G'day. Here, as promised weeks ago, the next set of Aussie animals - this is the fulfilment of my John Howard, "non-core promise" by the way; I broke it as he did several times...never trust a politician or an Aussie illustrator, eh?
Top pic is a long-tailed Great Glider, a sort of cross between a possum and ... er...a possum that glides? They dwell in eucalypt trees and eat their leaves, much like a koala I should imagine - don't quote me, I just paint the bleedin' things.
Next we have a half title page decoration featuring our hero, Bill Bilby. Yes he looks a little miffed and a bit cute but don't let the cute fool you. Bilbies are part of the bandicoot family and as such are nasty little blighters. That long mouth houses two rows of very sharp teeth...get in the way of a bilby's lunch and he'll tear your trousers to shreds, and should you be another bilby, you might very well need bandaging after some extensive suturing to your wounds. (I'm fibbing about your trousers, of course. When it comes to humans, bilbies shy away or take cover quick...cowards!)
No real need to tell you what the next pic contains - a dolphin and koala... sorry, couldn't help myself I'm afraid. (Oh by the way, a koala is not a bear but a unique species of its own). The true focus of this illustration is the dolphin - that's why he's at the front doing dolphin stuff, swimming, laughing and helping a stranger type thing. The title of the poem - the text, written by, Roger Tulloch, was humorous poetry originally written to entertain his Grandchildren - If You Chance To See A Dolphin. It's a conversation between author and reader concerning the habits of the species...I added the koala for fun...fun for me and for the reader.
Enjoy. Cheers. RWS
