Let's get started.
#Q1
Happy New Year!
It's still absolutely okay to say that. Bevor spring when every little organism awakens again everybody should be allowed to take things slow in my opinion - the world is hibernating.
My boyfriend Maxe and I are taking that seriously and will be in Mexico for the next month. We still can't believe it ourselves, but my dear friend and author Ixtzel with whom I founded an illustrator/author duo two years ago, lives there, and now we have the great pleasure to visit her and her family.
Since 2021, Ixtzel and I have been working together on a series of books about elements, seasons and continents. The physical distance between us is huge and at first we could only communicate via the internet. But then, in the summer of 2022, we finally met in Hamburg and what can I say, it was love at first sight :D. And now, after another long year, we're finally seeing each other again and I’m so excited.
The first story in our book series is called "Kleine Wolke Re" and will be published by Nord Süd Verlag on April 17th (save the date!). Last week the proof copies arrived and we couldn't be happier with the final result.
It's a real family project. The story of little cloud Re is Ixtzel's sons favorite and she used to tell it to him many times.
Re dreams of growing big like the clouds she can see high above the mountains and ocean. Along her way she experiences all ups and downs that go with growing up and becoming the big cloud she wishes to be. On her journey Re learns a lot, finds a good friend and in the end she summons up all her courage to transform herself, even if it means to let go. A poetic story about friendship and inner growth told along the water cycle.
Tino, Ixtzel's husband, is also an author and was so kind to write the fantastic German translation. And in summer when we all saw each other Maxe took some photos of us. So everyone was involved.
© Maximilian Probst
And here it is, you are the first ones to see it! So many hours of work, heart and soul have gone into this project. Many hours were spend at my drawing table, some tears were shed and I had at least two serious nervous break downs until it was done but here we are <3. It is pretty incredible to see a finished story and book at the end of this long process. Now not only Ixtzels and Tinos son can hear the story but many children around the world. We are very happy.
#nordsüd #ixtzelarreola #martinaliebig #tinohanekamp
Would you like to get a few more impressions of the project? If you are interested, I could take you along in a separate post about the development process from the first sketches to final artwork. Feel free to write me an E-Mail, or leave a comment here on Substack, I'm looking forward to it!
By the way, all three of them live in the middle of the jungle on a mountain with many animals. It only takes 48 hours to get there, including a 14-hour flight (fear!). I'll be honest, it's quite a ride for me sometimes the subway is too much. But what can you do, tickets are booked and the anticipation prevails.
We'll talk again in April with adventures from the jungle, if we survive...
(wow, super dramatic ending for my first post).
A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA
By the way, the drink in the glass of my bunny illustration is a virgin martini and actually apple-cucumber juice by Anthony William which is my favorite drink at the moment.
The juice is fresh, invigorating and is helping me to get out of my afternoon slump. Maybe you'd like to try it?
INGREDIENTS:
1 cucumber (peeled or organic)
2 apples
I have a juicer, but you can also just throw the ingredients into a blender and then put them through a nut milk bag or fine strainer and collect the juice.
I wish you all the best.
Lots of love,
Martina