NAIDOC WEEK

We are celebrating NAIDOC WEEK, a time to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture! Let’s continue recognising, experiencing, valuing and learning from the undeniable contribution and vital presence of indigenous people all over the world! Here I’m sharing with you one of the animated illustrations created for the lovely ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA project. 😄 🌿

Painting leaves

Inspired by Rosie’s painting. 😄 She first started with green lines. Then she painted smaller, uniform marks: blue, purple and yellow. And then she swapped her paintbrush for a thin stick and began adding bright dots to each plant, like morning dew, intensifying their uniqueness. I thought about her when I was drawing the stems and petals, it felt like meditating, like knitting… “one by one… all is fine… we are connected”. 🌿

Sketching expressions

Night sketches. I’m designing a few characters for @karukaru.studio, and drawing real people helps me to understand better how to make emotions visible. I’m feeling grateful because there’s always something to learn and re-learn, and so many lovely people out there to get inspired by! 😄🌿

Australian plants pattern

Another piece for the ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA project. I enjoyed designing the plants and thinking about the colours in relation to the work created by the aboriginal artists. I definitely love working with silhouettes and exploring shapes! 😄🌿

Sketching lovely animals :)

Aboriginal painting inspiration

I’d like to share with you the image inspired in Margaret’s painting. She talked about the Therrpeyt (bush medicine) and how you can boil it, drink it and it makes you better if you have a cold. What I love about the ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA project is that you are given the time to contemplate a painting being made and you feel connected to the artist and the person. When I saw her canvas I noticed a little stream, a vibrant blue line, a landmark in the middle of a pattern. I knew she had visited this place many times and although its shape was abstract and minimal in her painting, it felt real… her story is real… the wisdom behind her words are real. That was my inspiration. 🌿

Self portrait :)

Self portrait 😄
Gouaches, confronting and revealing gouaches, I missed you.

Medicinal bush plants painting

Another piece for the ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA project. Here is Lily boiling some medicinal plants in water. The colour palette was inspired by her own work and the shirt she was wearing when @laradamiani shot the documentary. @karukaru.studio animated the painting and hopefully  we’ll be sharing a few moving pieces with you soon! 😄🌿

Australian Desert

“People used to hunt in the olden days and showed the young ones where to go to get food.” This is what Kathleen says while painting her beautiful desert. She’s a traveller like me, and her work and story inspired this image. 🌿

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Wavy plants for Ampilatwatja

This was one of my paintings interpreting Edie’s work :)
She talked about Ntang (edible seeds) that aboriginal children used to eat.
I loved how the leaves of each plant are wavy in her painting, giving a reddish underwater feeling.
The ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA short series is about to be completed! Can’t wait to see it @laradamiani & @karukaru.studio !
^_^🌿

Animated painting for Ampilatwatja

Illustration of Daisy, an aboriginal woman, whose fascinating painting process has been documented in ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA. She rhythmically added the coloured dots to the canvas. Her own painting is about the Kwenkart turkey bush, a medicinal plant used by her people for healing. This image was animated by @karukaru.studio as part of the lovely factual short series filmed by @laradamiani ^_^🌿

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The Little Prince illustration

“Si vienes, por ejemplo, a las cuatro de la tarde, a partir de las tres empezaré a ser feliz. A medida que se acerque la hora me sentiré más feliz. Y a las cuatro, me agitaré y me inquietaré; ¡descubriré el precio de la felicidad! Pero si vienes en cualquier momento, no sabré nunca a qué hora vestirme el corazón... Los ritos son necesarios”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, El principito.

Dedicado a todos los seres domesticados, incluyéndome.
Con amor, Ana


 "If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you . . . One must observe the proper rites"
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Dedicated to all tamed creatures, including myself.
With love, Ana

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Farewell: Painting process ~ Proceso creativo

This is how the image from last week was made:

Así se realizó la imagen de la semana pasada:

1. Sketch, tonal values and colour palette.
1. Boceto, tonalidades y paleta de color.

2. Main shapes, light studies, brushes experimentation.
2. Formas principales, estudio de luz, experimentación con pinceles.

3. Composition and colour adjustments, patterns, textures and details.
3. Ajustes de composición y color, patrones, texturas y detalles.

* And that's it! Had a great time and learned so much! I love the fact that colours symbolically belong together. Can't wait to work on another image!
* Y eso es todo! Me encantó dibujarla y aprendí muchísimo! Me gusta mucho el hecho de que los colores están unidos simbólicamente. Ya quiero volver a trabajar en otra imagen!

Writing happily from the MRC, at our new animation studio for the next 4 months!
Escribiéndoles feliz desde el MRC, nuestro nuevo estudio de animación durante los próximos 4 meses!
Ana
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Farewell ~ Hasta pronto

I painted this image wishing to include it in Illustration Friday last week. The topic was "Farewell", suggested by Penelope Dullaghan, the talented artist that used to run the site.  I wish you all the best Penelope! And all the best to you too, Thomas James, now that you're in charge! I'm sure this little room you have, dedicated to the imagination, will be as active and inspiring as always.

Esta imagen la pinté esperando poder incluirla en Illustration Friday la semana pasada. El tema era "Hasta pronto", sugerido por Penelope Dullaghan, la artista talentosa que solía estar en cargo de la página. Te deseo lo mejor Penelope! Y a ti también Thomas James, ahora que la estás dirigiendo! Estoy segura de que ese cuarto pequeñito dedicado a la imaginación seguirá activo e inspirador como siempre.

Blue and brown today, Ana
Azul y café hoy, Ana
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Egg: Making ~ Proceso

Este es el proceso de creación de la imagen de los renacuajitos :) 

Traté de pensar en tonalidades, paleta de colores y composición para ayudar a que el ojo recorra la imagen completamente. Si haces click sobre ellas las puedes ver mejor.

This is how the image of the tadpoles was achieved :) 

I tried to consider tonal values, colour palette and composition so the viewer's eye can follow the image completely. If you click on the pictures you'll be able to see them better.