He
was Australian Children’s Laureate 2016 - 2017 and in 2019 was honoured by
Australia Post with a Leigh Hobbs Legend
stamp.
Read this fascinating meander through Leigh's reading pile, the man behind the art and a sneak peak at his current work in progress with Anastasia Gonis.
Which
children’s book are you currently reading?
I’m
not currently reading any children’s books.
I take an interest in the illustrations sometimes but tend to find
looking at other peoples work in kids’ books unproductive and distracting. I’ve
always favoured reading non fiction books anyhow – even as a kid. I love
biographies, and books about art, architecture and history, especially English
history.
What titles are on your to Read Pile?
On
my pile are two recent copies of The
London Review of Books; a copy of Country
Life magazine, Nothing if not
critical by Robert Hughes, The Art
and Architecture of London by Ann Saunders and a book about Ludwig
Bemelmans – the creator of the Madeleine books. He and Ronald Searle are my
favourite children’s book creators. Both were master graphic artists.
What do you see as your greatest achievement and why?
Probably that I’ve managed to, shall
we say, 'keep the pilot light’ on for sixty years so to speak.
Since I was about seven I've loved
drawing and I wanted to be an artist and I’ve always had a ‘thing’ for England
and wanted to go there. Jump forward sixty years and I’m still drawing
enthusiastically and have been to London about thirty five times and still have
a ‘thing’ about England – the ‘thing’ being a passionate interest and
fascination for the place.
In spite of all that life throws at
you, to keep alive a passion or even a sense of enthusiasm, is rather an
achievement, I think.
What is the most unusual artwork request you have undertaken? How did this come about and was it an artistically fulfilling project?
For the Australian Bicentennial
Travelling Exhibition, I was commissioned to create four life-size sculptural
figures sitting in theatre seats who represented generic Australian characters.
I was inspired by having worked as an artist at Sydney’s Luna Park in the
middle 1970’s when some of the tradies there were old blokes who had worked on
the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was artistically fulfilling
but challenging as well.
What media do you use in your work and which medium do you prefer?
For the pictures in my books I use
mainly pen and black ink for the line drawing, with gouache or acrylic colour.
With my non book painting, I use oils.
As a creator, how important is having your work acknowledged
in the way it has been through your life?
Only now do I feel a level of
acknowledgement; now when it doesn’t seem so important. I think the importance
of humour in kids’ books is under-appreciated. My books aren’t issues-based or
issues-driven, which probably is why I’ve never got a gong from the Children’s
Book Council of Australia.
My books are character driven and in
fact are character studies, so in a way issues like love, affection,
friendship, mother - son relationships (Old Tom and Angela Throgmorton) are
present. Mr Chicken Goes to Paris has
been a constant seller in the Louvre Bookshop in Paris for ten years so that is
a very satisfying form of acknowledgement. Plus I’m often invited to be a guest
speaker at Literary Festivals in England.
Who or what has had the greatest influence on you/your work?
The greatest influence for me and on
my work has been Ronald Searle.
Can you share with us what you are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a new Horrible Harriet picture book.
Do you have
a favourite genre? If so, what is it, and why do you prefer it?
History
would be my favourite genre. It always has been. Even as a child I adored
reading about Kings, Queens, revolutions, battles, the plague, castles, pirates
etc. My imagination has always been quite rich and active and so reading about
history fed it. All that reading about (and
exploring on foot) Paris, London and Rome has come to life on the printed page,
in words and pictures in my Mr Chicken
books. Really they’re all about my affection for, and interest in, those
particular cities.
Hopefully
the kids reading the books will pick up on that and be happy travellers in
their own way - either literally or via their imagination.
I
always read printed books. I enjoy
holding a book and leafing through the pages. I‘ve always liked books. My 96
year old father is still an avid reader.
If you weren't an
artist/creator, what would you have chosen to do?
If I’d not been an artist I think
I’d have liked to be involved in archaeology.