A bit of fun!

 

 

 

For the Langenhoven Ghost stories Book (details of book on my Trade books blog)... because of the text font being changed, there were a few "gaps" that I had to create a few extra images for - for page 128, for a bit of fun, I created this illustration!

 

Bye Bye 2020 and welcome to a New Year - 2021!

Although belated, never the less, honest wishes to you all from Margie and Johann, may this coming year be a year full of health, productive creativity, laughter, love and lot and lots of magic.

The Chinese animal for 2021 is the OX (last year it was the rat) and the general prediction is that this year, 2021, is going to be lucky, no explosive or catastrophic events will occur. It is a favourable year for economic recovery or consolidation, new career opportunities, so don't let anxiety or negative thinking affect you. But beware... this is going to be a year when we will fully feel the weight of our responsibilities, a year when it is necessary to double our efforts to accomplish anything at all. 2021 is going to be a year when work will get rewarded, and when all the problems can get solved with discipline. In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal because of its role in agriculture, and similarly in the zodiac, the Ox is seen as hardworking, positive and honest

With an extra effort from us this year is going to be lucky. Keep your pencils sharpened!

Bye Bye 2020 and welcome to a New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!

 

In China this year, 2018, is “The Year of the Brown Earth Dog”. It is going to be a good year in all respects, but it will also be an exhausting year. You will be happy, yet frustrated, rested, yet tired, cheerful, yet dull!  And, refreshed and regenerated, the Brown Earth Dog will accelerate the initiation of all things, but this will bring, at the same time, pressure and stress in everyday life.

Exactly what that means, we do not know, but we sincerely wish you a  

Happy New Year 

 And we hope that 2018 will be full of productivity, with lots of happy laughter, for you:

Here is wishing you a wonderful New Year, full of energy, new inspiration and happiness! 2017 is the Chinese Year of the Fire Rooster and their new year started on 28 January.

According to legend, the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to wish him goodbye before he departed the Earth, but only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. He rewarded them by naming a year after each one in the order that it arrived. Hence the first year belonged to the Rat, then came the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. This formed the basis of the twelve animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac. The animal ruling the year in which a person was born has a major, profound influence on his or her life.

About this year, 2017, the year of the Fire Rooster, the Chinese say that people will be more polite and less stubborn, but at the same time they will also have a tendency to complicate things. It will also be a year governed by orientation towards progress, honor and maximum integrity.

Happy, happy New Year!

I have been so busy working on books locally and internationally that I have rather neglected this blog for a while. At last I have now managed to update my bibliography with information about books that I have illustrated and which were published during 2015 and 2016. Do go and have a look at http://marjorie-books.blogspot.co.za/  - I have also updated my CV and you can see that at http://marjorie-cv.blogspot.co.za/

* Now I'd like to share with you some of the illustrations from these latest published children's books:


-  The Willy Nilly and Thumper series: 

The Adventures of Willy Nilly and Thumper

Book Four – Charlie, the Cross-Eyed Crocodile  [Willy Nilly Stories LLC; USA (published  2017)]
 

 
The Adventures of Willy Nilly and Thumper
Book Three – Stella Star   [Willy Nilly Stories LLC; USA (published December 2016)]

The Adventures of Willy Nilly and Thumper
Book Two – Hermit’s Last Hairs   [Willy Nilly Stories LLC; USA (published May 2016)]

The Adventures of Willy Nilly and Thumper
Book One – The Lost Treasure of Mount Methuselah   [Willy Nilly Stories LLC; USA (published May 2016)]

-  The Storiemuis (Afrikaans for "Story Mouse") series:

Storiemuis  (Book 5 and Book 6)  [Human and Rousseau - South Africa (published 2016)]

Storiemuis  (Book 3 and Book 4)  [Human and Rousseau - South Africa (published 2016)]

Storiemuis  (Book 1 and Book 2)  [Human and Rousseau - South Africa (published 2015)]

SeaStories (English) and Stories van die See (Afrikaans) [Protea Books - South Africa (published 2016)

We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful 2015 !! With Lots of Love, Johann & Marjorie (van Heerden)

See all the "fun" I had in 2014 - a busy year for me.

Update… An 2014 overview to see what Marjorie did in 2014 – Go to http://marjorie-cv.blogspot.com/2014/11/marjorie-van-heerdens-2014-childrens.html

Grandma Lim's Persimmon - launch at AFCC 2013

AFCC - Asian Festival of Children’s Content is taking place at the moment (25 – 30 May 2013) in Singapore
AFCC is a festival that brings together content creators and producers with parents, teachers, librarians and anyone interested in quality Asian content for children around the world. http://afcc.com.sg/_2013
I attended last year and did two presentations and some masterclasses in illustration. Unfortunately I was unable to go again this year - mayby I can manage to go next year!

Today, 27th May, at the AFCC, Sanita and my book is going to be launched! Wish I was there.
Sunita - Good luck and thank you for asking me to illustrate your book and Thank you too to
Linda Lingard of Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency in Malaysia!

 

Details of launch...

Grandma Lim’s Persimmon
Sunita Lad Bhamray, Marjorie van Heerden
Date:    27 May 2013, 5:45pm – 6:15pm
Venue:    The Plaza, NLB

Grandma Lim has a persimmon tree. One day she sees the biggest and most beautiful persimmon on the tree. She decides to save it for her granddaughter. But the persimmon went missing after a storm blew it off the tree. That’s when a centipede, a spider and a cat got involved to save the day.

About the Author:
Sunita Lad Bhamray is an educator by profession and a writer at heart. She believes that stories have a strong influence on children’s development. After a successful start with ‘Triumphs on the Turf’, her book on horse racing, she has written a number of stories for children and dedicates them to her students who have inspired her.

 About the Illustrator:
Marjorie van Heerden is an award-winning illustrator from South Africa. From an early age she loved drawing and today her illustrations have appeared in more than 120 children’s books. She has been published as illustrator and / or author in 35 languages around the world.

More illustrations from the book