‘Kite Cat’ – Ann James – the bid is at $320

Ann James lives in Naarm/Melbourne, and has an astonishing 70+ titles, including ‘Goodbye House, Hello House’ and ‘Lucy Goosey’ by Margaret Wild and ‘I’m A Dirty Dinosaur’ by Janeen Brian.

Ann began as a secondary school art teacher and gradually moved into the education department’s publications branch. There she continued improving her foundations as an artist. Eventually she became the much loved and awarded illustrator she is today.

Ann’s first roughs for her kite character.

Alongside her artistic work Ann has built a complimentary career as a committed advocate for illustrators across Australia, ensuring they are as substantially credited for their work as a vital part of the story telling process. Ann is a co-founder of the Society of Book Illustrators (SoBI) and also served for 20 years on board of the Australian Society of Authors. Amongst numerous other contributions she also works with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation as an ambassador, supporting the creation of picture books by Indigenous communities.

Ann views her art as a bridge between the reader and the story told through words. Her role is to reinforce and expand upon the layers of meaning of an idea:

‘My training as an artist and a teacher has provided me with a good foundation for creating visual narratives. My experience as an art teacher in particular was great for introducing me to art practices of all kinds and started me thinking about art as a conversation, rather than an end in itself. Art in conversation with children is right up my alley.’

Kite Cat is born!

She finds collaboration beneficial and enjoys the structure it provides. ‘I like being directed, organised and supported by the sorts of people who are best at that. I like working in a team, particularly with creative people, and with and for children.

‘More and more, I realise how important it is that people are so different in their ways of thinking and working and acting – we fill each-others gaps,’ Ann said.

Cat trumps dog, but Patrick seems pretty sanguine about it.

Ann’s style is playful and poignant, often featuring animals, and some people, taking on the world with the common message of resilience, self-confidence and often family, at its core. She is able to tease charm and character from a blank page in seconds with just a few nimble strokes: ‘Inventing characters and getting to know them is what I love almost more than any other part of the illustration process.’

‘Art to me is making something unique. Using whatever techniques and materials inspire me to create the thing. Doesn’t have to be to share. Doesn’t have to be particularly useful, but I love to feel that energy and excitement to create this new thing.’

The Dancing cat looks pretty happy to have won pride of place on the kite!

Every project that crosses her desk inspires its own unique approach and so Ann has discovered and utilised a diverse array of techniques over the years.

‘Each story inspires its own particular visual responses and my choice of tools, media and techniques.’

So many artists get caught in perfectionism before even initiating a project, and so Ann presents a refreshing approach as she welcomes mistakes. She allows accidents and mishaps to lead her artistry in unexpected directions.

‘I am curious to see what happens when my hand seems to take over the lead from my head. I am excited by the accidents, surprises and tangents that have me seeing new possibilities.’

In ‘I’m A Dirty Dinosaur’ Ann found that a traditional approach wasn’t working and looked ‘too pretty’. She was contemplating this dilemma and happened to glance out the window. There, she noticed her dog playing in a muddy dam. It struck her that she had a wealth of mud right there, in her yard. So she joined her clever dog and began the process of painting with the mud. This experiment results in a wonderfully corporeal experience, which I imagine would be particularly pleasing to a child. The way the mud spreads and its surprisingly complex set of hues paired with the simple little dinosaur character, drawn only using a multicoloured pencil that outlines his fun-loving spirit, is a delight to take in.

‘I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to make whatever may be right to tell each story – whether I have written it – or someone else has.’

Something else one realises, whilst flipping through Ann’s work, is that she is a master of movement. This perhaps buds from not being too precious with her line work. This way, characters don’t have the opportunity to become stiff or forced: ‘My Mum was an artist and she loved my drawings – so I drew a LOT. I loved that her arty friends said I was good at drawing movement! I was very short-sighted and didn’t get glasses till I was 8. So I guess I got very good at noticing stuff.’

Ann’s own supportive family life presents itself as a theme in the books she chooses to lend her hand to. Many of them are about going through the natural changes that life brings still buttressed by the gentle presence of loved ones, often elders. For example, this is explored in ‘Little Humpy’ and ‘Lucy Goosey’.

Hooray for Kite Cat!

‘I’ve always loved to draw. My love for illustration began as a child. I can’t help drawing, it’s a great way to tell a story. My Mum was an artist and my Dad built our house. My brother is good with his hands too – he’s a surgeon. We were always a do-it-yourself family and collectors of anything that might come in handy.’

For her kite Ann was aiming to draw her dog, but: ‘A cat pushed through. My old cat Mac? Yes, having fun, flying on a kite…’

Warning: this kite is almost certain to bring a smile to your face. The glorious Mac, with a slightly wild expression and magnificent whiskers shooting out all around his face, wrangles hula hoops made of colourful beads framed by dimensional puffs of cloud.

(One special extra – the strongest bid for this wonderful kite is a copy of the working stages, featured throughout this article)

By Adelaide Stolba