Making off

and the winner is…
lemniscaat
in association with the University of Worcester
& the Willem de Kooning Academy
and the
winner is…
Esther Leeuwrik • Freya Hartas • Hanna Looye • Amanda Summers
Daphne Louter • Lars Frederick Zuidweg • Esther van den Berg • Renske Gerstel
Maarten Zerelik • Cornelie Wiarda • Marieke van Ditshuizen • Samira Zamani
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T
Preface by the publisher
7
the win ne r s
8
Esther Leeuwrik – Three Bridges
10
Freya Hartas – Little Kong
16
Hanna Looye – Jasper Is Looking for a Baby
20
Amanda Summers – Operation Pied Piper
24
Daphne Louter – Pien and Teun
28
Lars Frederick Zuidweg – Three short stories
32
Esther van den Berg – The Curious Adventures of Adrie Goodweather
Renske Gerstel – Night Flight
40
Maarten Zerelik – Mister Walker
44
Cornelie Wiarda – Place
48
Marieke van Ditshuizen – I Switch on the Sun
52
Samira Zamani – King Poonki’s Socks
58
Copyright © 2014 Lemniscaat b.v., Rotterdam
Illustrations on cover and page 2, 5, 6, 62, 63 © Piet Grobler
Photographs © the authors
Translated by Alexander Smith
The poem ‘Liefdesgedicht’ by K. Schippers on page 10 was first published in
the volume Ooitgedicht in 1985, and was loosely translated by Alexander
Smith for this publication.
Printed by: Deckers Snoeck n.v., Belgium
36
P R E FA C E B Y T H E P U B L I S H E R
The Lemniscaat Illustration Contest aims to encourage budding young illustrators
to take on the challenge of illustrating a picture book.
In recent decades, the picture book genre has become extremely popular. It has
evolved into a genre to which world-renowned artists such as Maurice Sendak and
Eric Carle have successfully turned their hand. In picture books, the story is told
not only in text, but also in illustrations – illustrations that complement and
supplement the text. This interweaving of image and text is typical of picture
books.
And in addition to the story, the reader, whether child or adult, also plays a role.
A good picture book does something to the reader, takes him on a journey. The
reader befriends the main character and steps into his world.
How do you achieve this as an illustrator? It’s not easy, as Max Velthuijs testified
when he received the Andersen Prize for his work: ‘Anyone can draw a frog, but to
draw an amorous frog, that is art.’ The Lemniscaat Illustration Contest was
established in order to showcase emerging picture book talent – with the ability to
draw amorous frogs. This year, the competition was held in both the Netherlands,
Flanders and the United Kingdom.
The winners will receive a masterclass by an internationally renowned
illustrator and their work will be exhibited in the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom and China. Moreover, this catalogue will be distributed to picture book
publishers worldwide.
The judges, consisting of representatives from the world of illustrators,
teachers, scientists and publishers, have chosen twelve winning illustrators, each
with a highly individual style, technique and approach.
These twelve winners prove that there are great talents among the more than
seven hundred entrants, but also, and above all, that there’s a wide variety of
illustration styles and techniques, which can lead to extraordinary results. In
summing up, the judges described the outcome as ‘a tribute to quality and
diversity’.
Jean Christophe Boele van Hensbroek
Lemniscaat Publishers
THE WINNERS
Esther Leeuwrik
Freya Hartas
Hanna Looye
Amanda Summers
Daphne Louter
Lars Frederick Zuidweg
Esther van den Berg
Renske Gerstel
Maarten Zerelik
Cornelie Wiarda
Marieke van Ditshuizen
Samira Zamani
THREE BRIDGES
ESTHER LEEUWRIK (1981) often drew as a child, but never dared to dream of a career as an
illustrator. Since she loved books, she became a Dutch teacher in a secondary school. She learned an
important lesson from her students: it’s okay to have dreams and chase them. And so she started drawing
again, but now with all options open. www.estherleeuwrik.nl
‘Come, dear Nynke! Put on your coat and find a scarf.’ Mummy fills the
bottle with water and grabs an apple in case they get hungry or thirsty on
the way. The gentle breeze promises spring. ‘The sun is calling,’ Mummy
says. ‘We’re going for a bike ride, and you can go in front.’
You don’t need things
in order to see
Things need you
in order to be seen
– K. Schippers
10
and the winner is…
E S T H E R
L E E U W R I K
11
They cycle over the high bridge, the bridge after which the wind suddenly
gusts against your back, and blows you past the geese at the lake. ‘Hello geese,
wake up! You can go back home. It’s time for new birds.’
12
and the winner is…
E S T H E R
L E E U W R I K
13
They crossed three bridges. A long way. Until they were back
where they started. Nynke yawns. Her eyes want to close.
It’s nice to cuddle up to Mummy.
Just whisper now. And wind, stop blowing. Perhaps then her
lovely dream will last a long time. Bye-bye, sweet girl, sleep tight.
14
and the winner is…
E S T H E R
L E E U W R I K
15
LIT TLE KONG
FREYA HARTAS (1992) is an illustrator based in the UK, recently graduated from
Falmouth University in Cornwall with a BA in illustration. She enjoys creating strange
creatures, animals and monsters. Her work has a strong focus on funny characters,
fantastical places and storylines for a young audience. www.freyahartas.co.uk
Wiggly worms, slimy snails and crunchy beetles are what the
gorilla found for her. ‘Ugh! I can’t eat that!’ she spluttered.
‘Ahhh,’ yawned the gorilla, unfurling his long tongue
and popping a few into his mouth.
16
and the winner is…
F R E YA
H A R TA S
17
But when Esmeralda turned her back,
just for one second,
the gorilla began to pick his nose!
‘Gahhrr,’ growled the gorilla.
‘Rrrhh,’ growled Esmeralda.
‘What are you doing?!
GRRAHHH!!!
RAAAHHH!!!
Have you learned nothing
from what I have taught you?’
18
and the winner is…
F R E YA
H A R TA S
19
JASPER IS LOOKING FOR A BABY
HANNA LOOYE (1978) studied cultural anthropology because she wanted to be a
storyteller, but then she discovered she could say more with one drawing than a thousand
words. For that reason, after studying anthropology she went to art school. Since then she
has been telling stories with pen, paper and paint.
Hannah’s illustrations were inspired by an
original story about Jasper, a boy who is eager
for a brother or sister. Unwilling to wait any
longer, he decides to go and find a baby. He
travels to Africa, where the storks live, and gets
help from a giraffe and an elephant. But it turns
out the storks are not going to give up their
secrets so easily...
Then Jasper thinks of a ruse. What if he
pretends to be a stork? Will it enable him to
bring back a baby?
20
and the winner is…
H A N N A
L O O Y E
21
22
and the winner is…
H A N N A
L O O Y E
23
OPERATION PIED PIPER
‘Operation Pied Piper’ is a narrative depicting the evacuees’ experiences of the Second World War.
It takes an unusual format of a concertina book to signify a timeline of events. The text indicates
snippets of the radio broadcasts of the time. It is meant to be an educational tool for children in
a primary school environment. This particular section documents Princess Elizabeth’s first radio
broadcast sympathizing with the children as they get separated from their families in October 1940.
24
and the winner is…
AMANDA SUMMERS (1994) is a second year illustration student at the University
of Worcester. She loves experimenting with a range of media, as she is still finding her voice as
an illustrator. At the moment, she is particularly fond of cut out, as used on her war themed
illustration. After she graduates, she hopes to pursue a career in illustrating for children.
A M A N D A
S U M M E R S
25
26
and the winner is…
A M A N D A
S U M M E R S
27
PIEN AND TEUN
DAPHNE LOUTER (1975) graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and the
Edinburgh College of Art. In all of her work, animals and their anthropomorphic qualities play the
starring role. The images she made for the Lemniscaat Illustration Contest are part of a series featuring
a pair of rabbit twins based on Daphne’s own twins Pien and Teun. www.daphnelouter.com
THE KITCHEN
IN THE PARC
28
and the winner is…
D A P H N E
L O U T E R
29
BREAKFAST
30
and the winner is…
D A P H N E
L O U T E R
31
THREE SHORT STORIES
Written by Hans Heesen
LARS FREDERICK ZUIDWEG (1982) used to bring picture books to life with his
sister. They stuck their drawings onto little sticks and acted out the stories from the books. In fact,
his way of working has not changed much. Drawings are created from pieces of paper. He draws in
order to tell stories. Lars studied journalism and graphic design at HU University of Applied Sciences
Utrecht and ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem respectively. He now designs books and makes
drawings and illustrations. www.larszuidweg.nl
STONE SHOWERS
In the town of Marcinelle, near Charleroi, a notorious event took place: some
three hundred stones of various sizes were thrown into a house, and no one
could figure out where they came from.
They couldn’t possibly have been thrown from another house, as the
nearest house was five hundred feet away! Grandma knew that ‘stone
showers’ were not an unknown phenomenon – somewhere in Africa they
were so frequent that, as a precaution, the inhabitants slept underneath
instead of on top of their beds! – but she had never witnessed one, and so she
went to Marcinelle to see the situation with her own eyes. She brought back
one of the stones as proof. It couldn’t have been some childish boy! The
whole neighbourhood came to look. The stone was given a spot on the
dresser. That night, the children slept under their beds as a precaution.
32
and the winner is…
L A R S
F R E D E R I C K
Z U I D W E G
33
JACOB
Grandma’s fascination with the supernatural was less unusual than it might now seem, since
spiritualism was popular in those days. Séances were held on a large scale, the newspapers reported
extraordinary examples of true stories that could not be explained with logic, and mediums earned
good money – some were even celebrities. Arthur Conan Doyle believed that the famous Houdini
‘dematerialised’ and thus escaped from his shackles and trunk in the guise of a spirit, whereupon he
immediately rematerialised. Grandma and her clique found nothing strange about this explanation.
A poor man who wanted to imitate Houdini, a boy from the village, son of the bicycle repairman, had
himself chained inside a coffin and thrown into the Twentekanaal. From the bank, the entire village
watched him disappear under water, never to emerge. According to most villagers, this simply showed
what nonsense all that supernatural stuff was. But not according to Grandma; suckers and cheats were
everywhere.
On Sunday, Uncle Jacob came for ‘coffee’, which
consisted of gin with sugar. Jacob had been
auctioneer at the fish market, where his job had
involved ‘counting down’ all day long, until a buyer
cried, ‘Mine!’ A typical occupational disease
among auctioneers was that eventually they could
no longer count up: from 10 to 1 was no problem,
but 1 to 10 was impossible. However, Uncle Jacob
suffered from another professional ailment: in the
end, he was unable to say a number without
immediately counting backwards out loud.
The boys Wout and Chris, young as they were,
and the winner is…
L A R S
HOUDINI
34
F R E D E R I C K
Z U I D W E G
sometimes teased the old man by pretending they
couldn’t read something and calling him for help.
He willingly pored over the piece of paper they
held out to him, on which they had written a
number as high as possible, 728 or 1059, so that the
poor man couldn’t stop himself from counting
back down to zero. They only dared do this when
Grandpa was not around, otherwise there’d be hell
to pay! One day, Uncle Jacob had been missing for
hours, and Grandpa found him confused in the
chicken coop in the garden, muttering to himself,
‘11,385, 11,384...’ Wout and Chris swore they knew
nothing about it.
35
THE CURIOUS ADVENTURES OF ADRIE
GOODWEATHER Written by Nicole van den Berg (www.slenteraar.nl)
ESTHER VAN DEN BERG (1982) is an Amsterdam based illustrator and designer. She
likes pixels as much as she likes paint. Her work is inspired by both mediums, often resulting in digital
work with a handpainted feel. When she’s not working on her Mac, you'll probably find her in her little
printmaking studio getting her hands dirty. www.esthervandenberg.nl
Adrie Goodweather is an enthusiastic weatherman
who loses his job in the 1950s for criticising an
experiment by the Soviet Union – the launch of
Laika, the first dog in space – during his weather
forecast on national television. The remark spells
the end of his career and the beginning of a
secluded life on the edge of a large forest.
After many lonely years, a mysterious brown
dog appears at the door of the caravan in which
Adrie lives. Dog and owner become devoted to
each other and take a daily stroll through the
woods. Until, on their umpteenth walk, they find
an underground house in a clearing...
Adrie Goodweather and his dog Ulyanov had set
off extra early that morning. It was always a long
walk from the caravan to the nearest village,
a trek through dense forests and along deserted
country lanes. The leaves on the ground were
still slightly frozen and they crackled cheerfully
under the solid footsteps of dog and owner.
Even after all these years, the forest was still
often a mystery to her lonely inhabitants. She
seemed constantly to grow and, time and again,
stealthily wipe away the paths Adrie followed.
He sometimes stayed up all night to listen. Was
that the trees cracking and rustling? Mosses
loosening and slithering along the ground?
Maybe it all happened when it was dark.
He focused once more on the hut, there in
the middle of the open plain, and his tail
quivered slightly with excitement.
36
and the winner is…
E S T H E R
V A N
D E N
B E R G
37
While Adrie inspected the hut, Ulyanov pricked
up his ears. He knew his owner was easily
distracted, and occasionally quite naive.
Ulyanov, by contrast, was always on his guard.
That was his job as a dog, especially now that
something was moving there in the hut.
Sand, mud and leaves whizzed past Adrie’s
ears. Again there was a rumbling sound in the
air, but Ulyanov kept digging while Adrie looked
on in bewilderment. As the hole grew deeper, he
saw the outline of a door appear.
‘Sorry I startled you, but I lost my faith,’ said
the little man bashfully. ‘And I’ve been lying here
for a while. Since 1961, I believe. The water is
boiling. Would you like some tea?’
38
and the winner is…
E S T H E R
V A N
D E N
B E R G
Adrie had sat down on a chair and fallen asleep.
His hand rested on Ulyanov’s head. The dog
evidently felt quite at home in the underground
house. ‘Louts! Rascals! Layabouts!’ said a voice
from under the table after all this time.
While Adrie and Ulyanov were in the hut
below ground, the forest seized her chance to
rustle and tremble unnoticed. The weather
changed: the clear blue sky gave way to large,
grey clouds that slowly but surely gathered
above the clearing. The wind made the trees
creak and crunch, and the swaying branches in
turn gave the wind a boost. But inside they had
no idea.
39
NIGHT FLIGHT
RENSKE GERSTEL (1980) studied graphic design at the Rietveld Academy and moved to
Somerset in early 2013 with a pile of sketches. While she drew, a fox crept through the garden. ‘Night
Flight’ is the result. She has now returned to the Netherlands and is working on a sequel to this story.
‘Night Flight’ celebrates the power of imagination and draws the viewer into the picture, to
the heart of the book. It is shaped like a concertina, joined together at the beginning and end.
The book is about a girl who starts to draw at
night in her bedroom. The things she draws
become real: garlands, cakes, a fox, and, finally,
a big hole. The bedroom is pushed further apart
on each double page.
On the last double page you see the room
40
and the winner is…
R E N S K E
G E R S T E L
from a bird’s-eye perspective. The hole drawn by
the girl has become a physical hole, and the girl
is gone. If you look through the hole and unfold
the book, you see the girl, flying on the fox
inside the book. You find yourself in a panoramic landscape where the sun almost rises.
In the book there are more stories to discover,
about toppling books, hungry farm animals,
and a curious toy mouse.
41
42
and the winner is…
R E N S K E
G E R S T E L
43
MISTER WALKER
MAARTEN ZERELIK (1988) grew up in Waasmunster in East Flanders and graduated in 2011
as a graphic designer from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. He likes nothing better than drawing
and in his pictures he is constantly searching for atmospheric worlds.
44
and the winner is…
M A A R T E N
Z E R E L I K
45
46
and the winner is…
M A A R T E N
Z E R E L I K
47
PLACE
Lieze is looking for a place. A place where she can laugh, read, eat, sleep, play, sing and
forget. She walks past houses full of love, full of music and celebration and silence, but
she does not know exactly what she is looking for. She ponders. What is a home to her,
and how does it become a home?
CORNELIE WIARDA (1971) loves to sit with a pencil and ink over a sheet of paper.
The stories then sing, hum, bump and sneak around in her head. She studied art history at the
University of Amsterdam and now has her own business Muzemare, where she combines
communication, consulting and writing. www.corneliewiarda.com
My house, she thinks, is not too big.
48
and the winner is…
C O R N E L I E
W I A R D A
49
50
It’s not too high.
My spot is in a nice place.
and the winner is…
C O R N E L I E
W I A R D A
51
I SWITCH ON THE SUN
MARIEKE VAN DITSHUIZEN (1977) first completed two studies, but unable to resist the
itch to draw, she decided to become an illustrator. Since then she has been constantly looking for ways to
develop herself and her style has evolved accordingly. Her work has previously been published. She works
in Amsterdam and lives with her partner and two children. www.mariekevanditshuizen.nl
52
and the winner is…
M A R I E K E
V A N
D I T S H U I Z E N
53
54
and the winner is…
M A R I E K E
V A N
D I T S H U I Z E N
55
56
and the winner is…
M A R I E K E
V A N
D I T S H U I Z E N
57
KING POONKI’S SOCKS
SAMIRA ZAMANI (1979) finished her MFA in new media in Transart Institute, Austria in 2009.
Since then she has been making illustrations and prints which have been exhibited in several international
exhibitions. She lives in Leiden now, where she works in her studio while the neighbor’s cat is watching
her from the window. www.samirazamani.com
King Poonki was a very greedy king. Even
though he was very rich and powerful, he always
craved for more and more. One day, he called his
magician and commanded him to find a spell
that could get him more power and treasure
than he already had.
58
and the winner is…
S A M I R A
Z A M A N I
The magician was in real trouble. He had to
come up with something very soon. He knew
King Poonki might sentence him to death for
not having an answer to his request. As he was
bowing in front of king thinking about his
death, the shiny socks of king grabbed his
attention. Suddenly something came to his
mind. He said: ‘Your majesty! You already have
the power that no one else in this world has. You
are already wearing the spell you are looking
for.’ King looked at his feet. He did not quite
understand what his magician was saying.
Magician continued: ‘Your majesty! As long as
you have these golden socks on your feet your
power and treasure keeps growing.’
King was delighted with his good fortune.
Why I did not know it so far? I should have got that
by now. Look! The socks are gold. They also have
some patterns that remind me of my mightiest keeps.
They have kept my treasure and my power so far and
I did not know that. I have to watch them from now
on. I shall put them on forever even in my bed. I had
more treasure and power if I knew that sooner, King
Poonki thought by himself.
King was suddenly bothered by the thought
that other people may have socks with the same
patterns. He commanded his soldiers to go to the
city and collect people’s shoes immediately such
that their socks could be checked. He could not
stand anybody wearing shoes in front of him.
He ordered his soldiers to check the color and
patterns of all the socks worn in his kingdom.
59
Still, one evening, when he sat down for
supper, King Poonki was dismayed. He thought:
Maybe somebody has the same socks but keeps them
in private or wearing them at their house. I have to
get rid of them too. I should collect the socks from
every corner of this country.
The next day all socks were collected in
the garden of his palace and burned. Every store
that was selling socks and shoes was closed
as well.
King Poonki had his socks on even when he
went to bath or when he went to bed. His socks
started to smell bad. They were torn, but King
Poonki was too greedy to do something about
that. Some time later, he noticed that his socks
did not stay on his foot as steady as before. Their
garters had gotten loose. He started to shout and
got very angry.
He thought by himself: No spell last forever.
I have to make something out of it before it is too
60
and the winner is…
S A M I R A
Z A M A N I
late. What if the neighboring country finds out that
my spell is vanishing.
I have to teach them a lesson. I would attack them
before I lose my spell, King Poonki decided.
He called his soldiers and commanded war.
He rode his horse to the neighboring country in
front of his barefoot army. As he was in such a
rush, he did not notice that his socks came off
during the ride because of their loose garter.
When he saw that, he was extremely upset.
He thought his spell was gone and as a result he
would totally lose his power and treasures. His
mind was blown by such thoughts. He rode far
far away and never went back to his country
again. The country of King Poonki never had a
king after Poonki. There was also no shoes and
socks store in the country since then. People
enjoyed walking with bare feet.
61