[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-pictures-mean-business-at-londons-imagine-festival":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Today I did my first big \u003Ca href=\"http://www.picturesmeanbusiness.com\">#PicturesMeanBusiness\u003C/a> event as \u003Ca href=\"http://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-blogs/blogs/booktrust/1086\">BookTrust Writer-Illustrator in Residence\u003C/a>, showcasing three of my favourite artists! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imagine_PMB_header_zpseuqaqy6k-ff01ae5036.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://davidoconnell.uk/\">David O'Connell\u003C/a> co-wrote and co-drew our \u003Ci>Jampires\u003C/i> picture book. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lemoneyed.com/\">Katherina Manoulessou\u003C/a> is one of the very first illustrators I met when I moved to London, at the London Artist Book Fair, and I was smitten with a screen-printed booklet she'd made. And \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stephencollinsillustration.com/\">Stephen Collins\u003C/a> draws a weekly comic strip for The Guardian magazine on Saturday that makes me howl; you can see his clipped-out strips yellowing and flecked with stir-fry on my kitchen bulletin board. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_group_zpsblc5wcx4-91b6aac128.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\nSo I was so curious to see what would happen when they all came together! Here's Daniel the technician at the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/royal-festival-hall\">Royal Festival Hall\u003C/a>, putting on Dave and my microphone headsets. (Now you know how I look without specs.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_daniel_mics_zps6w6dop4z-d220f701eb.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo on the right by Katherina\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nHere's a poet named \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LionHeartfelt\">LionHeart\u003C/a> who gave us a wonderful energetic introduction on stage. Look out for his upcoming book of poetry! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_Lionheart_zpsuqg1tyyr-63e59dccf7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a clip of him performing in LA: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3756\"/>\\r\n\\r\nI'd asked each of the three artists to pick a character they could teach everyone how to draw, and here are the books they came from:  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_featuredbooks_zpsmgf1qzbu-c601b8c535.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDave did a fab short theatrical speech about encountering a Jampire that morning, and led everyone step-by-step in drawing one. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_daveharibo_zps8m9l944x-668f430d75.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a guide if you missed the event but still want to learn how to draw a Jampire. (There's a\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com/activities/how-to-draw-a-jampire/\"> more complicated version here on the Jampires website\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_drawjampire_zpsuxmjnxpf-2d138837b9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nKatherina showed us how to draw a progression of frog from super-cute tadpole to froglet to frog in swimming costume and wellies. I don't have a picture of her doing that, but here's my Oxford University Press publicist's husband's follow-along drawing, which I thought was rather fine!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_simonpic_zpsgckf5mff-30192c6922.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was thrilled to get Stephen for his first-ever family event! He has a picture book coming out this autumn, so you may be seeing more of him on the children's book circuit. He could have picked Michael Gove or Justin Trudeau to draw as characters, but he kept things simple and picked ZORGOTH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS. (Which rather excitingly involved lots of scribbling.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_stephensarahzorg_zpsw44beimy-7b0f3fa95d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had the widest-possible range of people in the audience, everyone from babies to grownups, but somehow it seemed to work! It was great seeing so many people concentrating hard on drawing the three characters. Next, we started off a story, with Dave drawing a Jampire on the moon (pictured here). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_weezyfielding1_zpsapjyazps-879736b911.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Tweeted by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/WeezyFielding/status/833375689265004548\">@WeezyFielding\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nKatherina took over next, and drew her frog coming to visit, in a spaceship. She took a suggestion from Emir in the audience and had the spaceship squirting a jam potion at the Jampire. Stephen also drew the spaceship and I am not quite sure if this was Katherina's or Stephen's. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sarah_katherina_spaceship_zpsnk2fkqsf-be2b99ed6c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe managed to get four drawings into the story with Dave finishing off, and then we got to meet people, see their drawings, and sign and doodle copies of our books for them. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_weezyfielding3_zpslowybaj1-8dc170a703.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Tweeted by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/WeezyFielding/status/833375689265004548\">@WeezyFielding\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_stephendraw_zpsbkpm2j8a-dacd496c82.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing1_zps7pgx9gjs-f47ff3388a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing3_zpsrze3yjcc-3f7bdd9246.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing4_zpsehme1oel-d25b6302f0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing2_zps4lpn468f-dc407c4172.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing6_zps6ujz00zx-80e50f28ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_sarahjanealcorn_zpsw5tizcup-468860c65d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing_emir_zpskpffi7hx-e66dc6ab38.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_emir_comic_zpskzp9apew-1d75a29d27.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/stefanie_agar_zpsgoojhhhy-bbf39c5f89.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out these \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i> drawings!\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_kiddrawing7_seawigs_zpszqxpt7po-ae51c44668.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA little close-up of Cliff here: \\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_seawigs_drawing_zpszep9fgnq-295ab92e65.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nONE of these drawings is me. :D \\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_me_zpstmdagv5f-7fb1d239e0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had a wonderful team of publicists working with us! Thanks so much to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LoisNina\">Phil Perry\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/lasparrow\">Abi Sparrow\u003C/a>, my husband \u003Cb>Stuart\u003C/b>, and \u003Cb>Harriet Bayly\u003C/b> and her family (pictured here) for coming along to help! And to our \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/southbankcentre\">Southbank Centre\u003C/a> event manager, \u003Cb>Rachel Porter\u003C/b>, for looking after us. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_baylys_zpsyoshhvg1-a2015361d7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd big thanks to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Foyles\">Foyles\u003C/a> for stocking our book! I popped downstairs afterward and bookseller \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TischforTat\">Yael Tischler\u003C/a> tried on my hat. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest17_foyles_yael_zpswiuvv0b5-80d71db718.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to everyone involved, especially Dave, Katherina and Stephen for having the guts to come on stage and draw in front of everyone! You guys are awesome. :) You can follow them on Twitter, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/davidoconnell\">@davidoconnell\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/kmanolessou\">@kmanolessou\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/stephen_collins\">@stephen_collins\u003C/a>.","2017-02-19T19:02:00.000Z","pictures-mean-business-at-londons-imagine-festival",[],"pictures mean business at london's imagine festival!",1776628728860]