Claire Richards Art Blog

Marion Mural

9:54 AM, 11/11/2008 .. Posted in workshops .. 0 comments .. Link

One of 6 mural canvases on display at Park Holme Library. It is of people reading while doing things and reading in unusual places.

Mural

12:20 PM, 27/10/2008 .. Posted in workshops .. 0 comments .. Link

This is a detail of a mural I have been working on for the Marion Library. I did a workshop with kids and used their drawing s to make six big canvases. I like the bold colours you can get with acrylic.

Exhibition Website

1:57 PM, 17/10/2008 .. Posted in Exhibitions .. 0 comments .. Link

These little paintings are for the Marvellous Ms Doody's Extrodinary Array of Affordable Art Show. There is now a website for the exhibition which is only 3 weeks away.

Rolling down the hill

5:08 PM, 29/9/2008 .. Posted in Exhibitions .. 0 comments .. Link

This oil painting is 1.5 meters tall.
I am looking forward to this weekend because I will be doing portraits at the Norwood Art and Design Market. It is on from Saturday 10am - 4pm at the Norwood Primary School. Carol Nicholls , Donna Johns and I are on a group exhibition of 15 children's artists The show is called The Marvellous Ms Doody's Extraordinary Array of Affordable Art. The exhibition launch is on Friday the 7th November, 6pm @ Ballroom 11, Carclew, 11 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide. The exhibition will be open on Saturday the 8th 10 - 6pm.

A little Bit Written by Christine and Peter Maniaty

10:39 AM, 11/9/2008 .. Posted in Books Illustration .. 0 comments .. Link

A little Bit was reviewed by Jane Watson-Brown in the Aust Booksellers & Publishers Magazine July.

"...it depicts the contradictions within us all, showing us that we’re all ‘a little bit of everything rolled into one.’ Accompanying this interesting message are Claire Richards’ vibrant illustrations. There's humour and a touch of whimsy in the pictures. There are also plenty of objects in the illustrations to engage young readers in some interactive fun. I particularly enjoyed recognising the small blurred book (in the illustration of the child sitting on grandma's lap as a copy of A little Bit. It must be the adult in me that caused me to worry about the egg carnage in teh very funny hen house raid scene accompanying ' I'm a little bit bad.' Children will relate to the main child character because of the verve and joie de vie portrayed..."

Pepper St Arts Gallery

11:31 AM, 4/9/2008 .. Posted in Hand made Toys .. 0 comments .. Link

I am artist of the month at Pepper St Art Gallery. They have a little display of my art. I did a cartoon demonstration for visiting year 2 class.

Book Week at the Marion Library

10:33 AM, 20/8/2008 .. Posted in workshops .. 0 comments .. Link

I have been doing cartoon workshops with school groups at the library as part of Book Week. I made newspapers with gaps for the kids to draw wanted posters and writer articles. They did fantastic drawings of the robber that ate all the lollies in the Lolly Shop but left the Liquorish. I left spaces in the Recipe section for them to add the ingredients. There were tablespoons of holey socks and more disgusting things. We make up this creature together.

The Eleventh Sheep by Kyle mewburn

2:20 PM, 30/7/2008 .. Posted in Books Illustration .. 1 comments .. Link

There is an article in this months Reading Time about the making of The Eleventh Sheep. It is wonderfully positive because it was written by someone I know, me. Kyle Mewburn wrote about his inspiration for the story. He lives in rural New Zealand and the idea came when he couldn't sleep because the lambs were bleeting for their mums. The Eleventh Sheep been reviewed which is exciting.

"... With some rhyming text, delightful full colour pictures and an enchanting little story, this hard cover picture book will be loved by children as young as three. The format is great for this age group an it gives you a lovely warm feeling as you read it. this is a perfect bedtime story..."
Review in the Ballarat Courier by Joan Stienman 6th June 2008

'The illustrations are Fun and Fresh.'

Review in Magpie Magazine by Jenny Gorman July 2008 Issue

Koala

11:36 AM, 19/7/2008 .. Posted in Art .. 0 comments .. Link

I am amazed at how koalas can sleep on such skinny branches. Apparently wild koalas fall about five times in their life time. koalas can swim in an emergency and the fur on their back is warmer than animals that live in Antarctica and long fur on their stomach works like an air conditioner. The weirdest thing about koalas is they have a pouch that faces downwards.

I have been using the images in books about koalas for an illustration project and I couldn't help but read about these strange marsupials. I even learnt about the social etiquette of when one koala is climbing up a trunk and another is going down.

Starlight Platter

5:36 PM, 25/6/2008 .. Posted in Art .. 0 comments .. Link

This platter is inspired by children’s art. I tried to capture the endless movement and vitality that kids have and used as many bright colours as possible. It is a bit of an abstract vision of one of those ball pits that are at shopping centres. I remember the reality of jumping in the coloured balls didn't live up to my imagination, maybe I was too old. This plater was auctioned to raise funds for the Starlight foundation.

Koala Toys

8:50 AM, 16/6/2008 .. Posted in Hand made Toys .. 0 comments .. Link

This is Papa Koala. Australian native animals have become a theme in my work. I am working on the illustrations for a children's book called Goldilocks and the Three Koalas.

Sheep

8:47 PM, 14/6/2008 .. Posted in Books Illustration .. Link

I have illustrated a book called The Eleventh Sheep by Kyle Mewburn. It has just been released by Scholastic. I got a shock to see copies in the Glenelg Angus & Roberts today. I often get lost for hours in kids books section. The Eleventh Sheep It is about a girl Sian, every night when she can't sleep she counts sheep from one to ten. The Eleventh sheep waits unwanted just out of sight.

8:51 AM, 13/6/2008 .. Posted in Art .. 0 comments .. Link

This is a kangaroo not a rabbit. Australian animals have become a bit of a theme in my work. When I was on holidays I ducked between trees and hid in bushes to sketch a mob of sleepy kangaroos. Kangaroos really know how to relax, I couldn't believe the way they recline and sprawl.

I made this print in an etching class. Fabulous unpredictable marks appear on the plate. I worked on a zink plate and the thick lines are sugar lift and aquatinted. The painterly brush stroke clouds are white ground and the scratchy lines were made using hard ground.

11:25 AM, 7/2/2008 .. Posted in Portraits .. 0 comments .. Link

This is a portrait to celebrate the twins in the photograph 60th Birthday. I used white wax crayon for the clouds.

12:32 PM, 18/1/2008 .. Posted in animations .. 0 comments .. Link

I drew this animation in Photoshop using a Wacom digital pen. This is Alastair who likes to swing on his chair. It is a cautionary tale.

2:23 PM, 10/1/2008 .. Posted in Illustrations .. 0 comments .. Link

IMAGE Happiness is eating sour sobs. I made this collage at a market. Kids kept coming and telling me that they liked eating sour sobs or they were yucky.

I took some of my paintings and little animations to a kindergarten the other day. I showed them a painting with a boy with chicken pox. At drawing time a lot of the drawings had people with spots on them.

2:20 PM, 10/1/2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

I never thought I would do porcelain painting on tea cups. I like using bright colours and I scratch back to make patterns in their dresses. I use these Pebeo porcelaine paints and then I fire them in an ordinary home oven. I did a school holiday workshop with eight girls at Gallery M. The girls designed and decorated a plate with images of their favourite food and things.

12:56 PM, 10/12/2007 .. Posted in Illustrations .. 0 comments .. Link

It is holiday season here in Adelaide. I have finished the illustrations for two childrens book due to come out next year. The paintings are at the scanners and will then be laid out with the story text. I have been busy painting portrait commissions for Christmas.

James in the painting has to sit between Teddy and Rex on long road trips. Teddy had trouble when they play eye spy because he doesn't know his alphabet that well.

8:52 PM, 4/12/2007 .. Posted in Exhibitions .. 0 comments .. Link

This sketch is inspired by a kid I met while camping. They sat in a tree and told me that they were NOT A MONKEY but a Koala. An exhibition of my paintings opened today at the Mitcham Council Chambers, Adelaide. It is on display until the end of January.

I have started doing kids portraits at the Norwood Art and Design Market Which is at the Norwood Primary school on the first Saturday of the month from 10 - 4pm. I love going to art markets and meeting other artists and lots of people.

2:21 PM, 5/11/2007 .. Posted in Hand made Toys .. Link

Two new dinosaur designs join the family. Here is Grandma dinosaur who likes cooking and a dapper looking Grandpa dinosaur. I have finally worked out how to make their necks stand up. These are the toys that I imaged my cartoon characters would play with. Real life kids like to make them walk along.

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