Cartoon Pen & Watercolour 8″ x 12″
Artwork & Content Copyright 2009 Jean Burman
(unauthorised use prohibited)
The Women of the World Exhibition at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery in Coffs Harbour was completely wonderful. You might remember me mentioning previously that I had entered two pen and watercolour cartoons 8″ x 12″ Mothers Make the World Go Round and If Women Ruled the World.
You can click on the links (above) to see them again.
The four hour road trip down the coast to Coffs Harbour on Friday was well worth it to see those two “good friends” take their place amongst the many entries from around the world. 75 entries in total… representing artists (cartoonists in this case) from 13 different countries. Russia, Switzerland, Iran, Brazil, the Urals (and of course Australia), just to name a few.
I was surprised by the number of international artists… but I guess there are not that many women cartoonists in Australia. And the President of the Australian Cartoon Association who officially opened the show remarked on this fact… stating (rather bravely I thought in a room full of women) that around 80% of cartoonists in this country are male. Quite frankly… I was surprised the percentage wasn’t higher than that… but there you have it.
Judging by the message overwhelmingly conveyed in each and every cartoon on display… women do have a lot to say about the world in which they live and their individual experience of it. The commonly occurring themes brought home to me… that the issues women face across the planet are pretty much universal… from the Ukraine right around to the Americas.
It was fun to find myself hobnobbing with a bunch of total strangers at the Opening. Sometimes not knowing a soul can be enriching. I have been to Openings in all kinds of places but for some strange reason they are always pretty much the same. As I look around the room, I see people I swear I should know. Everyone looks kind of familiar! LOL
When it comes down to it… people are the same wherever you go. And more to the point… artists are artists wherever you go. They don’t wear badges but you can still spot them at forty paces. They are usually the ones with their noses pressed up to the glass muttering “I wonder how that was done?”. And it’s comforting to know we have that common bond… especially when we’re rubbing shoulders with a bunch of total strangers!
Surprisingly… here in Australia it is not dangerous to drive on the wrong side of the road (grin) But taking photos whilst driving is risky business wherever in the world you are! LOL
I had intended to stay overnight but decided instead to make the four hour return journey home to the Coast that night. I should add… I like night driving. And to tell you the truth… it was one of the best decisions I could have made. I had the road to myself on one of the most brilliantly clear moonlit nights imaginable.
In places the road follows the magnificent Clarence River along it’s length… and bathed in the moonlight… the river took on an almost magical quality. But that was nothing compared to the view from the top of the range behind Byron Bay. The ocean… a silver sheet spread out across a vast horizon…. illuminated the dark night sky… and threw the valley below into a dark and peaceful stillness.
It was all rather beautiful!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I really like this cartoon! It makes me feel a part of it all. I know that’s rather the point…but the way those ladies are sharing and the way they are so comfortable with one another’s presence makes me smile. That’s a wonderful image of world peace…a group of etnically diverse ladies sharing a cuppa joe! Would that it could be so!
Your road trip sounds magical!
Hi Jean! Am so pleased that you have described your excursion to Coffs Harbour, when you were telling me about your drive I did in fact think that it was “blogworthy!” Sometimes time on your own is time well spent.
This cartoon is great! I really liked the idea of women from all over the globe joining together (which is actually what happened at the Bunker Gallery!) and having a cuppa at the same table. There are so many different and diverse cultures in the world, it is such a positive thought that we could ALL sit down together and be focused on one another. Something that has been in my head for a while is the fact that attitudes are changing…looking out for number one and winning at all costs to be the best seems to be fading. A new attitude of teamwork and reliance seems to be prevailing. I have always believed that no one gets to have a “star” on their door, the show only goes on because everyone has done their job and can be relied upon to do so..that does not happen without effort, it does not happen without communication. It does not happen just because of one person, it happens because we have listened to each other and we know that the person next to us is aiming for the same outcome.
Thanks Mary. You ARE a part of it you know… we all are! I really do think that women at all levels… not just those in (apparently) high places… can “make a difference” in settling our differences. And the thing is… there really isn’t much “difference” when it’s all said and done.
That was so very apparent in the artworks that came from the farthest of places… all of them ringing out with similar themes. All taking “humourous” issue with the the simple things that you and I and pretty much every other woman on the planet might experience on any given day. We come from vastly different backgrounds. But when it comes down to it… we are “not so very different afterall”.
That was the entirely positive message I took away with me from this show. And it was really cool to play my (small) part in it.
Thanks Jools. Yes… the road trip was just great. I really enjoyed it. I’m not entirely sure (though) about the cow and people populations along the way. With windows down and me singing along with Earth Wind and Fire blaring at full volume to stay awake… it could have been a bit much for the locals. Having said that… I’d have to agree that time spent alone is essential for the creative process! (((LOL)))
[I don't know about that star. Some people really do work hard for it... and deserve recognition for their independent effort. I have known a few people (granted not many) who have plugged away in the face of all resistance to achieve success through persistent individual effort. They just keep on keeping on in the face of adversity without any help from anyone. It's a great thing to see. They shouldn't be overlooked when the credit is dished out... although oddly enough... it's these very people who so very often are]
Lovely post, Jean, and delightful cartoon, as always. A lot of what you’re talking about resonated deeply with me, and I was gently envious of your being part of that gathering of “pen and ink” people. The I got to the bit about taking photos whilst driving, and it reminded me of when over 25 years ago I was completing my final cross country solo flight, the last step before my flight exam in getting my pilot’s license. As I was on final approach, all lined up on the runway and preparing to land, I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo. My instructor was not amused when I showed it to him later.
Now that could have had way worse consequences John! LOL (Although I did have a semi trailer barrelling along beside me just out of the picture which was kind of freaking me out a bit).
Gosh you’ve done some stuff haven’t you? A pilots license to boot! I’ve always had an interest in aviation and love the idea of flying… but more from the angle of interested observer rather than active participant! My son took his first flying lesson a couple of weeks ago and has gone up a couple of times since. It freaks me out… but I think it’s great that he is following a dream. Heavens knows we all need them. Besides he has been flying jumbos under the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the simulator programme since he was 12. So I guess it’s time. grin.
Thanks for the lovely comments. So pleased you like the cartoon.
Spring is just about here. There are geese on the pond,and mallard ducks. The sandhill cranes are back. There is a cardinal couple getting ready to nest although they are here through the winter the male is getting so red it hurts your eyes. Going to take my daughter and granddaughter to Chicago during spring break, while my grandson goes to Britain with my d-in-law to see Manchester United play. roger
So glad spring is on it’s way Roger. That means we get to pass Summer over to you guys in the Northern Hemisphere for a bit. It’s been a long hot summer here and it will be nice to have cooler days for a change.
On my brother’s recommendation I read “A Redbird Christmas” a couple of years ago (and I’m guessing that a redbird is a cardinal? – not sure as we don’t have them down here) It was a beautiful little story. So full of hope and joy. I enjoyed the insight into what a white Christmas might be like… albeit a rather different and unexpected one!
I hope you get to catch up with Mary while you are in Chicago… and of course… we would like to see photos if you do! Your grandson is one lucky boy to be visiting the UK with his mum. I take it he’s a Manchester fan? It’s so great that you have your family all around you. Mine are scattered to the four winds currently. But I hear from them often and that’s okay for now.
Thanks for stopping by Roger… it’s always good to see you.
Actually his aunt is taking him. Pete is an avid soccer player and at 16 he is 6′4” tall.
Good luck to your son, Jean. He is soon to discover one of the greatest possible satisfactions and thrills in life, the first solo. As you get ready to take off, followed by lift-off, you are so concentrated on all the little tasks that need your attention that you think of nothing else. The moment you realize you’re up in the sky in an airplane with nobody to get you back on the ground safely but yourself is genuinely exhilerating! Flying an airplane is a matter of always knowing how to minimize risk, as opposed to, say, driving a racecar, which is all about maximizing risk.
Sorry Roger… I got a bit lost in translation there…
John… described that way… flying sounds like the ultimate self reliance test doesn’t it? Maybe every young person should learn to fly. At least as far as the first solo. Perhaps it would alter their life perspective a little earlier than otherwise… and make them realise how magnificent they really are… a whole lot sooner too.
I love flying… that sense of time suspended… and the realisation that there are “more things in heaven and earth than are (otherwise) dreamt of” (grin)… but mostly I just like to watch and wonder at the miracle of how 400 tonnes of metal can so effortlessly claw it’s way into the sky. In Papua New Guinea the locals call them balus: em i run long ground jump in air! I think that description pretty much nails it!
Jean..when I first went to Sydney as a bright eyed country girl, I was pegged straight away as exactly that because every 5 mins or so my eyes went straight to the skies and I stood still to watch the planes taking off to some destination I did not know! I still have to watch them in wonderment! I love flying. The flight to Darwin last year was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Claire and I were glued to that little window, trying to pick out the contours of the land, the waterways and the changing colours..magic!
Jools… I still stop and watch in wonder! LOL I think that fascination with flight never leaves you. Come to think of it… it is a remarkable feat for humankind that we have been able to master flight… albeit not as efficiently as birds… but then (clever as humans are) computers are still no match for the human brain (yet). And no human person has yet come up with a machine that can run continuously without stopping or breaking down across it’s lifetime… as the human heart does. It’s quite amazing really when you stop to think about it. Stopping to think (and observe) is a great thing to do. We should all do more of it. I always smile when people say they don’t believe in miracles. Heck… miracles are everywhere… all around us everyday… if we would only take the time to stop and notice them. LOL
As fate would have it… I’ve only ever flown through Darwin to get to somewhere else… but what surprised me the most taking off from Cairns and heading west was how soon we left behind the coastal fringe. There really isn’t that much green in this wide brown land! And flying up and down the coast… knowing that you can fly back over the same country (that just took you two days to drive) in less than two hours… is completely insane! No wonder we aussies like flying so much… LOL
Flying somewhere really does allow you to absorb the vastness of our world, the seemingly endlesss views and changing land beneath. But I do like to take my time as well. Driving from Mckay to Cape York accentuated the brief encounter with the lush tropics of the coast…no it does not extend too far Jean! On side of the hill there is the forests and coast, on the other is the red dust, ant hills and sparse vegetation…it blew me away too! Within 10 kms there were clear running creeks bordered by impossibly green rainforest, to dry rocky creekbeds and barely a blade of grass! And then you get into the gorge country where the land slips away right in front of you to reveal a freshwater wonderland of waterfalls that link the river systems of the top end….amazing! I would dearly love to see The Kimberley’s further west, it is a living museum there! I am not alone with that desire, the roads into and out of that region (as well as the skies!) are becoming more and more traveled.
Hey Jean…just on the thought of the “Theory of Positivity”, I have received approval for 8 sessions of physiotherapy!!! The steroid injection has worn off (sad face!), but maybe, just maybe a little bit of physio will help! Have to stay positive!!!
I hope the physio goes well Jools. You might be surprised what a difference it makes.
I am at the airport in Coolie waiting for the flight to Cairns. I’m in my element here with aircraft taking off left right and centre! Wheeee… there goes another one! (chuckles)
Lol Jean!! Be careful you don’t get on the wrong one!
(((chuckles))) Umm… blogging today from Kathmandu.. oops!
So Jean…hows the weather over there??????
Yes weather was good! I am rather tired from trudging mountains though
but should have the new article up today… all things being equal… LOL
Hi, Jean, and I must add that I love this cartoon also. Well done, my friend! I loved the one about motherhood also. Funny thing is that your blog just now was delivered to me from the subscriber list, and today is August 6. I wonder what took it so long to get here? Must be the planets … or perhaps yesterday’s lunar eclipse loosened up some stuck technology somewhere. Your comment on world peace is well taken. Lastly, CONGRATULATIONS for getting your cartoons into the cartoon gallery!
Hi Vernita!
Heck… I don’t know what happened there. I was working back of house on the blog last night and for some strange reason this article (one I wasn’t even working on) decided to re-send itself to all subscribers! How I know is I got one as well!
Apologies to all who recieved this one again inadvertently… but perhaps it WAS the Universe (or the planets) telling me to get my rear into gear and get another article up!
I went to the ArtEscape yesterday (some of you might remember the report I did last year) and have talked some of the artists into interviews which I will be featuring here soon.
In the meantime… nudge from the Universe acknowledged! And thank you Nita for stopping by with some very much needed words of encouragement!
Hi Jean. I found your site through google and I really like your artwork. I would like to ask your permission if I may use your cartoons in my powerpoint presentation here in the Philippines. Thank you.
Hi Maya. Thanks for your visit… and your interest in my artwork. I shall email you separately regarding use of the cartoons. All the best. Jean.