Art Journal » Night Garden

The show

elise — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:29:57 +0000

Yesterday was such a thrill! I had never been inside the Melbourne Recital Centre before. We arrived early with the boys and went to a backstage rehearsal room to feed them. It was fun to be back of house again – I’ve seen a few different spaces over the years through work and I love the rabbit warren feel and glimpses of lighting, instruments… The inner workings of it all. Then Pete took them into the foyer to sleep and watch the screens and I got to go inside (feeling guilty).

It is a beautiful space. It is lined with wood panelling in fantastic shapes – a little like those wooden dinosaur kits! It’s wonderful! There was a big audience of parents and kids and the orchestra up the front beneath the giant screen.

I sat at the back – the lights fell, the narrator came on – a wonderful theatrically-voiced man and the production began. I hope this is performed over and over again because it was fantastic. The choices of music were perfect. As the animation worked its magic, first with Sally and David’s Rainbirds, the music swelled and enveloped us. There was lightening and thunder, drama and suspense. Parts of my Night Garden were quite scary! It was just brilliant.

Afterwards I met some of the kids, saw their great colouring-in work and sold some books.

I have to thank everyone involved for such a brilliant performance of what was a real labour of love. Especially animator extraordinary Diana Ward, Jo Beaumont the musical director and MaryRose Harrison.

Big day for Sally & Strange

elise — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:10:04 +0000

Tomorrow is the big day for the performance of “The Night Garden” and “The Rainbirds” at the Melbourne Recital Centre! I can’t wait! It’s the beginning of the school holidays so if you’re looking for something to do we’d love to see you.

There will be beautiful orchestral music, animation and Sally Rippin, illustrator of “The Rainbirds” and I will both be there.

For tickets and info click here

Making sweet music with the Night Garden

elise — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:37:41 +0000

Here’s something very exciting coming up!

I have been working with the talented people at the Melbourne Recital Centre who are putting together a beautiful program for the next school holidays. They are putting two picture books to music – my book “The Night Garden” and “The Rainbirds” by David Metzenthen and illustrated by Sally Rippin. The books are being animated on a huge screen, and there will be musicians and a narrator… it will be gorgeous!

Sally and I got to see some of the animation the other day and it is looking brilliant. All hail animator Diana Ward!

And here’s a sneak peek…

One show only!

26 September 2011

Drawings!

elise — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:26:26 +0000

Here are some fantastic drawings sent to me from a little school in Australia by some very talented kids!!

Thanks so much for sending them in!

If you know someone who would like to have a go at drawing their own Night Garden – you can download them here . They print out at A4 size.

And the winners are…

elise — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:55:28 +0000

In the last fortnight we had a little give-away-comp happening at my online shop and here are the lucky three winners. Huzzah!

The Hot Chocolate print – L. Fanning, Queensland

A limited edition print from The Night Garden – E. Long, Victoria

Bad Tidings print – V. Bell, Victoria

It was a pretty awesome response to this special thanks and I-love-yous-all give-away. Congratulations you three, your prints will be winging their way to your homes this week. I hope you enjoy them!

And, speaking of the shop – I’m really happy with it. It seems to be working beautifully, I have lots of lovely things to share and nifty-post-packs for sending them wherever you might need them to go. Can you believe we’re so close to Christmas? I haven’t even thought of a tree yet.

It’s a count-down… give-aways on Sunday!

elise — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:55:30 +0000

This Sunday is the day when we are going to randomly draw the three winners of my give-away prints! To be in the running visit my little online shop and create an account by midnight Saturday 11th December. (No need to buy anything.)

Oh and the goodies are… The Hot Chocolate print (valued at $85), a limited edition print from The Night Garden (valued at $165), and the Bad Tidings print (valued at $85).

Good luck

Night Garden – introducing felicity

elise — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:55:22 +0000

I have to tell you about a lovely new site that is providing children and families with fun things to do and share every day this December. It’s called Felicity from Thin Air and you can learn all about it here. It’s all about sharing creative ideas – there are crafty activities and fun things to do… no costs, catches or ads. Today they’re also talking about my book, The Night Garden. Lucky me!

I hope you check it out and enjoy it!

News and prizes!

elise — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:23:41 +0000

Hello dear friends. We’re hitting that festive time of the year again and I have been hard at work creating all manner of things to share with you. We have also revamped the online shop and honestly I’m still riding high on the excitement of the Strangely Familiar show earlier this year. To celebrate and to thank you all for your support, I am giving away three big exciting prizes. To be in the running, simply create an account at the shop before midnight Saturday 11th December. No need to buy anything!

Prizes will be drawn on Sunday December 12th and posted out the following week. Good luck!

The goodies are: The Hot Chocolate print (valued at $85), a limited edition print from The Night Garden (valued at $165), and the Bad Tidings print (valued at $85).

Of course I’ll also be out and about at a range of gorgeous markets from now until Christmas. There has been a lot of new work this year: a brand new paperback edition of The Night Garden with those endpapers that the kids all love, a sweet hardback My Boots in Season, some new cards including a new range which featured in Liberty of London for fashion week, a limited edition etching and more. Markets are always a wonderful way of finding something a little bit different for the people we love.

Dates and locations of the markets:
November 28   Maker’s Market @ the Abbotsford Convent, 10 – 4pm
December 4      Night Arts Market @ Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin 4 -10pm
December 5       Sunday Arts Market @ the Abbotsford Convent, 10 – 4pm
December 11   Sister’s Market @ St. Kilda Town Hall, 10 – 4pm
December 18   Sister’s Market @ the Brunswick Town Hall, 10 – 4pm
December 19   Maker’s Market @ the Abbotsford Convent, 10 – 4pm

And for other news? After the excitement of the solo show earlier this year, I’m beginning to work toward the next one. If you missed it or would like to revisit the paintings or buy one of the few remaining, it’s all on the exhibition website. Next year things will slow down a little as, well, we’re expecting twin boys in January! But Peter will be continuing the markets and just you try to stop me drawing and painting!

Mondoodle & BIG news

elise — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:12:05 +0000

Hello lovely friends. Firstly let me apologise for the accidental tuesdoodle. Which isn’t even a word. I was working hard all weekend (hello to everyone at the markets) and then spent the last two days at a school, MGC, in Richmond. Hello awesome girls! We had a very productive and fun two days. Well I did anyway. And had uni on Monday night. Hey peeps.

And the short of it was I forgot to do my drawing.

So here’s one I prepared earlier I think it’s alright to pull one from the vaults occasionally. This is a drawing I did when working on ideas for The Night Garden. I wouldn’t mind doing a book like this one day. Topiary is my friend.

AND now for my other news.

I’m pregnant. With twins.

There, best to come out and just say it. Which will mean… in February when they come, a little slowing down. (Understatement!)

But not yet. I have lots of work to do in the meantime! Lots of markets, painting, working on my graphic novel and, on Mondays, writing my children’s novel. And when they do come, doing my damnedest to keep working when I can. It’s not like the ideas will stop coming.

New page – look right…

elise — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:28:00 +0000

Hello teachers, parents and kids.

There’s a new page here (top right) called SCHOOL THINGS. It has colouring-in sheets, a word jumble, the sheet of images of “Strange” the cat from The Night Garden, and a rogue’s gallery of some of the pictures I’ve created when visiting schools – as directed by the kids in the class.

They’re free to use but subject to copyright (so do let CAL know you’re using them and ask me if you want to reproduce them in a publication).

I’d love to know what you think and if you have any suggestions. And I’ll be gradually adding more things so keep coming back to check.

Also if your kids have used the material and come up with something special – send it in and we’ll make a gallery of their artwork. Then they’ll be famous!