Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "art"

Those of you who have followed me, and have read my articles about “Snugs” will know of the main story behind my Children’s Series, and, in particular, Book One, which is almost there!

I have already talked about how the magical optical illusion of the “Isle of Wight Polar Bear,” inspired me to write my new Children’s Series.

But, perhaps, equally important to the genesis of “Snugs,” was a craft activity I did with my late Art Teacher dad, (as he was then,) at the age of around six or seven.

I remember asking how to draw a polar bear, and my dad got some lino, and showed me how to make a lino* cut picture.

I remember, we both worked at an old table in the garage. I first practised with a potato stamp, and when dad could see I had the hang of it, I cut the picture of a snow bear into the lino, pressed it into the ink, and then onto a sheet of paper.

Little did I know that decades later, “Snugs” would reappear, larger than life, enchanting, and drawn - much better - I might add, by my very accomplished illustrator!

When you do creative activities with your child, you may spark a memory in them, that will develop into something more, and one that will last forever!

* short for linoleum, a common flooring material.

I've had a lot of fun with the Christmas decorations this year ...there are two snow bears (one is Snugs, and the other is Snowflake, his friend later in The Snugs Series,) two moose, and two penguins - Slip and Slide! I will add to the characters as I find them when I go shopping! I might even make Carla and James, the two children in the series!

You can do the same at home, if you have children, or just want something to take you back to your childhood! Find characters from your favorite book, or even make them "come alive" yourself!

Happy Christmas Everyone!

In Florida, it is rare to have a cold snap, but, in anticipation of a couple of days or so of chilly weather, I went out and bought some jazzy socks!
Imagine my surprise, when, on the underside of the sock feet, I discovered little "grip" pads sewn in, just like the papillae on Snugs' feet, which help him get a good footing on the slippery ice. Everything to do with Snugs has a touch of magic!

Today is a red letter day for me - an endorsement for "Snugs The Snow Bear" from Sheila Graber, World Animator, famed for her animation of "Paddington Bear" and Rudyard Kipling's "Just So Stories" on Amazon.co.uk! I am humbled, and honored.

Tomorrow I'm chatting with Jonathan Hines of U.K Talk Radio about my new Children's Book, "Luna The Moon Pig, The Pig Who Hid" which is released on December 9th, 2017. Watch social media for details of tune in times.

I would never have dreamed up the idea of "Snugs The Snow Bear," my first Children's Book, without the image of "The Polar Bear on The Isle of Wight" which first inspired me to put pen to paper.
And, once the character of "Snugs" was born, my thoughts turned to something very serious, which has been preoccupying me in recent years.
People in certain areas of the world struggle to survive. They struggle for food. They struggle for water. Every day is a battle.
It seems likely that, in the future, more and more places on earth will become, at best, inhospitable places to live. At worst, they will be places where no human being can survive. I am talking about the phenomenon of Global Warming, a phenomenon that destroys life; it makes the survival of endangered species fragile, and survival of humans in certain areas almost impossible. This is a war - the war against Global Warming. And every day, we ignore the dangers at our peril.
How much more evidence, from the top scientists on this planet, do we need? How many more World Summits will we hold, before we listen, and take action?
The world is hot - too hot. And we need to take measures before it is too late.
We have seen record temperatures across The States, and this is taking its toll on people far and wide across the country.
The idea behind my Snugs Children's Series is to drive home this message in a way that is compelling, engaging, entertaining and inspirational. Colorful illustrations by Peter Hall capture the landscape of The British Coastline and Iceland. It is important that we preserve these landscapes for our children's children to enjoy.
My second Children's Book, "Luna The Moon Pig," illustrated by Sheila Graber of Paddington Bear fame, echoes the environmental concerns in my first book.
Behind a cute story of a little pig, is a message about caring for all animals and about the beauty within us. It speaks of the natural world, of which we, and animals, are a part. Remembering our roots is a metaphorical theme. The story is based on the stunning woodland areas in The Lakes Area of Florida. Captured to perfection in Sheila Graber's stunning illustrations, the book shows Florida animals, flora and fauna.
By showing our children fabulous natural world landscapes in picture books and middle-grade readers, we are bringing into focus one of the most important things in
life; the knowledge that the world is wonderful!

Sometimes, people overlook the value of reading fantasy to children because of our obsession with a hierarchy of knowledge that places “realism” above “fantasy” and “science” above “art.”

We want to cram our children’s heads full of facts, such is our banking system of education. But this is not what education is about.

Although my brain is more artistic than scientific, I value science and hope that my books will help to develop the imaginations of scientists in the making as well as budding artists. And I think they will! For nothing that has ever been invented by a scientist has been invented without an imaginative brain. And nothing created by an artist is created without the capacity to envision something out of the ordinary.

Although both my children’s books are based in reality, they are full of modern parables, tales within tales. This kind of fantasy is created at metaphorical level in the text and allows for a multiplicity of meanings and scope for children’s imaginations. It is through exploring the many threads that combining of metaphors can create, that children learn to innovate for themselves.

Learning to put unusual things together at metaphorical level helps "out of the box" thinking.

Older children will also learn to reason. Not all possible meanings in a text are equally valid. They will use logic and reason to uncover what is the most likely interpretation of the book or what the author intended the meaning to be. And they will have opinions of their own.

Some time ago a reviewer of “Snugs The Snow Bear” seemed to misunderstand why I had mentioned The Northern Lights in my snow bear tale, and gone into some detail describing them. They, of course, were a metaphor for the supernatural magic of the snow bear, and were meant to indicate that he should be free to show up like them, as part of nature, part of the environment and natural beauty of the world.

At another level, an older child might interpret these lights as triggers to fantastic memories of home, a kind of analogy to the way in which memory operates like cinema - a series of flashing images before one’s eyes, that can be fleeting and transitory. Of course, at a more literal level, The Northern Lights immediately conjure up the snow bear in his natural environment.

A quirky metaphor in Snugs The Snow Bear is an egg-timer. I will not reveal the literal meaning in the text here. But at metaphorical level, it may be interpreted to represent the “sands of time” running out on climate change.

Children’s books that are written clearly and simply mean very young kids can read them and enjoy them. Those that also have rich layers of meaning allow older children and adults to enjoy them, too.

It is my belief that imagination is like a muscle. Use it often enough, and you will develop it.

If we are to see future generations of artists, scientists, great thought leaders and innovative business people in the making, they will need imagination in bucketloads.

Children’s books are a rehearsal for life. Through fantasy, children can learn to problem solve, put themselves in the position of the characters and develop an imaginative empathy for others, including animals.

Rather than dumbing down and short-changing our kids, we should be posing questions about the world around them for which they can seek answers and solutions.

This does not mean our books have to be dry and boring. On the contrary, through being entertained, children will surprise us with the discoveries their imaginative minds make.

Remember the first time you fell in love? You lost yourself in the process of understanding another; of enduring challenges together, of growing together; of seeing the world through another's eyes. The very sight of that special person orchestrated a symphony in your imagination. You lost yourself in the discovery of another, and yet, here's the paradox - you found yourself also, rising from the ashes of the past like a phoenix of fire and creativity.
Think about love as a creative process, and you uncover the true nature of what creativity involves. It involves going beyond the self; pushing boundaries into new worlds of discovery; it is nothing less than soul alchemy when you write, make music or create Art.
Embarking on any creative journey, whether it be in books, music or art is like a baptism of fire, of divine energy that powers self-expression. The notion of "the sublime" captures the idea that creativity provides a wellspring of deep human experience, of transcendence beyond the every day.
A new creative journey is life enhancing and invigorating; and this applies to recapturing creative passions that are dormant or may have been lost in the mundanity of existence.
As I embark on recapturing the joy of making music, it reaffirms to me the life affirming quality of The Arts for bringing people together, elevating them beyond the commonplace. The paradox is that by losing ourselves in Art, much like falling in love with another, we also discover new things about ourselves and the world around us.