Last week was a mad rush of deadlines, and I've only just recovered (a week later!). Two huge deadlines and one unfortunate misunderstanding (re: deadlines) made for one very stressed-out illustrator (that would be me).
Oxford University Press [African Division] commissioned me to do black-and-white illustrations for their Grades 1 and 2 siSwati readers.
This actually seemed serendipitous... have I told you that I was born in Swaziland? And did you know that siSwati is the national language of Swaziland?
Well, now you know.
So, even though I'm still in Cape Town, I felt like I was vicariously returning to the place of my birth.
The thing about these workbook deadlines is that they are crazy impossible. Imagine churning out 55 illustrations in 3 days. Yes, that's right, 18 illustrations per day, and they have to be perfect the first time around... no time for changes or touch-ups. I felt slightly dizzy by the end of it.
And, after all that spinning and drawing and sweating, the best feeling was walking into the OUP offices in Cape Town and handing everything to the editors. Above the main reception desk there was a huge map with points for every OUP office around the world... it feels good to be a part (no matter how small) of the fostering of learning all over the world.
