One Great Hour of Sharing

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

Here’s an illustration I did years ago for a national conference of UCC, a progressive Christian organization. The theme of the conference was “One Great Hour of Sharing.” To symbolize the organization’s international charity work, I was asked to create a tapestry of people all over the globe. With my love of art from various cultures around the world including India, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and Central America, multicultural illustration was right up my alley. I was delighted to accept the assignment.

The illustration was to be printed on a large banner as well as smaller posters, with the title occupying the white space below it. Immediately the idea came to me of a curved “swath” of colorful imagery moving across the page in a diagonal arc. I don’t know where this idea came from; when a design concept appears in my mind’s eye, I don’t question it. I used to present my clients with several basic concepts, but with experience I’ve learned that my first instinct is usually best. I can always change it later if necessary. This was an unusual design, and my client liked it.

People of diverse origins quickly populated the image, forming a sort of weaving within this wave of color, with scenes of their homes articulated on a smaller scale in the spaces in between. Contrast of scale is a technique I’ve used a lot in designing children’s books. Having worked with this client before, I knew they liked a rather juvenile style. For many people, children’s books have universal appeal. I cannot disagree.

The name of the game was diversity. I tried to show as many skin tones, styles of clothing, types of architecture, and landscapes as possible. I also tried to vary and balance the colors. The little vignettes also show different scenes of community projects, types of food, modes of transport, ways of farming, etc. It was a lot of subject matter – really, this is an assemblage of multiple illustrations designed into a single framework – time consuming, but worth it. I was paid well for this assignment, which was not always the case.

Later I was commissioned to paint the image again, this time much smaller in a square shape, to be printed as a jigsaw puzzle to be given away to conference participants. So far it’s the only jigsaw puzzle that’s been printed from my art. I’d like to change that!

I enjoyed creating all these interlocking shapes and juxtaposed elements. A palm tree, a sled, a fishing boat, a field of corn all talk to each other. A medical clinic, a boy with a book, a woman with bread, a city skyline are like parts of a visual symphony. Life is an ever-changing, interrelated web of people, animals, and activities. All these story-telling images plant seeds in the viewers’ imagination, while representing the values and objectives of my clients’ organization. I think they were pleased.

Revisiting this illustration kindles a desire to paint another arc-like painting. Why not? The sky is limitless, and the earth is infinitely rich. I’ll just patiently wait for the right subject matter to come along – for the desired form to come together with the right concept, like warp and weave in a tapestry.

A good week to all!

D Yael Bernhard

http://dyaelbernhard.com

children's books • fine art • illustration
posters • cards • calendars