Thank you Kellyville

This has been a very long time coming, so lets get to it. A few months ago I had the amazing opportunity to visit Kellyville public school. As a room to read ambassador, and children’s book illustrator I’ve been fortunate to have been in the school circuit for a while and visited so many amazing kids but never have I been to a more welcoming school then Kellyville. Not only had they been preparing for my visit for a week, looking through my website and discussing my work but they had also prepared questions to ask me. It was so amazingly refreshing to be surrounded by passionate inquisitive kids that actually had a sense of what I’ve done. On top of that some of the kids had even gone as far as to write stories based on one of my illustrations which absolutely made my year - it was such a great feeling to see I had inspired kids to get creative! I’ve included some of the stories bellow by these incredibly gifted kids - Thank you again Kellyville - it was an absolute pleasure!

 

Message in a bottle

Today we visit the Sparkling Sands Beach to show our gratitude for our tragic loss. 1 year since the horrifying moment domestic violence really took a toll on our family, 1 year since the horrifying moment dad lured mum into the garage. 1 year since that horrifying moment Diego and I heard mother’s screams. 1 year since mum’s passing.

With a bouquet of roses in my left hand and a portrait of my mum in my right, I approach the shore where mum’s ashes were left. Diego is right beside me holding another bouquet of roses and a family portrait of mum, Diego and myself from when we only young. A small, clear dew falls from Diego’s eye, hug him amorously and we both throw our bouquets into the calm ocean. The tide sweeps the flowers away into the vast sunset.

As we say our final farewells, Diego walks towards the car. But I notice a bright, shining substance drifting to shore. A message in a bottle. Diego sprints to my side as I opened the bottle. 

Tears flood our eyes as we read the word, I love you too

By Kelsey Jenkins

Message in a Bottle

“Please, don’t go now, you just got back!” “I apologise sweetie, I haven’t got a choice” father exclaimed whilst fumbling with his dry fingertips. The smell of sea salt and fish filled the living room in our crowded house, a week ago father arrived from his 1 month fishing trip. He was a deckhand aboard The Nightingale, a gigantic fishing boat that is in charge of getting the main supplies of fish, crab and other seafood for our islands markets. “Father it is not fair on you and us, your Captain told us you would be here for the next three months, and now, starting tomorrow, you will be at sea instead!” I replied angrily. “You talk about the scenario as if it is some sort of a Childs game but believe it or not this is how I get food on the table for you and your mother!” My eyes started to water and I tried to hold in the fact that I was miserable and just wanted him to stay. I slowly nodded as a sign of respect and looked him in the eyes to see if I could tell what he was thinking, but all I could see was his forgiveness and sympathy. I turned on my heels to the rickety old stairs behind me and walked carefully up to my room and tried as hard as I could to forget what I had just left behind…  That night the house was silent, even a pin dropping would be heard, whilst my parents were asleep I sat by a dim candle and wrote a message for my father which I would give to him at the docks tomorrow when he took off for his departure. Knowing I would at least see him tomorrow helped me rest peacefully. The next morning I put on my best Sunday dress that I normally wore at church. It was bright yellow and tightened at the waist, I slipped my note into an empty glass bottle with a cork so father could keep it with him everywhere. I popped the bottle in my right palm and felt the smooth, cold glass press against my warm skin. I took one last look at the silky pages that were the colour of crisp white, and my tattooed words in a brilliant black ink imprinted on the pages. I shut my eyes and opened them once more realising I was ready to face today, ever so cautiously did I make my way downstairs and out the front door to the dock. Yet when I got there only mother was left, she stood there in her hunch like posture and sobbed quietly into a wet tissue that is when I saw it, my Fathers boat sailing away with my hope. I called to him to get his attention but he thought I was just waving so he waved back. I eventually lost him in the upcoming mist, my mother eventually left and I followed her up the stairs that lined the hills of the island and then simply rooted my feet on the ground as my mother walked away. I stood there until evening as the sun settled, that is when I felt the need to throw the bottle into the ocean in an act of strength, in an act of hope, an act of lost hope. I left and wondered if it would really ever get to father.

2 months later…

I don’t know why I come to the beach every morning and evening in hope to find a bottle sent back. I guess today it was worth it as I did a different walk on the beach to my usual one and found that a rusty bottle with a cork and letter inside washed up on the shore. In a desperate act of hope I threw myself to the rocky ground which left my knees bleeding and opened the bottle to find pages the colour of fine buttermilk, engraved with fine words addressed to me ending with 

Love dad xoxo

P.S. thank you for the letter my darling!

A tear shed from my eye, telling me everything was going to be alright…

By Georgia Kremalas 

 

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Issue 3 of Punky is online!

Issue 3 is out everyone - was a bit of a push to get this in on time so very happy we made it - thanks to the great team at Roar! Let me know what you think - copies available here

In other news I'll be at Melbourne Supanova next weekend from the 11th to the 13th at booth A083 in the Indie Press zone. I'll have a limited edition posters of all the Old Superheroes from last month! So come say hi! 

Preview of one of the pages from Issue 3

Preview of one of the pages from Issue 3

Issue 2 is out!

Hey everyone. Hope you've been fairing well since the last update. If you've been a little down I'm hoping this cheers you right up! 

In this issue Punky gets a tour of a magical place full of beautiful costumes and exotic artifacts -- Henry's camera studio! Henry sure seems like a grumpy old guy, but that can't keep Punky's spirit -- or Brandon's tail -- down! But how could an old photographer like Henry take care of a little girl like Punky? It just doesn't seem possible... What're Punky and Brandon going to do?

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Make a change this year

So it's the time of year when people are making resolutions to change things for the better… want to do something that costs no money but earns you money and others too? Say NO to spec work - I know it's hard, especially for those just starting out - even I still struggle with it, but if we want to change the industry for the better and help engage a better relationship between us and our clients we need to respect ourselves and the work we do! 

To help you say no here's a website you can read and send to the next person asking you to work for free! Just bookmarking it is a step in the right direction! 

Here's to an awesome year of creative thinking ^_^