Seasonal Reflections - Newsletter 2
Hello everyone
I hope this newsletter finds you well.
It is time to reflect on the things I did, creative projects I’ve been busy with and the art or artists I’ve enjoyed during the last three months (September to November).
Illustrations
The past three months have unfortunately not been a good or productive drawing time for me. I have been spending time working on the Weltevrede story about Honeybee’s poor eyesight and her visit to Dr. P. Mantis, but I’ve not been able to finish the story in time for this Seasonal Reflection.
A brief summary of what the story is about:
The story is about Honeybee and how she keeps knocking things over, causing a mess everywhere she goes due to her poor eyesight. She has avoided going to the doctor because she is afraid he will tell her to wear glasses. Somehow Honeybees came to believe that wearing glasses was uncool and that people would make fun of her for it.
However, thanks to her friends, Sunflower, Bunny and Crow, she gives in and makes an appointment with Dr. P. Mantis. It's unfortunately as Honeybee feared, she needs to get glasses. But unexpectedly (for Honeybee), she realises that it is not so bad to wear glasses and that no one makes fun of her for it. This realisation helps Honeybee learn that it is better to see, than to care what other people think.
What I still need to draw:
I have yet to illustrate how Honeybee flies into things and how her friends convince her to make an appointment with Dr. P. Mantis, the doctor's appointment and then the ending. But in the meantime, here are some of the sketches I've managed since our last Seasonal Reflection:
YouTube
I’ve finally managed to finish editing my second YouTube video, Peachtober 2023: Sketchbook Tour Part 2. In this second video I go through the last 16 sketches and give a wrap-up on my thoughts on participating in a drawing challenge.
I am currently documenting my creative process as I work on my Weltevrede story. So hopefully I’ll be able to share another video with you in my next Seasonal Reflection.
Creative Writing
I’ve been diligently working on my Afrikaans fantasy novel, Fynbos Feë, these last three months. Reading and studying different types of fairytales. Currently I am researching fairies, elves, mythical creatures etc. to help get a better understanding on the creatures and magic system in my novel. Apart from my novel, there are one or two short stories that I have started working on. Hopefully I'll find the time to work on them this Christmas season and share them with you next time.
Art & Artists
I am still slowly studying the illustrations and artworks by Beatrix Potter and Tony DiTerlizzi. However, as I already mentioned, it has been difficult making time to draw. So, I don’t have many artist studies to show.
Here are some of the doodles and sketches I managed to do:
I still enjoy and admire these two artists’ work and will continue studying them during this summer season.
Apart from Potter and DiTerlizzi, I’ve recently discovered a Canadian graphic novel artist called, Bree Paulsen. She wrote and illustrated two graphic novels, Garlic and the Witch and Garlic and the Vampire. I absolutely LOVE these graphic novels! From the story, to the characters, line work and soft colour pallet. I managed to read these two graphic novels via my Libby library app, but only managed to find one physical copy in Cape Town's Central Library. I definitely buy these books and study them until they fall apart. :)
So, even though things have been slow for the past three months, I will continue to study their work and hopefully be able to show you more artist studies in the near future.
That is all for now. If you’ve made it to the end of this newsletter, thank you so much for reading. If there is any art or artist you think I should check out, please email me at irene@schoonwinkel.co.za, I’d love to learn more about other artists.
I hope the next season will treat you well and that it will be filled with creativity and joy.
Until next time, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Totsiens,
Irene
