Anne Spudvilas, great Illustrator, portraitist

I saw my superhero, Anne Spudvilas, a nationally and internationally celebrated picture book illustrator and portraitist. She has her glorious 25 yrs career exhibition, "A Child World in Pictures" in Newcastle Region Library until 14th April in Lovett Gallery.

The students and I studied her illustration process and enjoyed a drawing workshop. After the cat drawing workshop, sweet Anne spent time for me to sign my brought books (quite many!). 

Anne kindly explained my technical questions all in a tightly scheduled time. I've learned a lot from Anne. The day has become the great encouragement and support in my artist life. Anne is my shining example. (*more photos in my facebook site. Friends in publishing industry celebrate my meet with Anne.)  

Sadami Cat! Anne enjoys to look at how different personality come up 

in each work by a same medium, charcoal.  

Brave Anne has always challenged new medium, overcome difficulty and mastered them all : oil, watercolour and printing. We enjoyed a chat over how she found solutions in each illustration project. Students and I studied an illustration process with Anne's slide show of Where's Jessie? written by Janeen Brian ; how Anne collected raw data/references/real models, developed them into roughs and finalised them by print making. 

Slideshow, Where's Jessie? the handcoloured monoprint, (more photos of the slideshow in Sadami Konchi facebook. That shows the process and methods of development of illustration.)

Whilst working on difficult picture book projects, Anne has become a finalist in all the big portraits entitlements such as Archibald, Moran, Portia Geach etc (*how could u do them all?!). Yes, Anne is a grand slam winner of portraits. Kind Anne has been encouraging me and supporting me for ages even in her extremely busy days. I've admired her so much, loved her personality and had studied her work.  

Colour rough

Furthermore, Anne gave me TWO hugs, when we left for each direction. 
When I suddenly got a whole left leg paralysed and at the bottom of life, her work gave me dream, hope and direction to go in art. The huge rehab has paid off and I walk again. Since a start of my career, Anne Spudvilas has been my role model. Anne and I have kept in touch by emails for years though, it was the first time to see her in person. Me, too, hope myself to bring others dream, love and hope by art and in art. 
Friends, Happy Painting! 

Anne Spudvilas, great Illustrator, portraitist