    ¡Gracias! Sí, realmente espero que el proyecto va a ir bien y promover los indígenas australianos. No es cosa fácil, pero el personal que conocimos eran una maravilla. Me convence de que van a hacer que suceda!
    Un abrazo, alegre, Sadami

    Hi, Tina,
    Thank you! Yes, I really hope the project will go well and promote Indigenous Australians. Not easy thing, but the staff I met were wonderful. It convinces me that they will make it happen!
    A hug, cheers,Sadami

    >>>Tina said...
    The illustrations very good, and everything seems so interesting accounts that fills you with curiosity around the project of enlightenment. A hug.

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  20. Que gran momento Sadami, es un placer ver a la gente disfrutar tanto, se nota que os lo pasasteis muy bien.
    Un saludo desde España.

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  21. Estimado José,
    ¡Gracias! Sí, un tiempo estupendo y maravilloso. Yo unirse a ella más a menudo.
    Tú, también, disfrutar de actividades artísticas.
    Saludos, Sadami

    Dear Jose,
    Thank you! Yes, a great and wonderful time. I'd join it more often.
    You, too, enjoy art activities.
    Cheers,Sadami

    >>>Jose said...
    What a great time Sadami, nice to see people enjoy both, I notice that you passed it very well.
    A greeting from Spain.

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  22. Oh Sadami! This workshop sounds and looks wonderful! I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Wonderful sketches as always!!

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  23. Dear Sadami,

    I'm glad to see you getting back to normal. Thank you for sharing your workshop and sketches. I also used to read stories when my children were little. It was great fun.
    Take care.
    Cheers

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  24. Hi, Hilda,
    Thank you very much! Yet the hand is stil weak, it's getting better and better. I'd enjoy drawing and painting.
    Kind regards, Sadami

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  25. Hi, nice Mom Anna,
    Thank you! It's really nice to know you enjoyed child rearing. Your kids will remember them all.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  26. Sadami,
    that good to come here and see that great woman you are!
    A strong, determined, dedicated and friendly.
    Although not talked about earlier, you were in my thoughts, because your surgery ...
    I thought about how would your recovery and how you dominate, the desire to draw,
    needing to rest!
    I see that everything went well, I'm happy and hope that your recovery is a success!
    Your works are wonderful, as always - congrats!

    Around here, I'm having an unbelievable sequence of domestic problems,
    small but great in occupation and stress :/ that consumed much of my time,
    patience and concentration.
    So, I need to take a deep breath, face and believe in better days ...

    I always appreciate your presence.

    and move on, doing a lot of lemonade :))
    a huge hug

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Denise!!
      You're always in my throughts and prayer. Also, you always cheer me up even if you were at a tough time or in difficult family business and headaches for a daily life. I know they consume our energy and time. Pull yourself together. Let us move onto a bright future.

      Go, go, Denise!! Sometimes, life is not easy, but I do not say it "difficult." I'll tell you, "triumph" consits of two words : "try" and a little bit "ump!" and you can make it!! Never get stuck in holding lemons. I'm sure you set a lemonade stand and sell wonderful lemonade that makes others happy!!

      Love and hug, Sadami

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