Hope is the Thing Book launch and Exhibition

Dear friends,

I’m excited to let you know that a secret project that I’ve been working on is about to be secret no more.

For the last few years I’ve been working on illustrations for a book called Hope is the Thing by Johanna (Yo) Bell. It will be published by Allen & Unwin on Jan 31st. To mark the moment, I’m having an exhibition. The original art as well as giclee prints and unique panel prints on wood, will be on show with other bird-related pieces from Feb 9-20 at the Cato Gallery at the Victorian Artist Society, 430 Albert Street East Melbourne. The gallery is open 10-4 on weekdays and 11-4 on weekends.

The book is a riff on the Emily Dickinson poem ‘Hope is the thing with feathers’ and grew from the Octopus Story Camp which Yo and I ran together in Darwin 2019. I finally completed the artwork – all mixed media collages – in May 2022.

Yo will be in Melbourne too for the duration of the exhibition and there will be a book launch on Sunday Feb 12 from 1pm-3pm. We’ll be talking about the process of making the book also on the following Sunday Feb 19, 1pm-3pm. Yo and I are planning to be at the gallery as much as our other commitments allow and would love to see you there if you can make it!

Feel free to share! And sending very best wishes for the new year,

Erica

Image: Albatross by Erica Wagner