you might have
noticed something
exciting about our cover
artwork this issue:
specifi cally, that it was painted by a little artist named KEN BLOODY DONE.
(Note: we can’t say for sure whether ‘Bloody’ is on his birth certifi cate,
but it certainly seems fi tting for an Australian icon.)
Painted in 1991, the striking piece is called 'Butterfl y dreams', and when we sat down to chat with
Ken for this issue, he told us the sweet tale of how it came to be. “When I fi rst went to Japan, I was very
interested in Japanese art and poetry,” he explained. “There’s a wonderful little poem that says, ‘I would
learn of their dream in fl owers, but butterfl ies have no voice.’ It’s about the fact butterfl ies live for such
a brief period of time. All they would understand is being in the beauty of fl owers, so if a butterfl y slept
and had a dream, that’s what it would be about. I was very touched by the thought.”
Have a fl ip through these here pages to read more of our chinwag, and check out all the other goodies
we’ve crammed inside this big ol’ bumper issue. There’s a huge 2019 wall planner to whack up on your
wall, plus a tear-out card designed by illustrator Adam J. Kurtz, where you can note down a few
important life reminders to refer back to. And if you’re feeling a bit creative (or just want to zen
out with some pretty paper and scissors), we’ve popped together a collage kit that can
be chopped, snipped and arranged to your liking.
Yep, there’s plenty to get stuck into in this lovely big magazine,
so please dive straight in – we hope you enjoy.
xx Sophie and the frankie teamfirst thought