Illustrator Colin Slack, with a copy of the book “Jumping the Border”
WHEN Isobel Cleary, the project development worker for three community groups, Boho and Killesher in Fermanagh and Ballinaglera in Leitrim, sat down to decide who would illustrate their ‘border’ stories for the book, she didn’t have long to make up her mind.
For, Colin Slack, who lives in Clabby but works from Derrygonnelly, had illustrated the 2012 calendar for her and, by way of strings to his bow, he had done the Boho Heritage book, ‘Inspirational Diaries’ produced by Killyhommon Primary School, and was involved with the late Johnny McKeagney’s masterpiece, ‘In the Auld Ago’.
Open any page of the ‘border’ book, and one can appreciate how the narrative and the illustration rhyme on page 31 where the Statue of Liberty complements reminiscences on emigration.
His own favourite is an illustration of a wee duck that adorns stories of work on the farm in the long ago.
Prior to graduating from Lancaster University, with honours in graphic design, Colin studied for a HND in design communications at The Met in Belfast.
His links with Derrygonnelly is that his parents, Russell and Marie bought a house there. He has a younger sister, Jillian who works in London.
It is clear he liked the stories in the book on which he based his illustrations.
“Some were great fun, especially the cattle being ‘swum’ across the border by smugglers. I have been very lucky.
“I have been in business now for six years this summer. The work still comes in, although I never take anything for granted.
“I take the attitude I am only as good as my last job.”
Apart from illustrating books, he designs banners, brochures, CD covers, magazines, packaging, and he also does vehicle graphics.
And, his website iou@the doodles.com has progressed from a hobby to a serious sideline where clients can commission pencil/en on paper illustrations of their pets, or pet vehicles.
“A number of people expressed their interest, and the fact it’s mostly pencil drawings, gives a nice feeling against the roughness of the paper.”
In the same way, he feels, the illustrations in the border book ‘soften’ the tone of what is, after all, a book of memories.