Artists Need Proper Pay

Author/Illustrator Sally Rippin, below, acts on behalf of picturebook creators' rights for proper payment. Kind Sally advocates/promotes emerging creators, too. More than 570 positive feedback has come back to Sally. Please read this post.   

"Dear Teachers, please do not ask authors and illustrators to give talks to your students for free. Yes, a Zoom talk may not feel like a big deal, but many creators put as much time into the preparation of a Zoom talk as they would do a school visit, even if they are still wearing their pyjama pants!

It’s true to make a choice to be an artist often means accepting that your income will be unstable, but this year has hit artists hard: musicians with nowhere to play, visual artists with nowhere to exhibit, actors and playwrights with nowhere to perform. So many authors I know have books coming out they can’t promote, festival appearances have all been cancelled and regular school talks have dried up, which is often the main income stream for many kids’ book creators, especially when they are first starting out.

Artists do what they do because they are passionate about it, but no one can create anything on an empty stomach - or even just the anxiety of how they are going to be able to pay their next bill. Artists are always the first to donate their time, experience or wares, and while children were stuck at home, so many kids’ book creators shared book readings online, activities and writing workshops, because they genuinely care. But if you are now back at school, and can afford it, please consider booking them through their regular booking agencies so that all these beautiful people can earn an income and continue to create the books your children love.

Lastly, perhaps you might also consider not asking for an established author, like me. I’ve been publishing books and giving school talks for twenty-five years. Your kids probably already know my work and I’m in the fortunate position to be able to earn an income from my royalties, which isn’t the case for a lot of book creators.

Consider asking the booking agency to recommend an emerging author or illustrator. Many of them could probably really do with a break right now, especially if their first book has come out this year and they won’t have any other opportunity to promote it. I guarantee someone who has published one book will have as much to share with your students as someone who has published one hundred, and your students will have the added bonus of discovering a new favourite author or illustrator. And we need to introduce our children to as many diverse stories and voices as we can, now more than ever.

These are hard times for so many and we are so lucky to have stories to connect us, build empathy and help us feel less alone. Let’s make sure we look after the people who create these stories so they can continue to share them with us for years to come." 
Thank you, Sally!! You're a legend!! 

Artists Need Proper Pay

1) Wash & Timing 2) 2015 Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks

Hi, Friends, I'm enjoying a new interesting project for publication.
While working on it, I play with washes. If you love washes, I'll post them more. Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

1) Wash & Timing
This work (A4) was absolutely fun! Timing is critically important. Sounds contradicted though, being "spontaneous" is, in fact, a carefully planned job in a loose style. Especially, in wet-in-wet, if you can find the appropriate moment when to add a colour, sure, you'll be a winner of a loose style. 
In this work, I left only a bird blank and started up a first wash all over the paper. All wet. Then, I kept on adding paints and moved them around on the paper. It's thrilling to balance between a half-wet paper and adding paints. There's a "time" in watercolour under heaven. 

(*That paper was originally used for life drawing. I always use both sides of papers.) The first try came out not so bad than I had expected.    
This fun experiment gives me a breakthough of washes in a loose style. 
I've got the feeling how to handle washes or played with paints and water. A reference photo was taken in a country side this year. 

This is the original photo. It seems I'm a happy and colourful person! 

Some more study of washes I tried. Landscapes came out of my head.   

Studio work is not so exciting. I went outside and observed bush, while enjoying cricket in the park. I got it -- colour, shape, value and pattern. Then, I got on this wash practice. 

Technically, another important factor for wash is the amount of water. I imagined a typical old-fashioned farmer's house in Australian bush. 

This is a bad example. I could not handle either timing or the amount of water. Also, a mono tone bored me too much. So, (**this is the point for me. I do not push myself too much, particularly, in art. I always listen to my heart and have fun) I moved onto colour instantly. Then, you already saw the better result above. 

Now, thin sketch pads do not hold my washes any more. Gulp... sketching, too, will cost me more than ever?!! 
Anyway, if you like this sort of work, please let me know. I'll keep up. 

2) Planning of Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks in 2015
My illustrations are at the stage of layout. Layout is called, "marriage between a text and illustration." I've left editing in a book designer and an editor's hands. I keep praying it will go well...

We're preparing for a book launch next May. Already, a high-profile bookshop, Gleebooks delightedly welcomes our book launch and an exhibition. All the things are first experiences for me. I have no idea how to do it. The bookshop staff, Australian Society of Authors and top-notchers guide me, totally, a novice. Big names celebrate my debut such as Libby Gleeson, Shaun Tan, Margaret Wild, Elise Hurst, Sally Rippin, Jeannie Baker, Donna Rawlins, well-known editors and lots more. They all represent contemporary Australian picture books and to the world as well. Above all, my fabulous editor Helen Chamberlin and fantastic mentor Ann James back up me well. (*Right now, Ann is bridging culture between Korea and Australia by picture books!) I'm certain they want me to bloom out as one of Australian Illustrators.

Friends, I also appreciate Lynndy Bennett (Children's Manager at Gleebooks Pty Ltd), her warm cheers for such long years and her remembering me, this nameless children picture book illustrator! Once, our linguistics professor Jane Simpson and other notable authors such as Libby (Gleeson) did book launch at Gleebooks. I was there and sketched them. Lynndy and I knew each other quite a long time ago. I dreamed... I wish I could do book launch here...

BUT now, my publishing is becoming true.
When I rang up the shop to tell Lynndy my good news, she, -- to my very surprise -- promptly, said, "Oh, Sadami, what a coincidence! I just looked up your work on net a few days ago. Beautiful! I saw how quickly you sketched our guest speaker." Wow, I became speechless. I so much thanked for her strong support. In addition and for Lynndy's honour, she received the award, ABA Elizabeth Riley Fellowship for Children's Bookselling 2013. 

I've found myself surrounded by super stars and constellations of Australian picture book industry. ...I sometimes wonder I'm in a fairy tale or a day dream. No. This is real.
Thank you, Friends. Your cheers have enabled me to come to this stage.
My hands have still pains though, I'll do my best to pay back what I've got to society through picture books and art activities.

Libraries also celebrate my debut and we're planning author talks.
Yes, a school holidays program! Come over my watercolour workshop. Children aged between 8 and 12 years @ Parramatta library,  on 1st October,11am-12pm. $3 per person. To book, please contact the library, 9806 5159. Let's have fun!!

Friends, Happy Painting! Special thanks and smile from me, Sadami!

1) Wash & Timing 2) 2015 Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks

Ongoing Picture Book & Mentor

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy your weekend? I've got back to a trade picture book project and enjoy mentorship. A mentor from Melbourne and I got together in Sydney and discussed about the ongoing picture book project for "hours." A text analysis, interpretation, storyboards and technical stuff. Now, we're working on a storyboard again.

The text is difficult. With Author and Editro's help, I'm working on a storybaord. I feel this text is a poem rather than a story. That thought has inspired me.

A poem has beautiful "pace" in word. If this text is a poem, how I read out loud and illustrate it...? I, a book lover, do not like too much illo in any poems. Readers want to enjoy imagination and echo of words. Busy visual information is inappropriate. If I were a reader of this beautiful poem, what sort of images will be enough and necessary? Where will I stop and close eyes? Where will I look up a sky and enjoy the sounds of words? etc, etc.  Those thoughts help to re-organise a storyboard and I can be brave to cut off unnecessary images.

Also, yesterday, I saw my dear friend and very experienced picture book illustrator -- more than 30 yrs career. We chatted over picture books, the friend's rich experiences, knowledge, my storyboards, dummies and colour etc, etc for hours. Fabulous. The friend encouraged me so much and generously shared techniques with me. It's wonderful to chest off and have a nice frined!

Creating a picture book is a group work. It's brilliant to be well supported by a wonderful team and friends.  Honest, I feel it's a tough time. But I'd get through it.
The key is the information flow in pictures. An illustrator can change lots in illo at the stage of roughs and story boards.

In addition, if you are interested in what mentorship is and how you can make it work, this is a good guide. "Getting Connected -- Making Your Mentorship Work," written by Hunter, M. published by Ausrtalia Council for Arts.

Friends, I've got a cold right now. So, please give me a bit time to get well. 

Happy Painting and Drawing! 

PS .
...I love black and white, too. The book signing is Sally Rippin.

Ongoing Picture Book & Mentor

Sydney Writers' Festival 2013

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy your weekend? I had a wonderful time with many authors and illustrators in Sydney Writers' Festival (23 May to 26 May). It had a broad range of topics and many events from children's fun to politics in literature. Leading people got togther in our publishing industry. I was particularly looking forward to seeing Sally Rippin, Libby Gleeson and Judith Ridge.

Sally Rippin (author/illustrator, above) is from Melbourne. Oh, Sally is so popular. Her workshop, "What It Takes to Write Great Kids Books" was sold out! She is an idol for children and adults! This charming and humorous lady is very sensitive and so caring! (*I soon realised she kindly offered me help at a stairway). We often had big laughs and chuckled together.

I sketched Sally during a fun workshop, "Making Characters Who Do What You Want Them to Do!"  That workshop inspired me so much! Hey, Friends, it was very interesting to see how other illustrators develop characters. And people around me were saying, "Ooohh, wow..." looking at my quick sketch. 

Then, I attended Libby Gleeson (author)'s 2 panell discussions. One was "Creative Writing as Freedom, Education as Exploration."  Panellers tried to empower disadvantaged people by creative writing. I admire Libby Gleeson. Libby is one of Australia's best known and most highly regarded writers for young people. I check her any articles on children picture books and literature. She's a deep thinker with great enthusiasm for children's literature and so caring for emerging talents. Libby always encourages me and supports me so much! In the discussions, interesting arguments covered from politics, feminism to young people's creativity in respct of literature and writing. Ah, I'm a life long learner! 

Judith Ridge is one of the key persons for publishing industry and fine art activities, especially, for Western Sydney. The project, "WestWords," is brilliant and exciting. Caring Libby introduced me to Judith. Kind Judith welcomed me. I'd like to talk about an Immigrant Women Speakout Association publishing project that I was involved last year. Judith gave me her precious time. We had a friendly talk. My "souvenir" to IWSA!

The Writers Festival was terrific! So many book lovers and writers-wannabes were, too, at pires in Walsh Bay, just under Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Oh, yes, all these key persons above also belong to Australian Society of Authors and me, too. So, the Festival is the place for catching up as well as knowing each other.

Friends, networking is critially important, particularly, for illustration job. If you come across any conferences and big workshops related to your work, I highly recommend you to join them. I always learn lots and make friends with wonderful people and catch up with nice old friends. Surrounded by excellent people in our industry, I'm very happy and keep up my ongoing picture book projects. Nice, those leading people all care for me cheer me up.
Hahahaha, Sally and I will get together in her bookshop tour in Sydney this week. It would be a great fun!! 
Friends, Happy Painting, Happy Cuppa with same minded people!!!  

Sydney Writers' Festival 2013