Smiles

Karen Erasmus — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:31:34 +0000

Well, I’d forgotten how much fun it is taking part in Illustration Friday. So many lovely comments. I’m busy doing preliminary sketches for a book for next year and trying to understand reindeer. They are such clumsy looking things in real life. Hard to imagine them picking up speed and galloping. So here is the muddle. It’s only when you see it in a picture that you realise what a muddle it must seem to anyone else. I sold a picture the other day though so I’m planning a complete overhaul with some Ikea storage. Those who know me might think this is an impossible task, but something has to stop me and my art stuff from taking over the house.

Now I must stop being distracted and writing rubbish so I can get on with what needs to be done.

‘Grounded’ for Illustration Friday

Karen Erasmus — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:48:10 +0000

I have three daughters. Most of the time they’re gorgeous but I’ve been having problems recently with the youngest and the language she uses at top volume towards her sisters. It’s tough being the youngest.

Happy New Year!!

Karen Erasmus — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:56:20 +0000

I have no idea where the time went but it’s been almost two months since I last wrote. That’s just terrible. I wish I could offer more in the way of images but everything I’ve done recently has been towards a submission to publishers. I’m delighted to have signed a contract with Hachette for a picture book next year. Very very excited about that. Here are a few sketchbook sketches I’ve done whilst teaching and a funny one I did this morning whilst the kids were doing their swimming lessons.

Here she comes!

Karen Erasmus — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:33:32 +0000

I was thoroughly delighted and inspired by Carolyn Harrington’s new work at the Mount Eliza Art Exhibition. So I was thrilled to be invited to attend a meeting of artists, with Carolyn, to discuss an exhibition entitled ‘Wild at HeArt’ being planned for next year. The exhibition will be in support of RAW, a charity concerned with the welfare of wild animals, with links to an anti-poaching organisation in Africa. They run a music festival on the peninsula in March, which I didn’t know about before, even more to look forward to!
All this got me looking at my photos from our trip to Zambia last year in a whole new light. This is half done but it’s going well so far.

Karen Erasmus — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:46:50 +0000

I’ve been having fun for the past couple of days creating Christmas cards for my little shop;www.madeit.com.au/LittleSplashes

Sold sold!

Karen Erasmus — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:25:13 +0000

Chuffed to bits that I sold two pictures at the Mount Eliza Art Exhibition. I also put a crazy amount of work into assisting putting the whole thing together along with a bunch of amazingly dedicated and fabulous people that make up the parent committee. The two that sold were the blue and orange pictures below. I’m going to keep going with the exploring and practicing with ink and water colour. I just love it.

Illustrators Australia 9×5 Exhibition

Karen Erasmus — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:57:04 +0000

Illustrators Australia run this delightful exhibition based on the idea of handpainting on wood from the 1890 Cigar box exhibition held in Melbourne by the Heidelberg artists. I have the pleasure of being a member this year rather than a student so here is my entry.

The word we were given to illustrate was ‘Rapture’ so I paused for a moment to think of the happiest time of my life. It didn’t take long. The birth of my first child was a dramatic event. My sister had come round for lunch with her girlfriend and they ended up delivering a baby on the living room floor. She was beautiful, healthy and really tiny (2.3 kilos). 10 years on she’s still feisty, speedy and taking us all by surprise. Holding her for the first time was rapturous.

You can check out all the 9×5′s here http://www.illustratorsaustralia.com/ and you can buy them and/or visit the exhibition.

Opening night: Friday 14th October from 6pm (auction at 8pm)
Gallery closed to public (Seminar) – Saturday 15th October
Gallery open Sunday 16th October 10am-3pm
Where: Space 39, Level 2, 39 Little Collins Street, Melbourne Vic.

Yay!

Karen Erasmus — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:02:28 +0000

Yay! The publisher loves my platypi. I yelped and hugged my eldest, who happened to be in the room, when I got that email. Watch this space. I feel like I’m crawling up a steep hill slowly with the whole ‘getting published’ thing, but yesterday there was a glimmer of hope. In the meantime, I have set up another shop and I’m working on creating a decent amount of stock. It’s called ‘Little Splashes’. Here’s the link www.madeit.com.au/LittleSplashes

Also, ‘Lottie the Lollipop Lady’ is getting out there. May have some local newspaper appearances. Not sure how I feel about that. My last brush with local press was when I was 18 and I felt like hiding away for months afterwards. Thankfully I’ve moved to the other side of the world and it’s 20 years later. Perhaps it’s time to put the past in the past!

Platypi

Karen Erasmus — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:40:35 +0000

Platypus

Karen Erasmus — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:24:51 +0000