Going To The Zoo!

Its been a busy two weeks. Last week I spent some time with the children at Murwillumbah South Infants School. They’re busily making books about themselves and we’ve all had a lot of fun writing and being our own illustrators. I’m going back for another visit next week – we’ve got just a couple more pages to complete. This is a wonderful little school right up on top of a hill. The Tweed River is behind the school and there are cane fields stretched out in front of us.

Yesterday I went to visit my old friends at Byron Bay Public School. We were talking about making books and bilbies and cars and all sorts of things. We finished up with so many ideas for new stories that I’m hoping they’ll all be busily writing for the next month. It was great to see some of my old pupils who’d come along to listen to an author workshop. Its very tricky, though, trying to do a workshop in one hour – we just seem to be getting started and it was time to stop.

Tomorrow I’m waking up very, very early to be on the six o’clock flight down to Sydney. I’m going to visit Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park and have some fun with 300 children who are learning about Bilbies. We’re going to listen to a ranger tell us about bilbies and do some face painting and some mural painting from the Billy Bilby books – what a hoot!And I”m going to announce a brand new competition alongside the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge that is all about illustrating a bilby text that I wrote….watch out for more details next week on this blog – or in the newspapers.

My art practice is happening and my rats are looking a bit better. I’m off to the Museum in Brisbane to look closely at rat skeletons and rat bodies and other ratty things. My good friend who is a taxidermist told me I can even borrow a stuffed rat and bring it home if I want to – not too sure about that one yet. I think my dogs might be a little concerned about something that stands still inside a glass box and looks down on them all the time. Be a bit spooky really, wouldn’t it.

it is sooooooo hot my fingers are sticking to the keyboard. Toooo hot for any more catch ups. Have a wonderful week and I hope all is very well in your world.

Nette.

A Sad Week

This week has seen us sucked dry by bushfires. There were all sorts of bits and pieces that I’d collected up to share with you – an interesting thought about sunflowers and a painting that I saw but somehow they seem a bit unimportant at  the minute. Perhaps, instead, I might just use this space to send all my love and good thoughts and support to those people who are without their homes or the ones they love. Next week I will be meeting up with Suzanne Gervay who is organising a book collection for schools who have lost everything – hopefully I’ll be able to load her up with some books to add to the collection. It seems like a tiny thing to do when so much has been lost.

Next week I will be visiting children at Murwillumbah South Infants school. I’m planning a day full of words and pictures and maybe a song or two. I’m looking forward to meeting Class 1/2 and have already chosen a favourite story to read.

I received news today that early next month I’ll be visiting a zoo and meeting up with a bilby and its keeper to do some bilby talks. More on this as soon as I get the final details.

My new novel is finished and is being read by a friend of mine. The nicest thing is when a reader like this gets hooked – and guess what! I think she’s hooked! Yay!

School’s Back.

This may or may not be the worst week of your life. It means the end of late nights and sleeping in and lunch in all sorts of places and at different times. It means new teachers, new friends and trying to fit back into schools after a summer of bare feet and open sandals.

It also means that I have to get back to work as well. My new novel is sitting here waiting for me to finish it and my newest work, that isn’t begun yet, is waiting for me to master some new art skills so I can do some of my own illustrating.  I think this is one of the most remarkable things about being a kid – you do the most amazing art work. I can remember one girl in my school used to illustrate her homework. She’d make up a sentence with her spelling words (to kill the boredom I guess) and then she’d illustrate it. One sentence was about a circus – I can still see her ringmaster in his red coat with a whip in his hand and a lion with its mouth open. Fabulous.

My drawings are all going to be of rats! So, please, if you have any good rat sites or photos or drawings that you think will help me get my newest character off to a good start, I could certainly use your help.

Oh, and I just read the story of the Lady Of Shallot – wow, this is pretty neat…its a poem by  Tennyson and it is pretty well explained at www.pathguy.com/shalott.htm. If you’re looking for a story about The Knights of the Round Table and Lancelot and Camelot and all that, have a look. And its one of my favourite paintings as well.

So, back to work for all of us. Me to my computer and my novel and my newest novel and bilbies (who are waiting to meet me – and I’ll tell you all about this just as soon as it happens) and you….back to school and shoes and some pretty interesting stuff that’s waiting there.

Till next week,

Nette Hilton.

New Website Launched!

Hello!  I am excited to announce the launch of my new website, nettehilton.com.au

The website will replace my old site gradually, (which was the same address but without the “dot au”), once the whole computer world does it’s thing.

In the meantime, take a look at my gorgeous new site where you can read all about my books, my writing process, and more.

Over the course of the year, I will keep you posted via this blog of projects I am working on, new books being published and other exciting tidbits, as well as offering a glimpse of the day to day life of an author.

Enjoy!