FREMANTLE’S Jessica Berry has a university degree in thing-making, otherwise known as a BA in visual arts.
“Majoring in textiles,” she tells the Herald.
Like most artists she’s held down a variety of jobs including a stint at the now-defunct Kulcha and at a tea shop in the markets.
Along with exhibitions of her own art she’s worked as an art curator. And, being a Freo-ite, she serves a cat and rides a pink bicycle.
Berry recently entered a new venture as an author, with a delightful kids’ book Wanderkin, which uses photography and hand-crafted characters, all created by the author.
The colourful illustrations are mini-stage sets: “Like a still from a film, a treasured nostalgic memory, a tiny realm within the snow dome of our fancy,” Berry says.
It’s a charming tale of a girl, a boy and a rabbit as they follow a butterfly that flies into their tea party.
Their journey takes them into adventure, discovery, mystery, bravery, wonder, and finding home, Berry says.
The idea for the book, which took five years to come to fruition, came as Berry and her then young son created adventures with toys and household objects: “We used to play with whatever was around the house, I thought it was charming.”
It was that magic and charm she wanted to recreate in her book: “I wanted to capture things unknown with things known.”
The book is a one-woman show, with Berry writing and creating the characters, taking photos, and even setting up her own publishing company Berry Books.
The rather cute blue monster was crocheted by Berry, who also painted the faces and made the clothes for the children.
The tiny rabbit was found in an op-shop and she immediately knew she wanted him for her story: “He really fit in with the style.”
Berry raised money for her project through crowd-funding website Pozible: “I had 100 sales even before the book existed,” she says.
“Crowd funding is really good because it gives you a bit of a peer review.”
Wanderkin is available at etsy.com or berrybook.com.au and it can be found in some local school libraries following a visit and reading by the author.
“The exciting thing for me is to have my book in a library for kids to borrow,” Berry beams.
By JENNY D’ANGER