John Ruskin's quote about colour is a bit heavy. I found it on the back of a printer's letterhead.
Well spotted.
First impressions…
I found this book that I had as a child in a second hand store. When I first had it I was only really attracted to Mollie Quick's illustrations, the story didn't do much for me I remember. In retrospect, I was right. But now I think it was the litho printing of the illustrations that really appealed to me, with colours you can't get in four colour offset printing. Grahame Greene wrote a children's book (with beautiful pictures by Dorothie Craigie, and then Edward Ardizzone) about a little steamroller, but it was published after this one by Patti Saxton.
It's hard to get a lot of emotional sensitivity into a picture of a ten tonne steamroller, but the rosy cheeks and smile is a start, I guess.
I was very pleased to see that something produced at the end of the 1940s had remained in such good nick: uncoated paper, and the jacket isn't even laminated. Then, as I was putting it into the car I tore the jacket straight down the middle.
Play it again…
My friend's pianola has a mountain of recordings sitting on top. The rolls of paper – with perforated holes where the notes should be – live in their own little box with the name of the song printed on the end. Some of them weren't recorded so long ago, but most were. The name of the person who played the piano that made the recording is printed under the song title. I can't tell if the pianist was good or bad but they get your toe tapping.
The Mastertouch Piano Roll Company rolls.
My gingham nightmare…
I spent the day with HarperCollins in Sydney, meeting Kimberley, Shona, Cristina and Amanda. And James, of course. I like going to their office and on a sunny day it can't be beat. It's on the 13th floor which busts the myth that those floors don't exist.
At The Children's Bookshop in Sydney we signed books and met Paul Macdonald who showed me all the drawings by other authors who had visited. There are many and it reminded me of how well some people can draw on the spot, with big fat felt pens. They also have a brilliant table that is marked with paint from the children's workshops they have there.
Earlier, I was at the Kinokuniya bookshop in Sydney, where I met Allyx, whose name I'd definitely spell wrongly if it wasn't written on a sticky note for me. She has a beautiful shop and there were a lot of people in there which is very reassuring. Arigato Allyx.
For lunch we went to a French restaurant in the park that had tablecloths made from the same cloth as my shirt.
With great affectation
The Adorable Plush...
I'm staying in a house with many different flooring textures.
This luxurious white rug reminds me of our band The Adorable Plush which recorded songs with names including Japanese Display Food and VanAllenBelts.
Perhaps the most beautiful...
This is perhaps the most beautiful matchbox I've ever seen. Four colour, 150 lines per inch, with a BIG subject.
Talking in the Library…
Tonight I spoke at the State Library about my books and working with others on their books. It was good fun with people asking some good questions and Robyn Sheahan-Bright keeping things on the rails. David Crane from the library did an ace job with organising things.
In Conversation tomorrow night…
Tomorrow night (March 20th) I will be talking at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane (Australia) at 6pm. In Conversation with David Mackintosh is an informal talk about my picture books and designing picture books and should suit artists, art students, people who are thinking of publishing a picture book and picture book lovers. Robyn Sheahan-Bright will be chairing the discussion and keeping her eye on the oil pressure and tyres. The talk is FREE, but please book if you can as it helps the environment. There will be a question/answer bit at the end and books to buy or have signed, or both. And I'm going to wear my new shirt.
Jingle, jangle, jingle: Spur Award...
Woo-hoo! Standing In for Lincoln Green is a finalist in the Storyteller category of the Western Writers of America Spur Awards 2014. Lincoln Green is published in the wild west by Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Cover of Western Story magazine, 1944. (Illustrator not credited).
My two cents…
Well, to be more precise, ten tips about designing/illustrating in The Guardian children's books section.
