a (true) labour of love...

What is

'A Labour of Love' ??

A couple of weeks back, I was contacted

(by a local woman, via my FB page)

to work on a very special & top secret illustration job...

A series of water-colour cartoons

(a life in pictures) to accompany a Mother's loving speech to her son at his Wedding.

This project was very timely, as I am still recovering from recent hernia surgery,

and have been unable to get out and draw/busk in the street.

So, it meant I could work from the comfort of my purple couch, at home.

This little project became a "real labour of love" for me, seeing how much love

my client had for her son, and wanting to do something *very* special & unique for him.

If you look close enough at the cartoons, you'll see the blood, sweat & tears!!

I don't usually do watercolour in my cartoons... But, realising (very early on) the scope

and life of this project (and how much aroha was needed/expected),

I invested in a nice pad of watercolour paper, and worked my little heart out!

There were a few sleepless nights, and LOTS of coffee consumed...

The deadline was tight! But these pictures were a real joy to create!

And (perhaps?) some of the best work I have ever created

(in a career spanning nearly thirty years!!).

I hope my client doesn't mind me sharing them so publicly, now that the wedding is over.

I am very happy to report that she was SO happy with my work that she even paid

me a (much-appreciated!) bonus!! And she gave me a huge hug as I left, too.

I wish I could have been there, at the family wedding, seeing her proudly

tell her son's life-story, and holding up each of these cartoons as she did so. 

I am very grateful for some of the smaller

(but much bigger, if you know what I mean)

contracts and people that come to me through my work.

"Do what you love - Love what you do."

PS I am very happy to live in a country
where we leave the u in labour, making it "our".
The same with the word humour.

❤️

...Such is the duty of the artist.

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts...
...Such is the duty of the artist!"
Robert Schumann

As most of you know by now, I do a LOT of random 'joy scattering'.

It even resulted in a doco being made about me ("Scatter Joy") 

- thanks, Amy Hoogenboom!!

https://vimeo.com/114459898

So, even on a quiet day, I might give away 2-3 cartoons or caricatures!!

Usually to completely random people, and I don't usually hang around

to see people's reactions. I just do it to make a stranger's day or to 

(hopefully) make them smile...

I like doing it for people that work very hard,

and sometimes (in their jobs) don't always get thanked for it.

I have drawn a lot of cartoons for waitresses. And flight crews

(when I'm lucky enough to be flying somewhere)...

Sometimes, I'm rewarded for these random acts of cartooning kindness, too.

The crew sometimes gives me gifts of First Class chocolates & wine.

But most of the time, I do it and never really hang around to witness the 
magic or reaction or what may happen next.

I do this a lot. I enjoy doing it. If i am having a tough day for some reason, I go out and 

make someone elses day. My Mum taught me that lesson when I was very young.

And sometimes, I admit it freely here. I might take for granted

how this affects other people.

That kind of happens when you do something all the time, I guess...?

Anyway.

A month or two back, I was out busking in one of the streets

in my new hometown in Dunedin (NZ)...

A young person walked past,

made a comment about how cool it was to see me drawing.

As they walked away, I randomly handed them a (pre-drawn) cartoon.

And just as quickly, they were gone.

However.

A few minutes later they came back.

And handed me this...

I was suddenly very touched!
And reminded (from the generosity of a complete stranger)

what it must feel like to receive

a random cartoon drawing from me!!

It was timely.

And it has (since) gone on to become one of my fave possessions.

I even found a little frame for it:

(c) Whina Pomana, 2017.

Thank you, Whina!!

For reminding me why I do what I do.

You're awesome!!!

PS.

(Footnote, of sorts...)

Whina has gone on to become my new designer.

They has just finished designing my brand NEW business card...

I have decided that
 Blue is the New Black!!

Whina has done a superb job! 

Here's what it looks like...

 

 

You can see more of Whina's wonderful work here:

 https://www.facebook.com/deathhairball

Kia ora!

Thanks for reading...

PPS

"The Paradoxical Commandments."

 (c) Kent M. Keith.

 
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be

shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have

and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Old Blog, New City, New Beginnings...

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life,

but my life was never ordinary.

I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.

Likewise, I never imagined that home might be something I would miss.”
(Ransom Riggs)

I have recently moved back to New Zealand.
I was living in Australia,  and had been since 2008.

I used to think moving to a new country was the hardest thing I have ever done.
I have been back in NZ for over a year now. And in some ways, coming back home
(after being away for nearly ten years) has proven even more challenging.

But in late November of last year, I moved to the deep South city of Dunedin.

And...    

Dunedin is great!!! I love it here!!!!
I only just moved here, but straight away

I have felt VERY at home...
People are so, SO friendly!!

(Dunedin, South Island, Aotearoa)

(Dunedin, South Island, Aotearoa)

Anyway. I haven't worked and lived in NZ for quite a while.
A lot of people are getting back in touch with me from my past...
They want to know what I have been up to. And want to hear
what I am going to get up to, too!  

So I have decided to re-visit this here blog on a regular basis...
  And to post some of  my more recent 
cartooning & teaching adventures, among other things.

This blog will probably also include upcoming events,
things I am doing (etc) too. 

So please - Stay tuned! Watch this space!!

And thanks for reading...

Kia ora,

from Brent Harpur, the "Kiwi Cartoonist" !!
(late March, 2017.)

PS
Here are some recent pictures of me working
in one of my fave new cafes, here in Dunedin.
It's called 'Morning Magpie'.
If you are heading down this way, 
check them out! And say hi from me!!
You might even see me drawing in there some days...

 

 

 PPS

If you see a photo of you on this blog and you want it removed,

just email me and I am happy to do that!

Thanks!!

email: cartoonbrent@gmail.com 

 “Home is the place where, when you have to go there,

they have to take you in.”

(Robert Frost)