Sophie Blackall Illustration

Drawings and Snippets and Breaking News, (but more snippets than breaking news).

Friday, March 20, 2009

Wombat Walkabout


Wombat Walkabout is out today I believe.
The Common Wombat was described by William T. Hornaday, Sc. D.(I promise that was his name), in the 1925 companion guide to the newly opened Bronx zoo, as "the most nearly shapeless of all mammals". He went on to say, "Having few thoughts, and seldom using one, it is content to lie around all day and is aroused only with difficulty. We are tempted to ask. "Why is a Wombat?". I mention this not because it is hilarious, but to illustrate why I didn't put many clothes on the wombats, settling for fetching accessories. (Any tailor would agree with Hornaday, the wombat's form presents a challenge.) You might wonder why wombats need either clothes or accessories. Yes, you might.
Anyway, as I was saying the book comes out today. To celebrate this with the author, (Carol Diggory Shields) and editors at Dutton, I made little bundles of accessories as you can see above. The keen observer will note the colors (colours) of the beads match the original, and that I had to hand print the fabric for the shorts. Hmm.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Missed Connections

I have started a new blog here, of drawings based on Missed Connections. I'm staying local for now, and in typical, overly ambitious fashion, am going to try to post one a day.
I'm fascinated by these snippets of interaction, the way people remember and describe one another from their fleeting encounters, and the butterfly lifespan of hope. Or perhaps it's more enduring? Maybe I'll find out.

Thursday, March 5, 2009