What were the 10 best bits about working on This is Captain Cook?
- I got to work with wonderful people, especially the brilliant Tania McCartney, woo-hoo!
- I had the challenge of making sure a potentially touchy topic was presented in a way that looked at historical fact and not the political incorrectness. The images were a big part of this and I like a challenge. We did it!
- Discovering amazing (some sad, some fantastic) things about Captain Cook and his family that I didn't know and were different to what I was taught (so long ago) at school.
- I got to include a chicken (because I LOVE chickens). Why a chicken? Because ... Captain Cook chased a chook all around America, lost his pants in the middle of France and found both in Australia!
- Working on the 'other part of the story'. As an illustrator it is my job to weave in another story other than what is in the text, one that dances well with the words. I got to create another adventure that we can all enjoy while we travel with the Captain.
- I loved working on the silhouettes for the audience, giving them individual character we could recognise without seeing their faces.
- I adore working on paper and using wash and colour and this book had it all.
- Problems (that got solved). I like to work things out. For example, while painting the page where Captain Cook plants the flag, we realised we didn't know what flag he raised. As a result of researching which one it was, we discovered he didn't actually plant a flag on mainland Australia, it was a myth that came about from 'creative visual narrative' in early Australian art.
- Drawing people having fun.
- Creating the end papers, because the chicken became the star and she was starting to get a big head, so I wanted to do 'out takes', to put her back on her perch.
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