Neighbours
You might notice that this post has an interesting effect. It’s because I thought it sucked and I tore it up. Which was very therapeutic at the time (those resonant ripping sounds! That slight resistance before my work was destroyed!) but I regretted it afterwards. So what if it sucked. This is a blog, a first draft, a thinking-out-loud, not a polished piece of work. I pieced the paper back together, which was also a satisfying act, then taped it and scanned it. I still think it needs work, but what the hell. Happy 2012! Expect more messy, half-finished work from me this year!
A trip to the café
Aah, school holidays. I’m not cut out for this. But luckily Jonathan is home for a few weeks now to take the pressure off, and he just got Violet to pick me a bouquet of dandelions. I hope you guys have a great break over the Christmas/New Year season! I will probably have to draw a comic or two as some kind of therapy.
A small tribute to Carmen
A few days ago, after I posted Drawing New Zealand cultural icons, my friend Drew suggested that I draw Carmen, the ‘Iconic New Zealand drag queen’ who died recently. So here she is. Not in her full technicolor splendour (come on, it’s the school holidays) but as good as I can draw in a few stolen hours.
In other news, Mike Peterson, who has the fabulous Comic Strip of the Day blog, has featured me today, along with his own story about people at parties giving him career advice.
What New Zealand needs
At the fair
I had the best of intentions of setting up a little online shop and selling my comics – but as you see, I have no aptitude for commerce. If you want to buy some comics off me, please email me (sarah@poppyshock.com) and I shall work over the weekend at that little shop idea. Here’s a picture of Otto’s monster comic – it’s a steal at $4 plus postage!
Drawing New Zealand cultural icons
I quite like drawing Katherine Mansfield. I’ve done a few comics about her, here and here. This picture has been commissioned for a Katherine Mansfield conference at Victoria University in 2013, and is inspired by Mansfield’s 1917 letter to John Middleton Murry: ‘Don’t lower your mask until you have another mask prepared beneath – as terrible as you like – but a mask’
I have also started doing comics for the Guide section of Metro Magazine, and my first brief was a Rita Angus and Douglas Lilburn play by Dave Armstrong. I’ve half a mind to write a comic book about all of NZ’s literary and artistic giants. But then I’ve got some other ideas too…
Novel begone!
It’s been a while, I know, but I’ve been busy. First I was finishing off the latest draft of my novel, then I was taking part in this exhibition. I have also started doing monthly comics in Metro Magazine, in The Guide section. I’m doing them in 100% technicolor! I’m planning on posting a little more regularly, whilst I wait for the verdict on the novel….
Rewriting
In which I abandon my novel and run away to join the circus.
I went out to the Going West Literary festival yesterday and heard Owen Marshall talk about his latest novel, ‘The Larnachs’. He said that before he was a full-time writer, he used to write short stories, because they were much easier to fit around his other commitments. Novels, he said, required large blocks of time. So why am I working on a novel again? My life is so much more suited to shorter, more manageable mediums. Oh well, it’s too late now – I just have to keep writing until I fall off the high wire.
Ten years ago this week I got married
I am rather pushed for time at the moment – not only is Violet out of creche for her broken leg, I am trying to finish my novel (I have to finish it! It is driving me crazy!). So my comics are very hastily scribbled. But I figure better something messy and off the top of my head than nothing, right? Right…?
Here are our wedding songs: The Psychadelic Furs, Prince and Bartók (btw my internet is impossibly slow at the moment so I didn’t get a chance to quality-check these clips! What’s with my computer?!?!)
Cleaning versus art
I do have to add that despite my antipathy towards cleaning, I can’t start writing until I’ve done all the dishes and put the washing on. I can do the immediate, procrastinating stuff – it’s just that Matha Stewart good housekeeping repertoire that sends me over the edge.
LET ME BE FRANK 