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Tag Archives: illustration

Do it yourself social research …

In 1984 the Victorian Council of Social Service published Yoland Wadsworth’s Do It Yourself Social Research. as the back cover of the second edition said: “This introduction to social research methods became a runaway bestseller when it was first published. For fifteen years it has been used by students and professionals in sociology, social work, community development, education, health , welfare, psychology, management, environmental studies, legal studies and many other fields.”

This project was an education for me, an important stage in my cartooning development. Yoland Wadsworth knew exactly what the illustrations needed to depict: she understood how text and illustration combine to communicate with the reader.

Cover of the second edition

Two further books followed: Everyday Evaluation on the Run and Human Inquiry for Living Systems. Now, just over 40 years since Do It Yourself Social Research Routledge has reprinted the revised and updated set – including revised covers and many of the illustrations : ‘This 3-volume collection of path-breaker Yoland Wadsworth’s crucial work will assist new generations in conducting research effectively at every stage’.

Sweet and Sour …

Sweet and Sour is a children’s story by David Novak – A Telling Experience. He brings his story to life in his wonderful way. The illustrations were first drawn as cards to tell the story using a kamishibai, a Japanese paper theatre stage. The story was inspired by the stories David read to his son Jack, ‘especially the tale of Momotaro and the evil Oni (ogres)’.

I met David Novak at the 2016 Sydney International Storytelling Conference and we met up again in 2018. We talked about a simple animation of one of his stories. It was only recently, with the help of a grant David received for the kamishibai stage and pictures, that we got it together.

The Storytelling Conferences are wonderful events attracting storytellers from around the world – creating a feast of stories and presentations. And great inspiration for pictures! I have cartooned at a number of the conferences – see posts from 2025 and 2016.

some of the kamishibai cards …

A different Now …

This is an impression of Jack and Ella Thomas’s yard, Lancelot Terrace, Moonta Mines, drawn in the 1980s. Jack (known as Janna) bred and raced champion pigeons. Ella raised goats. She was very cluey. Both were so Cornish.

Jack could just remember the end of the mines 60 years earlier. The mine owners blew up many of the mine buildings, he said, so the now-jobless families wouldn’t be able to use them.

At election times the Moonta Mines polling booth would be the only Labor booth on the Yorke Peninsula. Ella Thomas handed out the Labor ‘How To Vote’ cards and made sure you knew how to make your vote count.

The remains of a structure on the left in the picture once supported a wind generator that charged batteries which powered the lights in the house. When mains electricity reached Moonta Mines residents were not able to connect to the power until they had dismantled their wind generators.

Photographer Peter Richards lived next door and here are two of his beautiful photos of Jack and Ella, taken back then.

Nurturing stars …

Illustrations created in collaboration with Parry Agius, Linking Futures, for Star Dreaming -holistic athlete development. The dark emu image is used in each picture. These graphics illustrate preparing indigenous players for the Australian Football League AFL – which involves much more than just the player…

Other sketch drawings…

Sámi hearders’ rights …

Hearders’ rights? The Sámi have been using these migration routes for hundreds of years.

Hydropo’wer development is disrupting the traditional migration routes of the reindeer hearding Sámi people of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula. These are some of the illustrations created for a report by Katarina Inga, the Stockholm Environment Institute. –

The impact of hydropower development
…from the Sámi hearders’ perspective

The impact …

Earlier posts on the Sámi: Sami impact, Sami reindeer hearding, Sami ‘development’

UNSW is …

Artwork for a 7 metre long banner illustrating the University of NSW’s strategy consultation, to be used at an internal conference. Commissioned by Laundry Lane.

Water sensitive …

Some of the water engineering diagrams for Water Sensitive SA.

‘Water Sensitive SA supports government, industry and community to mainstream water se nsitive urban design and integrated water management practices that enhance wellbeing and ecological health.’

Student wellbeing…

A graphic recording of the Queensland University of Technology – Centre for Inclusive Education’s Wellbeing Hunt – a day of school students assessing their school for student wellbeing, then considering what could be done at their school to improve students’ wellbeing.

Sami ‘development’ …

Illustrations for Professor Ninis Gunhild Rosquist, Stockholm University, Department of Physical Geography:
‘I have collaborated with Sami reindeer herders during the past 10 years with focus on climate impacts and as their adaptation to the effects of climate change is hampered by the cumulative effects of land exploitation it’s a challenge to communicate/illustrate the full impact.’ These two illustrations contrast the present developing situation (above) and the same scene pre-‘development’ and before increasing impacts from climate change (below).

An earlier post on the Sami is here.

‘We know what we want …’

Cartoons from the Alliance Building Day – Climate Impacted Communities Canberra Delegation – 25th March 2024, ‘For too long others have spoken on our behalf, or assumed what communities want and need.’ Preparation for the Advocacy Day on the 26th, ‘advocating in Parliament House for key asks that would improve the outcomes for climate impacted communities‘.

An alliance of: Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA), Climate Action Network Australia (CANA), The Sunrise Project, The Grata Fund (re The Australian Climate Case), Sweltering Cities, Plan C, Reclaim Our Recovery and more!