Being an artist, its all a journey, and you learn where the subtle patterns lie. Graeme Base More Quotes by Graeme Base More Quotes From Graeme Base I still feel childlike. Not childish - there's a difference. But to be childlike is to be savoured and treasured. I offer my books to those who like the things of childhood; the challenges, intrigue, joy and fun. Graeme Base fun book art I guess I dont come to the work without baggage. I have an idea of what I want my pictures to look like in my head, and if they dont match up, I find it frustrating. Graeme Base want looks ideas People kept asking, Whats your market? Ive got no idea at all other than me, an eleven year old kid in a 56-year-old body. But there are a lot of us out there. Graeme Base kids years ideas I was eight when we came to Australia. It was five amazing weeks onboard this ship - it was the Northern Star. Graeme Base eight australia stars Im a relentlessly optimistic person, and I think The Waterhole is a story of hope and that even though nature goes through cycles, we prevail in the end. Graeme Base optimistic stories thinking I hope that there's a difference between being childish and childlike and that I'm the latter, if you take my meaning. I often sort of wonder. I don't think I'm a terribly good grown-up; I don't take responsibility easily or well in many areas of life. Finance and stuff like that, I'm absolutely appalling. Graeme Base good you hope life I have pets, but they're the really ordinary sort - yellow Labrador, tabby cat, white rabbit, a few goldfish - that kind of stuff. Nothing very... extravagant or unusual or exotic, but I find, in terms of inspiration, Mother Nature is just it. Graeme Base nature mother white yellow I was born in Amersham, England on 6/4/58. My family moved to Australia when I was eight, and I went to Box Hill High School and then Melbourne High School. I liked to draw and write at school, and I liked books by J.R.R. Tolkien, A.A. Milne and Kenneth Grahame. Graeme Base hill high-school family school Ever since I was a kid, I might have been eleven or twelve. I'd be telling anyone who would listen that when I grew up, I wanted to be an artist. Graeme Base listen who kid artist There's a book called 'Where The Wild Things Are,' by American writer Maurice Sendak... it really is the most sublime book. It's a picture book, but it works at so many levels, and it's fantastic. Graeme Base wild picture things book You know I'm a bit of a dag because I listen to classical music. I recently bought myself an iPod and downloaded every piece of classical music that I had access to onto that. Graeme Base myself know you music I was always interested in art at school, and after year twelve, senior year, I spent three years studying graphic design at college. I worked in advertising for two years but didn't like it much, then began doing a bit of illustration work for various publishers. Graeme Base advertising work art school I began illustrating children's books because of a growing disillusionment with the sort of work I was doing in the advertising industry. Book publishing offered me the chance to be far more creative. Graeme Base me work book children My only real hobby is playing music. I write a lot of music on guitar and keyboards and hope one day to make a record or maybe even write the score for a film. Graeme Base day guitar music hope It's not even my job to educate, but what I do is try to facilitate by creating a book that works on different levels. I do want to entertain and bring some joy to the reading experience. If it holds a little kernel of knowledge that readers choose to explore, well, that's great. Graeme Base job great experience knowledge It was always that detail that drove me. Ever since I was a little kid, I used to get into the nitty gritty... when I was drawing army tanks or monsters, I'd do every nut and rivet, and I'd do every scale on the dragon's back. It was just the way I was built. Graeme Base me drawing army way Whilst I love still hiding... games and puzzles to play, I'm not as imprisoned by that need to fill every corner with detail. Graeme Base detail need play love Some people can sit and enjoy the view... some people like to take photos to feel complete. I need to somehow possess it in some other way. I just have to somehow grasp it and take it home in a more fulsome way. It's where ideas come from. Graeme Base feel enjoy home people I've had an absolutely charmed life in every aspect of it. I do for my job what I would do for a hobby if it wasn't my job. Half the secret of happiness, I'm ecstatically happily married with three great kids, you know. It's been a blessed life. Graeme Base you blessed happiness life The English probably do that wordplay kind of humour and whimsy better than anyone, and I've always felt that my writing goes more to that than what I did when I came to Australia. Graeme Base better always australia writing
