I’m finally getting my teeth into the next RYA book; it always takes a while to find the way in to a new subject, but once I get my brain engaged it tends to take over. The studio is filling up with piles of books and notes and I’m starting to think about chapter headings in the shower. But it’s hard to go for total immersion in a subject at this time of year when there are Christmas exhibitions to get ready for and I should be making stuff. Half finished projects sit reproachfully in heaps on my studio table.
So what’s the new book about? It’s about the oceans, ecology, sailing cleanly, wildlife, geography, beachcombing, not polluting rivers and seas…. presented in a way that will grab children’s attention. Fascinating but challenging. It’s taking me a while to get the structure of it sorted out in a logical way, with the encouraging and tactful support of Susie Tomson, my editor and the inspiration behind the Green Blue. Just don’t ask me what the title is - several suggestions are floating round between all concerned so when the dust has settled I’ll let you know. I’m on version four of the cover design so far and think I’m getting close!
Meanwhile, did you know that the second largest fish in the world is the basking shark - and it can be seen in UK waters? Or that over a million birds die every year from entanglement or ingestion of rubbish? Food for thought.
Oh, and the plankton? They provide 50% of the world’s oxygen, that’s all……. something to consider next time you swallow a mouthful of seawater!
- Welsh trading schooner
Maritime history has been flavour of the week, while I’m working on some pages of a workbook for the Welsh Joint Education Council. Smacks, schooners and coracles are the theme of the pages, so I’ve been digging for stories to bring the subjects to life. Shipwrecks, of course, and the daily life of a ship’s apprentice - who could well have been as young as ten years old. All good fun - just a word of advice. When researching coastal fishing boats, never forget to put the word ‘fishing’ in front of ’smack’ when you google it!
I also gave a talk to the Narberth Museum Friends - just an informal fundraising evening, but great fun. I did a potted history of marine art, concentrating on the pierhead paintings of the 19th century, painted with the eye of a sailor which put the focus on technical accuracy rather than artistic flair. I finished off splashing paint around doing a demo of how a pierhead painter of today might tackle a boat portrait, leaving them all trying to get their mouths round the phrase ‘Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter’ without getting their tongues twisted. Just don’t try it after a few drinks….
Meanwhile, back at the drawing board it’s time to design some more cards - cartoon ones were particularly popular at the boat show, so after plenty of cups of tea and pencil chewing I’ve come up with a few scribbles - like this one:
call of the wild
If you can’t read the caption it says ‘We’ll have to move, I can’t get a signal’.
I’ve tried posting another one but the computer doesn’t want to play… will try again another time. The next batch of cards will be ready in a month or so - keep an eye on the starfishbooks website (which is still being updated after the boat show so bear with us. Perry has his laptop on his knee and cursing occasionally, so I think that means he’s making progress).
I’ll leave you with one of life’s profound mysteries - why don’t X factor contestants notice that they are singing out of tune?? Or, to misquote Morecambe and Wise - they were singing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order……
