St James Cavalier has been hosting the Magic Pencil exhibition since 10 February. Visitors to the exhibition can recapture their childhood viewing the children books’ magical illustrations by Tony Ross and other emerging artists.
Yesterday, the organizers of this event, the British Council, St James Cavalier and Merlin Library offered children and their parents the unique opportunity to meet one of the most famous British illustrators of children’s books. They were invited to watch Charles Xuereb interviewing Tony Ross. Tony Ross started by recounting how he became an illustrator: he said that after having “failed” as an advertising executive and teacher, he was asked to draw cartoons. Then he decided to write an illustrated book and, according to a clause in his contract, there had to be a “second book”; that is the reason why he now writing books besides them illustrating.
Tony Ross has to write two books a year but he also illustrates books by other writers. He has illustrated two books written by Roald Dahl among others. He refuses to deal with the authors, saying that they are “funny animals” or even “strange disturbed people”. He only interacts with publishers.
Tony Ross says observing children’s behaviour inspires him. He describes them as “coming from the planet child”, not as “shortcut adults”. “Children have their own likes, their own dislikes, their own rules and adults can do nothing about it,” he told his audience, adding that “adults are the tragedy coming after the comedy of childhood”. He told the audience: “Everybody wants to be a child, it would be silly if one claims that he is not a child.”
He says he is inspired by members of his family and by his own life experience; for instance he draws little boys with fair hair who look like him when he was a child. He sometimes threatens people that he will use them to personify the bad characters in a book, if they are not nice with him.
Tony Ross showed how important drawing was in his life; he drew things on a board explaining the technical details of drawing. But he admitted that he “did not work out things he could not draw”, preferring to draw trees in the summer, as it is easier to get its general shape.
When asked what he thought of Malta, he said it was a beautiful place to live, and never imagined it could be so lovely. But he has always had a special warm feeling for Maltese people, due to their relationship with the British.
The Magic Pencil exhibition is actually a selection made by a famous children’s author, Quentin Blake and contains illustrations from children’s books by 13 illustrators.
The audience can view illustrations by Quentin Blake himself, Tony Ross and Raymond Briggs and by new talents such as Lauren Child and Sara Fanelli, who introduced innovative layouts in book illustration.
The British Council, which actively promotes British culture in Malta, also aims at introducing children to culture, thanks to workshops based on illustrations. Children from Maltese schools can come to St James Cavalier to discover the magical world of children’s books.
This exhibition also offers, through Merlin Library, one of the organisers the opportunity to buy cheaper children’s books illustrated by these artists.
The exhibition closes on 10 March.