ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I've been thinking a lot about illustrators lately.

Particularly on my mind has been Hal Gye, who was Dennis' principal illustrator - and great personal friend. Then there is David Low, who illustrated Dennis' first book, and went on to international fame.

Norman Lindsay is an interesting case. He illustrated for Paterson, Lawson and Dennis.

'While the Billy Boils' (cover) for Henry Lawson.

'The Animals Noah Forgot' for Banjo Paterson.

'The Austral...aise' for C.J. Dennis.

Any others?

Of course, Dennis illustrated one of his own books, too.

There's our old mate Dave Emo, who is still around and has done illustrations for Noel Stallards books of children's poetry.

Yes, good point, Neville.

Does anybody know who illustrated the original edition of 'In The Days When the World Was Wide and other Verses'?

There's a couple of other " classics " Dorothy Wall who wrote and illustrated Blinky Bill and May Gibbs who wrote and illustrated Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

Although she is not Australian, Beatrix Potter has probably been well known to Australians for her children's books about Peter Rabbit etc.

I don't know who illustrated When the World was Wide, probably one of the Bulletin artists, and there were a number of those. I would start the search at Livingstone Hopkins, I think, the most likely candidate.

The connection between art works and poetry is a very interesting one. You've fired up my interest Stephen.
Some of the famous Australian "fine" artists made literary and poetic references in their work.
Tom Roberts used as a title for a landscape " Evening when the quiet east flushes faintly at the sun's last look "
And also " The Golden Fleece " for an Australian shearing picture.

Arthur Streeton used " Above us the great grave sky "

" Still glides the stream and shall forever glide '

" The purple noon's transparent might "

These may not be from poems, but they have the poetic sound to my ear.

The Australian Impressionist painter, Frederick McCubbin used a couple of titles which sound like they have been taken from bush poetry sources.
" Down on His Luck" and " On the Wallaby Track "

I would like to see up our way sometime a project where there was an exhibition or competition in which bush poets wrote poems to illustrate Australian paintings, or vice versa, paintings done to illustrate bush poems. ( I think there has been a couple of goes at this )

"G'day" Neville

I had a bit of a go a few years back with great illustrations done by Joseph Sayer.

‘ Stickup ‘

A dusty red stagecoach, by the hillside it stood.
Not a wheel turning. The signs are not good.
The driver sat back, firm hands on the rein,
on the face of a passenger there is sign of strain.

One coach horse starts prancing. Just one of the two.
The driver considering - ‘ what now can I do ‘
One Bushranger sits ready with pistol in hand.
Too late for the driver to make any stand.

A second still mounted, his horse is intent
on the prancing mare that has a leg bent
to scuff at the road to show discontent.

A third highway robber with his boot on the step,
at the coach doorway, while the woman she wept –

“ Just take my belongings, but please spare my life
there’ll be no word from me to cause you much strife “

More men at the rear untying the ropes
restraining the chests that contain peoples hopes.
A gaunt one on horseback with rifle at ready
calls out to a mate “ Hold that lead horse steady “

Brown stallion nearby, it snuffles the ground
as the call of a magpie is heard to resound
up hillsides, down valleys and through the gum trees
as if to screen the poor woman’s pleas.

A Father sits perched on a nearby outcrop
his son stands beside him and wishes they’d stop,
as smoke lazily curls from the corn cob pipe’s bowl,
this man is obviously searching his soul.

***
A bloke by the name of Alan Healey has produced paintings suited to bush poetry in recent times.
Alan is possibly better known, in my experience, for Bloomsday performances.

"ooroo"
Jim.

Very interesting, Neville.

Are you familiar with the work of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite?

Good links here:
http://www.uow.edu.au/~morgan/outhwaite.htm

and here:
http://www.ortakales.com/illustrators/Outhwaite.html

I had never heard of Ida Outhwaite, she certainly was prolific. From the samples shown on the link pages , she was a very accomplished artist.
No doubt I would have seen her work along the way in earlier years but never made any note of the name.

Wow Stephen - I love Ida's work and I also have never heard of her nor do I recognize a single one of those illustrations but up with May Gibbs IMO without a doubt.

Yes Neville, Maureen, you're right. She's an absolute corker.

The other one you might be interested in is Cicely Mary Barker. She was a contemporary of Ida's, and did similar stuff, but was English.

Here's a link:
http://www.flowerfairies.com/

and here's another one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicely_Mary_Barker

I'm afraid Ms Cicely Barker's fairies and flowers don't strike a chord with me . She seems to be a very polished draughtsman.


When my children were small ( many years ago ) I used to read children's books to them. The illustrations that seemed to appeal to them the most, were not the polished, highly realistic ones, but the ones which were more loose, "scratchy" and made more of movement and energetic line and colour than finely crafted realism. Interesting.. I thought at the time, and filed that away for reference.