Melbourne Book Week Part II.

One of the big concepts for kids to learn is that stories, all stories, have BME. Not Big Mamma Elephants or Brown Moles Escaping or even Blue Metered Elves. No.

BEGINNING  MIDDLE  END

& over the week we had lots of fun creating quick stories with different characters (B), problems to resolve (M), & outcomes (E).

We talked about THINGS & how THINGS look. & what makes a THING, a THING & not something else. Does a THING need to look realistic for us to believe it's that THING.

There was a lot of THINGING going on!

& had to squeeze in some extra lunchtime sessions to fill all the requests for THINGS we couldn't fit into normal time.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Gail Moore, Librarian General at Mt Eliza primary school for not only hosting this years event but also for the countless giggles she provided to support my lame humour. Libraries are so important in our schools & Libraries without Librarians are like taps without water.

Merilyn Haynes, Principal, for the loan of her lap... TOP! without which the week would have been very analogue.

All the staff who attended sessions during the week.

& lastly the students, from the wee Preps to the not so wee Grade sixes. You made the week the    

FUNNEST THING!

Aargh! Shiver me timbers.

Pirate girls are Da Bomb!

Melbourne Book Week. Part I.

Last week I was lucky enough to spend my days with the Students from Mt Eliza Primary school as part of Melbourne Book Week; & I can say 'lucky' in complete honesty as the students were great ambassadors for the school, I only had to beat one child & she won.

 We had a truck load of fun reading the rough script & dummy for 'Benny & The Rats', which had better sell or there'll be an angry posse of kids brandishing pitchforks & flaming torches outside my studio. 'Benny' was a big hit with the kids, many of them drawing Benny, The Jazz Rats & Sally Stardust. & lots of requests for signed sketches too.

             Made up some crazy stories on the spot with a large dose of stupidness & a dash of fear...

& some not so stupid stories, like The gingerbread Man

OK. Just a bit stupid.

A Troll. A Rabbit. A Pig. A Duck.

As I Said...

Paper & Crayons

Oh. Here we go...

I recently received an e-mail from a student  asking for some wisdom. Me & wisdom are like this *large gap between pinkies*  So here goes nothing...


Hi Monica,

     Thank you for your kind remarks, it always astounds me that anyone else (other then myself), likes my work.

I checked out your work & the two images that stood out for me were the Picture Book pieces, I can't nail why, just that something different.

 As for pearls of wisdom... there are a gazillion reasons why people give up in the arts & really not that many as to why some make it. 

  Fortitude (bigger balls than anyone else),  & self belief (even larger balls). 

 You really have to love telling stories (visually), even if it's a one off piece, you have to convince the viewer that the character has a life off the page, if that makes sense.

 Draw. Draw. Draw. Even if you end up using the first idea (which happens a lot of the time), draw it to death.

 Watch people a lot, not in some kind of stalkery way but be observant. How a character is posed can tell the viewer everything.

 Be nice when you can & honest when you can't.

 Have a window in your studio, procrastination will be your evil twin, evil twins hate windows... this is a fact.

 Be as social as you can stand to be, even if you are one of those people (medical term forgotten), that has crawly flesh when interacting with others.

 Have fun. 

Good luck Monica,

 Connah.

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