A last look at Anne Spudvilas Unmasked

Bidding reserve: Highest Bid so far: $280

The Splendiferous Anne Spudvilas

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The mask that Anne Made

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Title: Scarlet Dreams

before she decorated it, it looked like this

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Anne on the making of her mask

“I loved every minute of making this mask, hunting through the op shops for bits and pieces. I originally planned an origami style black swan mask made of folded paper but then i found a red and black beaded cardigan and a great red cocktail dress with pleated straps at the salvos and voila – it all started falling into place.

“What a wonderful way to celebrate the final book in the Obernewtyn series, a complete fantasy of disguise made of fabric, beads and glue. Permission to just play for a couple of days :0)

“It’s good to know that the auction of the mask collection goes to two wonderful causes, and I particularly support IBBY’S work in getting books to children in war zones.

“Congratulations Isobelle for putting time in on raising money for these great programs.

“SO BID AWAY! your money is well spent”

-Anne Spudvilas

About Anne Spudvilas

Anne Spudvilas is a longtime friend. In fact I am honoured to say that her very first cover was for my book, The Gathering, and I still have the marvellous painting she did, as well as a number of her other large works, hanging in my house.

Anne’s portraits have been selected in major portrait competitions including the Archibald and Doug Moran Prizes and she has completed public commissions for the City of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government. Her work is in collections in Australia, USA, Europe and Asia.

Aside from being a brilliant fine artist and print maker extraordinaire, she is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books.

Her first picture book The Race was awarded the Crichton Award for Illustration and CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) Honour Book. In 2000 she won CBCA Picture Book of the Year with Jenny Angel, which was also shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Award.
In 2008 The Peasant Prince won the NSW Premier’s Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize), the Australian Book Industry Award for Younger Readers and the Queensland Premiers Award.

Anne and I also collaborated on a book called The Red Shoes.

Anne’s designs were used by Australia Post for the 2006 Australian Christmas stamps.

In recent years Anne has included printmaking in her practice with an emphasis on etchings and monoprints. She lives on the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers at Wentworth in New South Wales where she runs workshops at her print studio Riverbank Press.

She is also a gifted photographer and some of the photos of the Masked Ball are hers.

Here is a picture of Anne at the Masked Ball.