Adventures With Beebe, Part 1.

Welcome back!

At last, I have managed to store all 32 illustrations from Adventures With Beebe onto my laptop. No, I wasn't successful in getting the images off my hard drive from my dead previous desk top. Instead, after much searching, I found a complete copy (out of 2 incomplete copies) of the illustrations I had sent off to some publishers forever ago. These pictures are titled and numbered, though some have different header formats. That annoys me. I'm a details girl sometimes. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have fought hard to find the positive in many situations. Living in a bus was no exception. I don't want this to be a character assassination of my previous husband. We all have flaws and I am very aware of mine. I do however want to illuminate the very real challenges that we faced as a family, and hopefully help you see where the motivation for this little story came.

The prelude to Beebe begins. And yes, truth is stranger than fiction...

Here I was, in my late 20's, single, and a mother of 2 very beautiful, fatherless children. I had escaped my tormented past and was sharing a house with a lovely female friend and going to a very accepting and very controlling 'church group' that hated mainstream churches so developed their own. The leader of course claimed his 'power' and proven lineage to King David, and no one was to challenge him. Ok, they were definitely cultish, but it made sense at the time. His passion and mixing of truth with manipulation was very convincing, but being accepted was the strongest hold. No-one could cope with me prior to this. I was pretty angry and wild when I started, yet my dress (very, very Goth), my lifestyle choices and behaviour didn't scare them at all. Before I knew it, I had found my new family.

One night, the leader decided to bring a single, much older man over to dinner at my home. Little did I know that he had already been buttering him up about me. I had been single for years- no boyfriend or dates, so when we got talking, though I was very shy back then, I was excited at how much we seemed to have in common. The leader supported this 100% and before I knew it, we were dating. Six weeks later, we were married. Yes, you heard right. As I type, I'm wondering who this person actually was as it doesn't seem like me at all. Sadly, it was me then.

And here the trouble begins. I had married a man,  who thought I was a good Christian girl who wouldn't hurt him. I had married a much older man who I thought would remove my shame, be a father to my girls and be gentle with us. We were both wrong. Very wrong. That is way to much pressure to put on another person.

We moved into his rented house with his 2 nearly adult sons briefly, left the group- my family of 4 years, violently. We had recently purchased a 1969 Bedford bus, downsized rapidly and crammed me, my 2 girls and my husband into our new home, with the purpose of travelling Australia. A lot of grief and major adjustment going on right there- family gifts, treasured items- all gone, not stored. Excommunicated from people I genuinely did love. Thrust into a new life I felt legally and morally bound to with a man who was, in essence, a complete stranger. 

The plan was; leave Brisbane and slowly travel around Australia. A condition of Lizzy's distance schooling was we couldn't spend more than 6 weeks at any town. School work was sent to the nearest post office if we had no address. I was actually looking forward to the experience- I have always loved travel, especially after an amazing early childhood exploring much of this great country by caravan (my home) with my family.

So, off we set. We made it to Banora Point, just below the Qld/ NSW border. And there we stayed. We occasionally moved for a night or two as per park requirements then came back to our same sight. It was a very unsettling lifestyle, not family friendly. Sharing a study table come dining room table with a man who at that time wasn't working and just wanted to surf with his mates, then eat when Lizzy was studying wasn't easy. And surfing boys eat. A lot. I wasn't much of a cook before then, but I am now. In fact, I'm the budget cooking queen! 

We finally managed to find a secure park to live in at Chinderah, one where we didn't have to move every few weeks. Lizzy started Cudgen Primary School in year 3. It was good to feel settled again. Then, to top it all off, it rained- nearly four months straight. No usable annex-it leaked like crazy. No space. Two adults, two children and an occasional surfing buddy, crammed in a bus. The cracks began to show.

So, after all of that, I decided to record our adventures. My ex had family on land way up past Brisbane's northside, Mt Mee way. Visiting them was fun for the girls, and I really, really wanted to leave them with positive memories of their experiences. So, Adventures With Beebe was born.

I'm a bit embarrassed by the quality of the rhyming. I simply love Graeme Base's work, and pale in comparison to him. But, at the time, it was where I was at, so, even though it's going to be humbling, here goes. Also,  the pictures are not consistent. As you know, I love collage, but as this story has taken years to complete, partly due to depression and major lifestyle challenges stifling all creativity. Therefor, the illustrations aren't as consistent as I would like. But, you've got to start somewhere, and this is my somewhere.

This is by no means an accurate depiction of our travels, but is a snap shot of some real & some made up experiences to create a fun story. So, here goes! The first 8 pages...

Lizzy and Sarah have no ordinary home,

They live in Beebe the bus.

Their lives are full and exciting,

In fact, very adventurous!

Uncle Lellon was lonely,

It was his family he wanted to see,

So Beebe hurried the family out of the city

To head up towards Mt Mee.

Passing the Glass House Mountains,

The giants weren't inside!

Today they sat out in their yard

To watch the cars go by.

When all arrived at Uncle Lellon's farm,

Lizzy and Sarah wanted to play.

Uncle Lellon shook his head and said,

“There's work to be done today.”

Beebe's wheels were sore from her big trip,

Mum and dad seemed busy too.

Lizzy and Sarah followed Uncle Lellon

To see what work they must do.

The first job was collecting eggs,

But neither found this fair,

Uncle Lellon had too many chooks-

They laid eggs everywhere!

The next job was feeding Soxy,

The always hungry horse.

It was very hard work,

But Sarah helped, of course.

This is your quota for today! I will get the next 12 pages to you soon. Until then, thanks for reading :)

Previous study-Tafe Design course 2007

Welcome back :)

This post, I'd like to share my works and discoveries from my most absolute favourite Tafe course ever, Certificate 4 in Design at Kingscliff, 2007.

I loved this course for so many reasons. The year prior to commencing, I had just gone through a harrowing interferon/ ribavirin treatment to make my liver less angry after 13+ years of it asserting itself negatively. It worked, but nearly took me out with it. During that treatment, I had lots, and lots, and then some more free time. Not a lot else to do when your body is extremely weak, muscles burning, eye sight blurring, hair falling out, white cell count dropping and all joyous symptoms like that, including severe and debilitating depression. To combat the depression, other than for a time- rely on needed medication, I created. I finished my first kids book illustrations. Even with diminishing eyesight, I managed to collage my way to completing 32 pictures for Adventures with Beebe. Those days were fun and messy with my garage floor literally covered in food dyed and painted sheets of paper! I also wrote, and illustrated most of, Mardi LOVES Lipstick! I had a passion to write and create like never before. I also tackled my novel and it flourished into a fully fledged story- 41,0000+ words. I still need to polish/ pad and edit it, but the basic framework is there.

2006 ended with a successful treatment, an amazing 3 week holiday to Thailand (can't decide if this trip, or Japan, were my favourite holidays ever!), and an clear direction on where I wanted to head with my future. On return from my trip to Thailand in late November, I received an invitation to sit for a drawing competency and be interviewed by a 3 person panel, after completing a self portrait. The self portrait didn't have to be life like, but it had to reflect who we were, elements of self. That is when I did the first version of this painting, The Only Way to Live. After the year I'd had, I felt like I'd just taken a leap of faith off a mountain into a bright, colourful and amazing future. The sunrise symbolises a new day/ new start. The original was smaller and had my dark curls, but otherwise, this painting captures it clearly...

Getting accepted into the course was just the best feeling ever. I knew it was going to impact me, and I was right. Though it was really a 'taste tester' of many things, including graphic design, illustration- including perspective, painting and mixing basics, fashion design (not a fan!), architecture basics (not my favourite but making mini shop mock-ups was fun), and movie making/ photography fundamentals, I loved it, and did learn quite a lot. It also reconfirmed my love of kid's art and the use of humour in what I create.

Below are some samples of work completed during the course. The first 6 pictures are of an Alice in Wonderland inspired series we had to complete, using different techniques in each picture...

These were actually fun experiments using a capsicum as our inspiration. It really helped me explore the use of mixed media in my art, and considering collage is my favourite method, I was inspired...

These fish were so much fun! We had to pick one of 3 options, a fish, wine glass and something that escapes my memory! The idea was to create 60 small squares, focusing on patterning. I did include some patterning, but for me, the desire to include humour was too strong. I only scored a credit for this, but it was my favourite project :)

This is my first attempt at spray painting. I loved this project as we could only make one continuous cut out line. It was hard, but I managed to pull it off...

This was a fun project too, mapping our journey to Tafe each day. Again, humour and simple designs are my favourite form of expression. And yes, it's collaged :)

Making a 3D card that sealed on itself was a great challenge, and I'm really happy with how this card turned out...

Meet Cyril, the disco cowboy USB prototype! We had to create a computer version and story to go with our projects. I won't share mine, but it was special. He was fun to create, and I can't part with him just yet :)

And lastly, though I'm not a brilliant photographer, I enjoyed playing around with some pictures I'd taken in Thailand. I did of course do many other graphic design projects, but don't really feel they warrant viewing!

I passed the year. Actually, I received a nomination for a Tafe Award of Excellence and got to attend a ceremony at Murwillumbah, which my proud Dad attended with me. I also received letters from uni saying I had instant admission into their Graphic Design Degrees. Whilst I did very well, computer design just wasn't for me. I need to feel the creative process with my own hands- I like the more tactile approach.

I hope you have found this interesting. Of course, the story doesn't end there. Though the year was amazing in learning and discovery, it also had a dark side, like the fall out from a severe treatment the year before that still at times left me crying in the school toilets as I fought depression once again, a side effect that persisted longer than the aching muscles did. But, that story will be touched on in another blog.

Until then, hanks for reading :)

Petal

Hello readers :)

As it's going to take some time for me to remember (and afford) to order the necessary parts needed to get my images off my old hard drive, I couldn't sit and not blog. So today, I'd like to talk about Petal.

During the night, probably when I should have been sleeping, I kept thinking about Hank and Petal. Well, mainly Petal to be honest. I’ve been scouring catalogues and images of adorable stuffed owls, kids toys and some gift boutiques looking for ideas. At last, I found one I could adapt to create my own personal Petal.

After a trip to Lincraft to purchase some plain, white cotton fabric yesterday, today I plan to start drawing up a pattern and hopefully, putting my vision into reality. Using plain cotton is a safe choice as it will allow me to make several owls cheaply until I come to one that I feel really works. From there, I can decide on the colours that will best suit my new creation. And there lies the challenge.

You see, Petal is a delicate creature. Her personality at times has components of Eeyore, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh, in that she often looks sad and forlorn. And she certainly can be a little timid too. But her reckless, crazy friend Hank, has a wonderful way of sparking life and joy in her expression. He can even rouse a soft giggle from Petal at times too! But sometimes, Hank does cause her concern, when her countenance droops again, and she displays those worried eyes.

Petal enjoys nothing more than sitting in her tree, keeping herself to herself, watching all the busyness of life below from the safety of her perch. But Hank, who spotted Petal one day when he was on one of his many adventures, took it upon himself to befriend this lonely tree dweller and amaze her with his antics. Secretly, Petal adores her new-found friend, and really couldn't imagine life without him.

Choosing colours for Petal must reflect her personality. The original purple used was on one hand a quick choice used to create balance and extra colour needed for my mural project, and it did seem to suit her worried expression. Sometimes, a big commotion can cause concern for Petal, and she views the scene with her shy, observant eyes. Even though my mural project was a joyous, colourful and happy scene, Petal instantly had a personality for me, and I had to convey this through colour and expression.

Once I have made my new prototypes, I will take the next step of experimenting with colours. I see softer shades needed for Petal; greens, purples, perhaps even pinks and possibly greys? She needs to be coloured to reflect who she really is. Patterns aren't out of the question either, because after all, Petal is feminine. But nothing too garish- it's just not her.

I hope you have enjoyed this little post, and like me, look forward to seeing Petal take shape from the original idea below. Until next time, thanks for reading!

Mural, Part 2

Hi all,

Back to see what happened with this mural project no doubt?! Well, I won't disappoint :)

Now that the background had been completed, the 'life' of the mural needed to come next. How was I going to create the characters to complete the project? I wasn't sure I wanted to paint directly onto the bricks- that wouldn't give a sharp or clear enough effect in my mind, and would cheapen the overall look. So I decided on something a bit more hard wearing and something that would stand out- laminated MDF boards. I liked the white laminate side as I assumed it would be easy to paint on, like a blank canvas, and that is what the label claimed. Hmmm, we shall get back to that claim later!

No doubt, I had to start on the main character, Jesus :) Using the Jesus in Jeans (www.jesusinjeans.com) theme, I worked out a design. It was similar but actually took some effort. When happy with the pose, I then had the fun task of working out how to transfer my image from an A4 sheet of paper to 2 sheets of MDF. Not easy, believe me! The white laminate was easy to draw on in pencil, and just as easy to erase-over and over again. Making Jesus a life size character was no easy feat. When I was sure I couldn't rub out any more, I finally got it right. Then something else occurred to me- how was I going to neatly piece top and bottom together? Looking at the design carefully, I worked out that the shirt would be a perfect place to create a jigsaw effect that would neatly fit over the bottom jeans section.

Then it was onto the other characters. Coming up with original designs was quite fun. I didn't want to copy the kids from the Jesus in Jeans images, but rather make it a bit more personal. The little girl was modeled off my eldest daughter and was also a reflection of the gorgeous brown skinned cuties that attended this particular kid's church. The boy with the soccer ball was modeled after a youthful betrayal of my previous senior Pastor, Steve White. He's definitely not a red head but is absolutely mad keen on soccer! The dog, fish, bird and owl were just fun creations, all adding interest and personality to my mural.

Once again, working out how much to enlarge the characters from the A4 sketch was a challenge. Jesus was an impressive 185cm tall, so I had to get my perspective correct. Below are the rough sketches of the dog, boy and little bird...

After drawing up grids over each of the pictures to correspond to the exact height I needed to enlarge them to, I proceeded to transfer the images onto the MDF. When all the designs were done, I contacted Ian Davey (one half of Aunty Lele's Workshop. See www.facebook.com/AuntyLelesWorkshop for more details) to laser cut the designs for me. When you need a professional and prompt job done, you leave it to the experts. Me with a jigsaw attempting to cut out a design is not calling on an expert!

With the cut-outs soon back, it was time to begin painting. Here's where another problem began. The 'ready to paint' laminate was not ready to paint on. In fact, it repelled paint. I tried sandpapering it, then I had to use an undercoat so the paint would stick after sanding.  Success at last. I used a combination of Dulux Design Silk and Jo Sonja's paints to complete each cut-out.

Below is the completed owl. Just so you know, this owl is the prototype for one half of Hank & Petal :)

At last, the main characters were ready to be sealed, then added to the mural wall. That did require some creative thinking, as did working out how to seal Jesus together permanently. As I wasn't going to transport a completed 185cm tall, unbending man to the church, it was best his reassembly occurred on site.

Jesus did prove a challenge to stick to the wall. He needed to have wooden blocks placed behind him and glued on with liquid nails and left to dry. Then I needed to work out a correct position to place him to create balance. I also had to brace his top and bottom half just in case of warping. Then, the fun part- applying fresh liquid nails, I carefully placed Jesus on the wall, and lent on him with my whole body (funny sight as I'm only 157cm tall!) until the glue had set enough for me to let go. The effort was worth it- Jesus had pride of place, and the wooden blocks behind him set him slightly off the wall, adding emphasis to his stature and position. Thankfully, the smaller figures weren't as hard to work out their placement and gluing didn't require as much effort. I glued them flush against the bricks.

When all was in place, I looked at the mural, and something was missing. It needed flowers. Back to Ian Davey to cut out a zillion daisies of various sizes. Oh, weren't they fun to paint But worth every bit of effort- even though i painted far too many and didn't need two thirds of them. 

Here is the final work, complete with an adorable little picket fence created by a dear and amazingly talented craftsman who creates amazing things out of wood, Ian Wilkins, to help protect the mural from chairs and enthusiastic children...

This officially ended on Day 5. I only worked one day per week on the mural due to work commitments, and yes, there was some designing/ creating at home, but still, I accomplished a massive task in less than a month and a half. Not bad considering my vast past experience!

Hope you all enjoyed this. As always, more to come soon :)

Mural, part 1

Hello again!

 I had planned to start on my very first children's book several days ago- Adventures with Beebe, but after scouring my new laptop & several thumb drives for the 32 pages of saved illustrations, I discovered a very annoying fact; they now live stuck on my deceased computers hard drive down in the garage. That will teach me to not back things up! So, until such time as I get organised enough to retrieve them, I thought I would just go ahead and show you a big mural project I did a few years ago.

I love painting murals! I know this statement sounds like I'm a total pro and have done several. This isn't the case, unless you count a very feeble attempt in my youth. A friends relative had heard I liked to paint, so commissioned me (I later found out the payment was large tins of leftover house paint!) to paint an Egyptian themed mural on the wall of a backyard 'tourist attraction' featuring bits and pieces of curious treasures. My understanding and execution of perspective was extremely limited, and having been mainly a copy artist, my composition lacked skill as well. And now, here I was, presented with a request from Matt Crichton (co-creator of Ark, the Great Race, www.operationark.org, or check out the facebook page at www.facebook.com/ArkGame – a tiny bit of my mural is behind one shot!) to create a Jesus in Jeans (www.jesusinjeans.com) inspired mural for the C3 Kingscliff Kid's Church room, I immediately said 'Yes!' I wasn't backing my wealth of experience, but I was pretty convinced my enthusiasm would pay off :)

I was given several images as inspiration (from the Jesus in Jeans site) but also given a reasonable amount of creative licence. I was basing my mural on a style- not copying it exactly, which gave me the freedom to be myself. Not being adept at spray painting, this would have to be done by hand held paintbrush alone. Big effort! The brick internal wall is close to 7 metres long and in one section, over 5 metres high. I wasn't even remotely sure of how I was going to pull it off, but I just believed I could.

Thankfully, Matt painted the background a perfect shade of blue, from top to bottom. This gave me an excellent canvas to work on as I wanted to include a large portion of sky and a meandering waterway. Once I had decided on the design and kept a rough sketch as a guide, I took the plunge and on Day 1, created this image below...

This rough outline was much easier to achieve than I thought, and I was happy with the placement and perspective, and included not only the tree, but the waterway and hills.

Day 2 progressed fairly rapidly as the pictures below illustrate.

I was happy with this effort- and I had a huge amount of the basic scene laid down now. From here on, it was just a matter of filling in the background before the fun part really began!

Day 3, much more detail and filling in of the foreground, grass, tree and water.

I extended the top of the tree to give it more balance. It was now 270cm tall, and sat 87cm off the ground. Grateful for ladders and basic scaffolding! And at this point, had I mentioned how hard it is painting on bricks! Surprisingly, the lower ground was as difficult as the way up high sections.

Day 4, more shading and detail...

Now that I had reached this stage, it was time to add the main characters! And this is where more fun than painting on bricks begins.  Keep watch for part 2, coming very soon!