Eliane Duvekot Illustration: September 2009 Archives

the bishop's wife

By Eliane on September 30, 2009 9:18 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Second try, and already approved. I agreed with the client that yesterday's sketches were too nice. Much happier with them like this. Funny thing today. I wrote a new status on Twitter and Facebook, "I told the bishop's wife she had peanut butter on her cheek." And then I got all these "like" replies. I am one hundred percent sure that nobody realized I described something that actually happened. For starters, we hardly have Anglicans in Holland, so bishops don't marry. Secondly, a bishop's wife with peanut butter on her cheek sounds way too far fetched. But it was really that simple, I walked to the street car stop with her, and she was telling me about her new job in a book store. And there was peanut butter on her cheek. So I did her a favour and told her, which she appreciated. I am so much less poetic than you think.

cooks

By Eliane on September 29, 2009 7:35 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

These still have a long way to go, but at least the publisher and I have something to talk about.

slow patch

By Eliane on September 25, 2009 4:56 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I thought I'd make a big pot of chili in the oven, so Michiel could work on the doors and the shelves. But he is doing real work at his computer instead. And the kids are with friends. So the big pot of chili is for tomorrow. It's better the second day anyway. Michiel and I are secretly going for fish & chips, just the two of us. After a long day of LinkedInning. I hit a slow patch this week, and I decided to add some contacts from my email archives to my LinkedIn connections. And then that took me almost all day, except for my dear friend Bianca who stopped by before flying back to Amsterdam. LinkedInning is pretty boring (although I did do some discovering), and I am happy my slow patch is over, next week I'll be drawing again.

thingies

By Eliane on September 24, 2009 9:32 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

I updated my portfolio today, I put this nice selection up front. I don't know how many of these parental thingies I've done by now, over a hundred for sure. They're all quite different, sometimes they are more elaborate than other times. I really appreciate the Wegener editors for understanding that. And they don't mind me experimenting around with them, they seem to be perfectly happy with my little biweekly surprises. They are fun to do, and I hope to continue doing them for a long time, I've grown quite used to this steady little income. Do you figure I should do another children's book?

fat

By Eliane on September 22, 2009 7:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

We're still in kitchen reno mode, but the parental thingies don't know that. Which is a good thing. In ten minutes my dear neighbour Paul is coming to drag the old kitchen onto his roof rack, for a dump run early tomorrow morning. Where would we be without dear neighbour Paul.

intermezzo renovarum

By Eliane on September 17, 2009 8:20 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

This photo was this morning, it is evening now, and the missing piece of counter top has been added. And the yucky tiles cleaned. The yucky tiles were the reason for this emergency reno project. The previous owners had thrown in a new kitchen but had left the floor and the wall behind the cabinets wide open for the mice. Chinese renovation. Unreachable for cleaning, the faint smell of mouse droppings grew less and less faint, I'll spare you the details. Anyway. In less than a week Michiel achieved this custom built all solid salvaged wood kitchen. I am proud of him.

changes!

By Eliane on September 15, 2009 8:37 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

Imagine the client will ask for Gordon's full body tomorrow. And then a kitchen around him, and then to show the restaurant as well, and the location of the restaurant, the country even, and let's not forget the universe. I bet I would pull it off. I am trying to imagine how that illustration would look.

i keuper?

By Eliane on September 14, 2009 5:44 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

It is a hard thing to take a picture of, and I didn't even clean the glass yet, but isn't this just a lovely water colour? Somebody in our street threw it out, I picked it up from the curb! It is signed I. Keuper '67. It could also be J. Keuper, but I don't think so. I don't suppose anybody has ever heard of I. Keuper, but I think he or she deserves a nice new frame. Which I will provide. In due time.

chameleon

By Eliane on September 11, 2009 5:27 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Search for the differences. I've always wanted to do a search-the-differences drawing. It's probably not even called that in English. Happy weekend! More changes next week! (I'll turn into a chameleon)

craigslist

By Eliane on September 10, 2009 7:52 AM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

I look at Craigslist sometimes, because you never know. And it's always amusing. So yesterday, over lunch:

Looking for a computer graphics artist to do line drawings for low budget :30 second Canadian test market commercial.
The commercial is for the introduction of a new "Freestyle" version of Etch a Sketch. To get an idea of what I'm looking for, you can go to the Etch a Sketch web site where there is an example of a "Freestyle" sketch of a turtle.
I will ultimately need 9 drawings in total: 3 simple shapes (a circle, a figure- eight and a spiral) and 6 animals, such as a shark, a giraffe, alligator, etc. These drawing are to appear as if they were drawn by an 8 year old. Someone with experience in children's illustrations might be ideal.
The other factor is that these sketches will have to be created as one contiguous line, as with Etch-a- Sketch there is no going back, erasing, or lifting the sketch tool off the sketch page.
    * Location: TORONTO
    * Compensation: Paid position
    * This is a contract job.
    * Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
    * Please, no phone calls about this job!
    * Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Hi there, this seemed a nice challenge to me, so on my lunch break I very quickly drew you a giraffe:

Maybe you like it. I certainly have experience in children's illustration, but my drawings are usually more elaborate than this. If you like my giraffe, feel free to visit my website.

gordon ramsay

By Eliane on September 9, 2009 11:02 AM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

This one is going to be on a book cover, believe it or not. I sure hope this client is not going to ask for changes. I am going to have to do a third version of a drawing that had an approved rough and everything, so now I'm not sure about anything anymore.

exhausted

By Eliane on September 8, 2009 6:25 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

Me too, a little. I'm still colouring what I started yesterday as well. And I went too the dental surgeon for my post-op appointment. He chipped a small piece of the neighbouring tooth last week, I didn't notice that at the time because of the freezing. I mentioned it. Oh, that is just a very small piece of enamel, he said. Not to worry. I think it is strange anyway. If I would buy a two-and-a-half thousand dollar bicycle, I think I would get a rebate for minor damage. Mmmm.

fleas

By Eliane on September 7, 2009 10:06 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Happy Labour Day to you too. Michiel is working on my new kitchen, reclaimed wood and formica. Piffin is artistically refurbishing a couch that turned out to be heavily flea infested, fun. We found a pet store that was open on Sundays and bathed him in flea shampoo, and Piffin is on daily vacuum duty. Orbit is wearing a cone, because he was licking and scratching himself hairless.