Maudie & Bear Abroad

It's been a little while since I've posted any news. Really I've been waiting for something to actually happen and this week seems to be the week of happenings.

Quite out of the blue Maudie & Bear has been shortlisted for in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for the Patricia Wrightson Award. The other books shortlisted for this award are Crow Country, Taj and the Great Camel Trek, For All Creatures, Angel Creek and Bungawitta. Click here for a list of all those nominated in the various categories. 

Maudie and Bear are also making an appearance in New York at present. Published by Putnam in the US, Maudie & Bear was selected for The Original Art, an annual exhibition showcasing the year's best children's books. 

It makes me giggle to think of Bear riding his bicycle with Maudie in the basket all the way over there... while I sit and work. Actually I feel rather envious. Maudie and Bear are currently cycling through the United States, Harry and Hopper bounced through last year but I've never been to New York. But I'm ever so proud of them! 

Here's some more information about the exhibition, which is open until 22nd December and then touring through the US the following year. 

The Runaway Hug Returns

Ivy and I journeyed to Adelaide for the launch of Book Week 2012 and the presentation of the Children's Book Council of Australia awards. Ivy was dubious about The Runaway Hug winning an award because the drawings are simply too messy, apparently. She also thought that it would be much more exciting if I won an olympic medal. 

Never-the-less, The Runaway Hug WON the CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year for 2012! Needless to say I'm very pleased that the judges didn't find the drawings too messy. The shortlist and winners of all awards are listed here http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/small-eyes-big-prize-20120817-24dc7.html

Who needs an olympic medal when you have a Children's Book of the Year Award medal! 

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Nick Bland, the author of The Runaway Hug and many other books (that he himself illustrates) including The Very Cranky Bear, The Wrong Book, The Very Itchy Bear and Twinkle. Sadly I forgot to get a photo of the two of us together, or any photos for that matter. Instead I spent most of my time trying to keep Ivy and her shoes and socks contained. 

Sorely missed on the day was Ana Vivas from Scholastic Press. Thanks again to the Children's Book Council of Australia. Who knows what I'd be doing to make ends meet if it weren't for these awards. 

Here are some of my favourite images from The Runaway Hug.

The Post Deadline Clean Up

So I've FINALLY finished the drawings for The Treasure Box, written by Margaret Wild. After every job my studio is pretty bad, as I've mastered the art of resisting the temptation of cleaning as a form of procrastination. But after this job it was abominable! So today I started cleaning the space that had once been my studio and along the way I discovered...

my studio:

scattered remnants of The Treasure Box:

and these strange little colourful pellets:

These were found in an old box of my grandfather's brown drawing pencils (but are shown here in a match box) and are in fact the excrement from the family of cockroaches that inhabit my studio and eat from my paint palette. 

The Terrible Suitcase Alights

The Terrible Suitcase, written by Emma Allen, has landed in stores around the country. 

The Terrible Suitcase is about a young girl's first day at school. Keen to fit in, she has asked her mum for a red backpack with yellow rockets and a silver zipper as a going-to-school present, but instead gets a terrible, old suitcase. Of course, the suitcase saves the day and becomes a special and much loved object.

In a brief reprieve from the torture of attempting to finish a job during school holidays, I thought I'd post some of my favourite images from the book. For lovers of endpapers I have included a photo of the endpapers of this book, showing a diagram of our solar system with the red suitcase spinning through on an eccentric orbit. 


A big congratulations to Emma Allen on the publication of her first picture book!

This is the first published image of my whippet Pivot.

irregular recordings of an erratic life

Welcome to what I hope will become a regular (though more likely very, very erratic) update of events that happen in my rather haphazard life as an illustrator. I was sure I had something to share when I first decided to include a blog on my new website, but now can't think anything. 

EXCEPT that I have a new WEBSITE!

www.freyablackwood.com.au

Do have a look at it and please return because in time I hope to open a store and include FAQs and a range of notes for teachers and students.