Palimpsest 4
Portrait of Janna
When Otto had finished his portrait of Andy
he put his pen to his lips and murmured
Hmm… what will I do now?
Half sitting on my lap
he looked at me and said
Want me to draw you?
I nodded, Yes.
He pointed to the chair
where Andy had been sitting
and said, Sit over there.
He set me in a pose
one hand on a hip
the other leaning on the table.
Like this, he said
showing me how.
Then drew me
in a standing pose and asked
is it okay to put you in an Essendon jumper?
(That’s the team I barrack for
His team is St Kilda).
As he started to add more objects
he hesitated
and asked
Do you want me to draw you here?
(at his house)
or at your house?
Before I could answer
he decided
to put me in my house.
In the big room.
Dining table and chairs
a rug on the floor
a sideboard with
a bowl of round
wooden balls
and a jar of
pens and pencils
a lamp with
a plugged in cord
Fraser’s high chair
two shaggy dogs
one black
called Callan
one white
that’s Danny
a cat called Norah
a light overhead
a rocking chair
two couches with
people
a window
with a puppet doll
hanging from the latch
a vine outside
an overhead light.
And a palimpsest
of an upside down
faded cat
showing through
from the back.
Palimpsest 5
A bird
The dots
surrounding the bird are
from an earlier drawing
on another piece of paper.
They have bled through
onto this drawing.
palimpsest
ˈpalɪm(p)sɛst/
noun
– a manuscript or piece of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing.
– something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.
How old is Otto? He’s certainly got his grandparents’ talent! His perspective reminds me a lot of the Mr Benn Red Knight and others by McKee – he often spreads a room out like this – interesting way of thinking…Cheers, Virginia
Hi Virginia, Otto is turning 7yo next month. Yes, I too was intrigued by the way he used different perspectives in the same drawing, so that he could fit everything in. He has also placed all the objects in the correct relationship to each other, and all from his memory.
Might be interesting to find him a David McKee one, if they’re sitll around to show that others use that perspective as well. i think it’s in ‘Mr Benn Red Knight’, and ‘123456789 Benn’ – at least. Who knows if they are in print? i’m currently working on Peter Spier (who has just died). Why on earth isn’t his Fast Slow High Low still in print? it’s brilliant. V
We were really sad to here of Peter Spier’s passing. He is a favourite of ours and we have several of his books. His story is very interesting. I’m looking forward to reading your piece. J
I’ll lookout for McKee. Elmer is his?
Yes, Elmer is his, but i don’t think he uses the four-way perspective in it. he might in others though besides Mr Benn ones. But they are a long time ago. Peter Spier is the illustrator of ‘The Cow who fell in the canal’ which i’ve written on extensively. it was very important, especially to Rebecca. But i think the ‘Books for Keeps’ column will be mainly on ‘Fast Slow High Low’ – his book of opposites. it’s like a puzzle book – i had to think quite hard to work some of them out, and so did the kids. Love, Virginia
Oh yes! How couldI forget The Cow Who Fell in the Canal!
Otto is certainly an artist. I love the exquisite details and seeing you in your AFL jumper!! 🙂
Yes he is. I hope he is able to maintain his passion for this form of storytelling.
i love all of otto’s details
Yes, Beth, and he did this from memory – except for the picture of me which he had me pose for.