Author: Anna Cull

In the style of… Evaline Ness

| Anna Cull
The convention – ink and watercolour, 205 x 255 mm, 2013
The convention – ink and watercolour, 205 x 255 mm, 2013
Seagulls at Lake Rotorua, 2013
Seagulls at Lake Rotorua, 2013

I’ve only recently discovered Evaline Ness (although the illustrations in Sam, Bangs and Moonshine do seem curiously familiar). Her work is delightful and quirky across a wide range of styles and mediums. I particularly like the bold lines and restricted use of colour in the illustrations below. The reference photo is yet another one taken using my nothing-special cellphone ― which explains the appalling quality ― but it’s still good enough for sketching purposes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and I’m quoting photographer Chase Jarvis here), the best camera is the one you have with you. I’m starting to think it may be time to invest in a better phone… or a smaller camera.

Evaline Ness

Evaline Ness — illustrations from Joey and the Birthday Present, written by Maxine Kumin and Anne Sexton (1971) Images from http://myvintagebookcollectioninblogform.blogspot.co.nz
Evaline Ness — illustrations from Joey and the Birthday Present, written by Maxine Kumin and Anne Sexton (1971)
Images from http://myvintagebookcollectioninblogform.blogspot.co.nz

American artist Evaline Ness (1911–1986) has several claims to fame. As well as being an extremely versatile illustrator and author of children’s books, she was also a fashion model, a fashion illustrator and was, at one time, married to FBI investigator Elliot Ness. It sounds like a movie just waiting to happen.

In the style of… appears occasionally instead of my regular Shoot it, Sketch it posts. Using my own photographs as a starting point, I’m drawing inspiration from some of the world’s greatest illustrators. It’s not about slavishly copying someone else’s art; it’s an experiment in seeing things differently.

Shoot it, Sketch it revisited: Black bird

| Anna Cull

Anna Cull Black bird haiku

This week’s Shoot it, Sketch it revisited is a little different. Rather than painting Black bird on a grey day again (which I was just about to do), I’ve used it as the inspiration for a haiku (prompted by blogger Digital Granny who thought the image would make a nice background for a poem). It’s my first ever haiku. It’s such a fascinating art form — I’ve been meaning to write one for ages. Thanks, DG.

Above and beyond

| Anna Cull

A little jaunt over Christchurch last week in a 1944 DC-3 has yielded quite a crop of new photographs… I’m really pleased with them, especially considering how small the window was and that we were basically right over one of the wings! Anna Cull DC3 Amy (officially ZK-AMY) is a fairly rare bird and will, sadly, be retiring early next year. The day of our flight was quite hazy and more than a little bumpy but the experience was pure magic. Amy will soon be on permanent display at the Ashburton Aviation Museum.Anna Cull DC3 flight The photos not only show Canterbury’s beautiful farmland in all its patchwork glory, they also show how altered Christchurch is ― earthquakes have removed many familiar landmarks and made the cityscape rather beige and boxy ― but perhaps that is a post better left for another day.

Unexpected outcomes, part four

| Anna Cull
Black bird sketch – ink on paper, 2012
Black bird sketch – ink on paper, 2012

Am I the only one who finds it impossible to predict what people are going to like?
I certainly didn’t think anyone would like Black bird on a grey day. I was wrong.

The sketch is based on a photograph. I thought I would create a pattern out of the branches (something much less organic than what you see here)… but my idea didn’t make it onto the page. Instead, the sketch took off in a different direction (as they sometimes do) and when I stood back and looked at it, I didn’t think it was good enough to put on the blog. The only reason I decided to post it was because my very encouraging husband liked it a lot.

And the reaction to it… the reaction was a gift. It received lots of likes and lots of positive feedback. Family, friends, complete strangers ― everyone seemed to like it! I did not see that coming.

That was back in November 2012. Since then, and largely because of that one little black bird, all my paintings and drawings get posted on this blog whether I’m happy with them or not. Dunedin, my most recent painting, also took off in an unexpected direction (and I wasn’t sure I liked the end result) and it’s another one that has been surprisingly well received. So I’m still no closer to figuring out what other people are going to like… and I’m okay with that. More than okay. It’s one of the things I really enjoy about blogging — it’s all part of the big art experiment that is my life.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for letting me know what you like (even when I don’t understand why).

P.S. I quite like the black bird now but I’m still undecided about Dunedin…