Art 4 All!

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls"
(Pablo Picasso)

So I have been busy this week on several projects. First I have had pencil to paper drawing rough sketches for the e-book "The Day Jake Logan Robertson Ran Out of Hugs" by A.Nicky Hjort (to be published by Jetblack Publishing). I have been working on some smaller isolated images for the picture book. I am loving working on this project and using the beautiful manuscript to create visuals that will hopefully delight and bring the lovely story to life.

Here are a couple of sneaky sketched rough work-in-progress pics:

The Melbourne sunshine has taken my office out of doors a few time to snatch a few precious rays - sometimes on my lunch break, sometimes to draw and reset the creative mode. I have been scheduling regular times to go out hiking and walking in the majestic beauty that this corner of the world holds. Here I am last Friday hiking in the Dandenong Mountains (with jasmine flowers secured to my hair). One happy soul right here:

And here's a faery I drew when I found a glorious spot in the sun on a green slope to rest my hiking legs (jasmine in HER hair too):

There is something breathtakingly beautiful at this time of year in the air here in Melbourne (except for those with hay fever!) For me I just have to get out and breathe in the air. And there are moments when everything just makes sense. The trees, the plants, the light and everything in between just seems to sparkle. Like this moment, standing still in the forest by myself feeling all my senses come alive as the sun dappled through the trees…..

It's been so re-energising going on these hikes. When I get back to my studio I am ready to make manifest my dream life and get back to the drawing board (literally).

Tonight I have been going through all my current print in stock as I prepare for Art 4 All - an art show hosted by Fairfield Primary School. I will have two framed prints on display to celebrate Spring at the show. I will also have a variety of prints for sale in the art shop. The weekend looks to be nothing short of fabulous with a grand opening night, silent chair auction, feature artists, a children's gallery and a designated family day as part of the event.

My studio table is filled with colour as I choose prints for the Art 4 All shop!

I hope this week fills you with creative joy and you find time to let nature share her secrets with you.

Dream big,

Lou :-)

I Hope

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning."
(Albert Einstein)

I love this quote by Einstein. I have been holding onto hope this month more than ever. The big question for me is "where will all of this passion to illustrate take me?" 

But the more I have pondered on this, the more I try and let it go.
I think the important thing is really not to keep looking too far into the future. Instead it is to grasp what is in front of me right now - that is to LIVE FOR TODAY - and trust and hope that these day to day workings will gather momentum and plant seeds that will sprout so gradually and naturally that I will be standing in a field ready to be reaped before I even know it. 

So what is in front of me today?

Firstly, my studies. I am just months away from graduating. There is still much to be learnt before the end of January. There are connections to be had with my classmates as we inspire each other along. There is a wealth of information to be sought after from my teachers. There is the joy of knowing that as a student I have the right to make mistakes - and fail spectacularly if needed. It's part of the process of learning after all.

Secondly, my work as a drama teacher. Although this work is not illustration based, it is fuel for inspiration and passion. Children need you to be present and awake to reach them. And when you reach them the magic can happen. I recently directed three casts of about 60 kids in each in a musical version of the ugly duckling. Earlier this year I volunteered to create the poster for these performances. On the weekend the last show was played with the final cast. It was when I was doing one of the final runs of the show that I realised I had a group of seven year olds peering over my shoulder with concentration while waiting for their turn to go on. They were pointing at my doodles, which until then I had not noticed were on almost every page. As they waited for their turn to go on stage they excitedly waited for the page of my script to turn so that they could see the next drawing I had absent-mindedly scribbled while nutting out directing notes.

As they smiled and moved closer to inspect my work the words of one of my favourite writers - Ralph Waldo Emerson - suddenly flew before my mind's eye:

"To laugh often and much
to win the respect of intelligent people
and affection of children…..
This is to have succeeded."

The joy on these kids faces was infectious. If kids are loving what I do then I must be on track. After all, if a child doesn't like something - they will tell you! They are the best and most honest of critics.

The show poster I designed for Honk:

So what else is in front of me?

Well, this is the obvious one. My sketchbooks, my pencils, my pens, my Wacom and my computer. The artists tools. Drawing almost everyday is second nature now. I am jumping at chances to take my pencil for a walk on the page. After recently joining Twitter I started to seek out other illustrators across the globe. I found a little fun weekly drawing challenge set by a design agency in the UK - Broccoli Creative Design.  To keep my pencil moving and inspired I have entered a sketch every week called "Saturday Scribbles" based on a set theme for the last month or so. It's been fun to see my work shared and retweeted and to know that oceans away people are engaging with what I love to do.

Here are some of my contributions:

Theme: Moustache

Theme: Bears and Bandages

Theme: Fireworks

Theme: Frost

Soon I will be sending my portfolio out into the world to seek representation from an illustration agency. This is a little bit nerve wracking, but I am feeling that perhaps an agent might point me in the direction of actual paid work. While thinking about my hopes and my dreams I drew this picture (which prints are now available from my Etsy shop I hope - print for sale)

So what are your hopes and dreams for the day? I hope that you have hope in your own hearts.

- Lou

one two caribou!

"Courage and willingness to just go for it, whether it is a conversation or a spontaneous trip or trying new things that are scary - it is a really attractive quality"
(Alanis Morissette)

So it begins! I have just opened my first ever online shop!

Introducing.....

one two caribou - Original Prints by Lou Endicott

Here is a screen grab of my little online shop:

 













 
A few months ago I was asked by a Facebook friend if I sold prints. My answer was "Not yet" - which sounded better than no! I had for some unknown reason had the phrase "one two caribou" stuck in my head over the last few months. I love a good rhyme and a bit of nonsense so the catchiness of the phrase stuck. So when it was time to name my shop the words just fell out onto the screen.

It's been a little bit of a challenge to open this new store. On a student budget, test prints and paper are worth as much as my weekly shopping bill - so it was a risk to put the money forward before having an actual sales.

But I decided that it was worth the risk. I have belief in what I do and have had such incredible feedback from friends and strangers alike since starting this illustration journey. It was time to step it up a notch and to see myself as a professional and begin to play in the market place. 

So far, I have sold five prints. FIVE! This may not seem a lot to seasoned shop owners, but to me (only three days in) it's a cause for celebration. My best seller so far is my Back Stroke Maiden (whose creation I shared some months ago here on my blog). She has remained a favourite with me - and obviously others like her two :-)

Here she is on her side, just enjoying the water....

I go back to college on Monday after a 3 week break (which has been heavenly!) I am excited to be learning new things again but also a little nervous as this term my design course heads into the direction of multi media and coding. Not my strong point. 

But I have to trust that if I don't know how to do something I will have the courage to just ask for assistance.

Recently I decided to be a little brave and contact a Melbourne illustrator for advice and tips on working in the industry. You can check out her beautiful work here:Laura Wood Illustrations  

She most graciously replied to my email with lots of advice and even gave me the name of her printers (which I have used for my shop). I subscribe to her blog and a few days ago received a blog entry that mentioned she gets contacted by students from time to time and she wrote up even MORE tips and advice. Legendary. I hope that when I am working full time in my field my door will always be open to share what I have learnt. 

Among her pearls of advice on her recent blog posting was this one:
Where should a person start if they want to pursue this career?

Regarding starting out, my first tip for someone that is about to get out of college is to not wait until you finished college to promote yourself or find the first commissions. An art degree doesn't make any different in the illustration world, so my advice is to start now, immediately, do not wait any more time to actively start behaving like an illustrator and look for work, commissions and possible clients to contact. 

I would highly recommend you to get a proper professional website (behance is good to share stuff with other peers, but not so much as a professional window for your work to show to a client). Having one helped me enormously. 

Then you could start emailing the clients you would like to work with. A nice brief email introducing yourself with a link to your new shiny website will do. 

Most of them might not reply but some will do! And those might become your first clients...

I particularly resonated with this as it is on the same track that I feel I have been on the last few months. Apart from this blog I have a professional portfolio on The Loop, a Facebook page, an instragram account and even Twitter (though this last one is still a little confusing!)

I am feeling like I am on the right path. It's a bit rocky and the going is uphill, but the view is exhilarating and every bit of encouragement from my friends and peers helps.

I hope that wherever you are today the going is easy and the view is a delight.

- Lou

Swing set of Silly

MAKING ROOM FOR NONSENSE AND PLAY

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” 
Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Ahhh.... nonsense.  One of my favourite concepts of being human. Children play at this game well. They know that it serves more than to pass time. They know that play is an essential part of nonsense. Just being there in that moment of time. It's not an experience as in something that happened in the past. Its EXPERIENCING. Being right there in that moment. Catching the wind in the face. Laughing from the belly. Feeling the rush of blood flowing through the body.

And enjoying the silliness.

Someone once said to me "life is rarely as serious as we believe it to be". We spend too much time worrying and fretting. The first three months of my course this year I think I spent a lot of time with my head down mumbling under my breath "this is toooooo hard!!" I didn't leave room for play or for the spontaneous. 

I am making a dedicated commitment to being easier on myself and to find a healthier balance of work, downtime and play time. To remember that balance is the key to a life well lived. As Dr Seuss says:

"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.And never mix up your right foot with your left." 

 (from Oh! The Places You'll Go!)

So to remind me of this balance and this sense of play today I drew a picture of a girl on a swing set. Her pup looks up at her enjoying the sight.

How long has it been since YOU swung on a swing set?  

LITTLE IDEAS WITH LOTS OF HEART

DOODLE IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

"Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas"
(Henry Ford)

I am a huge believer in the power of doodling. That is drawing with no other purpose other than for the feeling of drawing itself. You never know what might appear. My enthusiasm for this process is growing every day and every week. I love seeing people at train stations, or cafes or restaurants going through this process of mind alteration. Because I know that it has value.

Here is an interesting TED talk on the power of doodling: Sunni Brown: Doodlers, unite!

So I thought I would share the process of a doodle I did yesterday in class. The class was an interesting one. All about the advertising campaigns and strategies. So my intent of doodling was not to relieve boredom but to let creative ideas flow through. At the end of the class I had a meeting with a group of other students to discuss an assignment on promoting a product. By then my ideas were really starting to flow and I by the end of our meeting I had drawn up preliminary sketches for billboards for this new product.

I think the initial doodle that I did in class - which had nothing to do with the assignment, just put my creativity into first gear and allowed ideas to enter into my mind quicker. When I came back to the doodle later while on the train home, I decided to add in ink. I lost track of time and space drawing the hair at this point. I have to draw more hair! So much fun! I was pretty happy with this sketch by now. So much so that I decided to come home and add colour and an environment to this doodle.  Here is the process:

The pencil doodle:

And then the train doodle (adding ink and pencil shadows):

And then added colour:

I could have left it at that. I liked the pop of red against the cool green. But I decided to put her in an environment suited to her body pose.
Here she is:

I call her "Backstroke Maiden". I think she's rather lovely. Peaceful and going with the flow.

PASSAGE OF TIME

A WEEK OF DRAWING - in reflection

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 
― Mother Teresa

This has been a jam packed week of study for this little graphic design student. I have been in the thick of learning about the design industry, publishing, tech specs for finished art, advertising and of course my favourite subject of all, illustration. I also was on TV for a little feature part (and I mean LITTLE!) for the Australian TV show Offspring.

And I have been fortunate enough to spend time with old friends that mean the world to me.

In betwixt all of these classes, assignment work, study groups, readings and catch ups with beautiful people, I have managed to find time to let my imagination out through dedicated doodles. I admit, some of them were created initially during class! In fact, I find that I concentrate better in class when I have my lecture pad in front of me to take notes and a blank page of a journal next to it to let the subconscious go into flow mode whenever it needs to reset and focus. It's almost like my ears prick up and I take in more of what is being said when my hands are occupied and the "stuff" in my mind has an outlet. Perhaps this allows more info to come in? Info goes in. Imagination flows out..? A theory worth exploring anyway!

My imagination keeps surprising me with the imagery and ideas that are being brought out. As I am given regular practice to this creative flow I am feeling that the blocks I once felt are smaller.  My first post on this blog stated that I was setting out to find creative flow. And finding it I am! 

I have seen a theme emerge this week as the passage and the passing of time. The over riding feeling that is coming through me is to seize the moment. On a train, in a cafe, before bed...  whenever I can. Draw, draw, draw. Practice, practice, practice. And to notice everything around me. Be awake and aware. And alert. The world needs more lerts...

I am feeling more and more that my future dream is to be an illustrator. Drawing fills me with purpose and light and gives me hope that my future on the other side of this student journey will be one filled with pens and pencils - and hopefully work!! Being a student this year is a challenge financially. I am embracing living only on the basics and seeing my sketch book as my palace of promise. But it is a nice thought to imagine not worrying about how to pay rent or feed myself! Ha!

Here are some of my drawings from the week. First up: Little Red Riding hood as a child.

And here she is as a teenager (on her phone of course)

And again here she is as a mother:

The next doodle is an image that popped onto the page before I knew what was what. 

As a side note to this next picture: One of my favourite artists of all time is Brian Froud. Brian worked extensively with Jim Henson creating the creatures from the film The Dark Crystal (among other things). 

He writes in his book Good Faeries.... Bad Faeries that "My paintings are not illustrations drawn from specific stories or folklore texts; rather, they are images painted intuitively, springing directly from visions guided by faery muses, a paradoxical mix of chance and intent".  What a great teacher Mr Froud is to artists like me, finding their feet and their flow.

Here is what appeared:

I am starting to see a style for my figures emerge. I almost am at the point where I would like to name them. They are humanlike - but not quite humans. My proportions and scale are purposely different to real life. They are innocents. Trusting and open. Of this earth, but perhaps not of this world. Not sure what it is about naming things. But I guess it's giving a life and a license to creations. This next doodle I call "One woman's journey".

And here is "One man's journey":

And my last doodle to share with you this week was inspired by my daily commute on the train.
The caption for this one is "Sometimes I want to dance on the train like a pixie and shake up those asleep".

Happy weekend to you readers. May you find your flow, your people, your creativity and dance your own unique dance. x