‘Parent Teacher Meeting’ from the Feathers Series by Sandi Harrold. ‘I think meetings can often sound like lots of old chooks clucking away!’ (Acrylic on canvas/board) Artwork courtesy of Sandi Harrold.
Artist Watch
The Artist
Sandi Harrold (continued)
‘The biggest painting
I have done was almost 2 metres x 70cm and it was a commission for chooks! I nearly freaked out when I saw the size of the canvas. I walked around for a day or two thinking “what have I done?”’
‘It was kindergarten and pre-school when I resigned. That was in 2006. I didn’t like the idea of ‘pre-prep’ because I felt that children needed the pre-school years to be children –
learning through play – not sitting in classrooms in their uniforms.
‘I trained as an ESL teacher at Shafston College, Kangaroo Point in Brisbane because I thought
it would be a good career move once I gave up teaching kindergarten. I taught privately for two years, mainly in the child’s home where they were comfortable and familiar with their surroundings.
‘Then I was invited to help children with special needs. This has proved to be enormously rewarding as the children thrive on T.L.C. and the undivided attention of one person other than their own family members. Everyone needs to feel
that they count. That’s my specialty!’
When did you start writing children’s books and why did you decide to illustrate them yourself?
‘I had written several children’s stories and sent some of them to various publishers. A couple were rejected because they weren’t illustrated. Others, of a more serious
and poignant nature – about a young child with autism for example – were rejected at the time. I was told there would be limited sales and the publishers couldn’t make a profit. Each time it took months to receive a reply, so I just gave
up.
‘I made enquires about having the stories illustrated, but when I discovered the cost of having someone do these for me I thought, “how hard can it be?”
I enrolled at an art school at Southbank to find out how to draw and learned to use coloured pencils. It was fun but restricting because I’m not interested in realism. I appreciate how brilliant people are in recreating lifelike art but I like being
different!
‘So I began drawing in order to illustrate the children’s story books I’d written. I decided I would illustrate my Three Little Owls
story, which ended up being my first book. The next day I sent the story away to be self-published – I was too impatient to wait two or three months, let alone years, to see if a publisher would accept it. I’ve sold over 400 copies of that book
and received many great comments, especially from speech therapists, who use it as a resource book.
‘Since then I’ve written and illustrated several more books.
Jack’s Busy Week tells the tale of a helpful little dog who saves or helps everyone on the farm. Tom is a real story. Every week Tom was dragged along to his big sister’s dance classes and was totally bored, until one day he slipped
on his sister’s tap shoes and the “la bamba” music started to play.
‘I edited and illustrated Under the Rosebush by Jane Fry for Green Olive
Press, who published it in April 2014. This is the story of a young girl who adores her Grandma but has to learn to adjust as her Granny ages. The story provides a sense of optimism, despite the child’s grief when she eventually loses her beloved grandmother.
‘Sarah and Andy, also published by Green Olive Press, was donated to Aussie Angels Assistance Dogs, a wonderful charity in Tasmania. The dogs are trained to “smell”
the chemical changes when a child is about to have a seizure and bark in a particular way to alert the parents. The story helps the young child realise the need to care for and love the animal as much as the dog loves and cares for them.
‘Recently, I illustrated and co-wrote a series of five books with Uncle Joe Kirk, an Aboriginal Brisbane and Wakka Wakka Elder, to whom I was introduced by another early childhood teacher.
These books have been accepted by Scholastic Australia, with the first book Karana being released in May 2014.
‘I had 500 printed of Three Little Owls,
Jack’s Busy Week, and Tom and have only a few copies of each left. I’m hoping that a publisher may discover them and offer a reprint. I’d redo many of the illustrations as I think I could do a better job now. I recently
enjoyed illustrating a book cover for a futuristic fiction book for teenagers, which will be available soon on Amazon.
‘Even though I began drawing in order to illustrate
children’s story books, I was beginning to feel that it was all too slow and I’d die of old age before I finished! That was when I took up acrylics and I haven’t stopped since. I think I’ll stick with acrylics. They’re fast and
I can redo or completely paint over something once the painting is dry – or I can hose it off and start again!
‘If I ever find that I’m not pressed for
time I will definitely return to coloured pencils, pen and ink. These are good for some illustrations too. I paint dainty things for my mother. She doesn’t get my other style of art. She tries very hard to be polite, but not hard enough to fool me!
‘I’ve honestly lost count of the number of paintings I’ve done, even though I only started painting in late 2007. It was around 400 two years ago and I’ve sold
most of my paintings. I don’t keep the ones I’m not totally happy with. I either paint over them or have a Christmas bonfire with any that are left at the end of the year!’
Do you receive many commissions and what kind of artwork do your clients ask for?
‘I have received quite a lot of commissions. I was a little
nervous at first, but the people who ask me to do things for them know my style and that’s what they want. Weird and interesting thoughts pop into my head and I paint them onto canvas. Sheep, cows – anything. I’m trying meerkats at the moment.
Not going well so far. Might be heading for a hosing off, maybe?
‘I’m often referred to as “The Chook Lady” or “The Emu Lady” –
I answer to both! The biggest painting I have done was almost 2 metres x 70cm and it was a commission for chooks! I nearly freaked out when I saw the size of the canvas. I walked around for a day or two thinking “what have I done?” Once I started
though, I loved doing it, and the purchaser was very happy.’
‘I’ve had commissions to paint “family” portraits, depicting owls and chooks et
cetera as the different members of a family. Sometimes people find me online or see me at markets and some people see my art at the EKKA or at the Brookfield Show and contact me with requests.’
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