The baby name that LITERALLY bowled me over!

An adventurous duo setting out on a brand new adventure: parenthood!

This commissioned illustration is truly a celebration of the diverse melting pot of South Africa -- the country that this couple fell in love with, chose to make their home and to raise their child in. They requested a lion, giraffe, penguins, dassies and Table Mountain. The elephant in the room is that I didn't have space for their requested elephant...

Always a bit of a stickler for representing reality (lions and penguins don't exactly share a watering hole!), I decided to create a landscape that progresses from left to right on the page: From the wild Bushveld, all the way down to the Cape coast, with a clever little "room divider" -- the "i" of Elliot, stylised as a sign post. This way to the Wild Side, that way to the beach! Whichever way you choose to go, a smorgasbord of delightful SA adventure awaits!

This piece was a joy to paint from start to finish! And somewhere in the middle I had my own little unexpected adventure……

There I was, happily painting, when DISASTER struck!

I sat back in my swivel office chair to gain some perspective on the matter, when suddenly, my trusty old steed gave way beneath me! I literally toppled over backwards as the seat broke loose from its swivel. I managed to grab hold of the desk to my right and a chair to my left, and there I sat - feet dangling where my face was just moments before; knees gripping onto the remnants of my buckled chair; butt floating in mid-air - totally and utterly ffff... stuck!

Thankfully, hubby Alex was home (what on earth would I have done if I was home alone?!), and came to my rescue after laughing at me a good deal first. He predicted that this would happen. In fact, my chair has been protesting my odd sitting habits for a whole decade already... I like tucking one foot underneath me or sitting cross-legged. I often rock back and forth as if I'm in a rocking chair (it's therapeutic, okay?!?!). It's really a miracle that the chair survived this long!⁠ ⁠ After MUCH tinkering by Alex, it should last a while longer.

I’m very relieved to say that no damage was done to Elliot’s illustration during this… unavoidable incident! It was the first thing I checked on when I was back on my feet (my own minor scrapes and bruises had to wait!).

And that’s the tale of how the charming Elliot quite literally bowled me over…… I think the finished artwork is pretty knock-you-right-off-your-chair-gorgeous, too!