What’s
this illustration for?
Our new book “Ned Kelly and the Green Sash”. I have a favourite piece in every book and this is mine from Ned. Henry Miller once said, “Paint as you like and die happy”. The composition, colour and subject matter of this piece sums it all up for me.
Who or what has influenced your work?
I especially love this Illustration because it’s influenced by all
the great artists who I admire. First off, Sidney Nolan was my constant muse
when creating Ned. We can see Ned floating between a Marc Chagall
painting or perhaps reclining as in Henri Rousseau’s The Sleeping Gypsy. The
palette of Henri Matisse is prevalent as is the flatness of colour by Paul
Gauguin.
Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?
I
have a highly visual imagination when I read a story. What I’ve learnt over the years is to sketch my first impulse, but
then explore how many different ways I could draw the same scene. At the recent
Bologna Children’s Book Fair, I was asked to illustrate in public while the
author of my next book read the story aloud. I had to create a page plan live
while attendees stopped to watch. Talk about inspiration and
pressure!
How did you get your start as an illustrator?
Luckily,
my high school art teacher thought I was completely hopeless when he couldn’t
teach me perspective, so he left me alone. My school wasn't progressive enough
to recognize primitive painting as a legitimate art form. Later on I moved to
the small Caribbean
island of
Montserrat
where I began my career as a painter. My good friend on the island was an
aspiring journalist named Shona Martyn who had a column in the weekly paper, The
Montserrat Times. She interviewed me and asked what I’d like to do next. The
power of the spoken word because I said, I would love to write and illustrate a
children’s book. I wrote a story entitled “My Little Island” and went to see 20
publishers over the course of a year. Macmillan, who had a successful
Caribbean
division, eventually published the book in
England and
the West
Indies. The
following year HarperCollins released it in
USA. The
book is still in print twenty-seven years later and Shona Martyn went on to her
own success.
What’s your favourite media for creating pictures?
I’m loyal to Windsor and Newton gouache on Arches paper for illustration. I can get a range of depth from flat opaqueness of colour to a wash. They dry really fast, come in any colour and they’re non-toxic, important as my cat likes to drink my paint water. If I’m painting for an exhibition, I tend to work very large in oils.
Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?
I love illustrators’ block. I go shopping and play with my friends and after a few days I feel so guilty, that I just need to get back to work.
What’s the worst thing about being a freelancer?
Zero zip nada nothing. I feel blessed and appreciate every moment.
And the best?
Taking a break when I want and picking projects I adore.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently creating the preliminary art for “The Drummer Boy of John John” that will be published by Lee and Low in the US. The book is inspired by Winston "Spree" Simon; at the age of seven he was a drummer in a steelpan group called the John John band. He made ‘noise’ and began playing melodies on empty biscuit containers during Carnival celebrations. The proud villagers of John John, Trinidad believe that he was the first person to play the steel drum.
Where can we see more of your work?
Here’s my website: http://www.franelessac.com <http://www.franelessac.com>
Latest YouTube on creating art for “Ned Kelly and the Green Sash” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNdFLMzaqeM
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