Artist and illustrator Colin Bootman has been busy. His latest book project, A Storm Called Katrina, was recently released to starred reviews. He's already illustrated some 26 children's books, and now he's back home in Trinidad to share some of his paintings in an exhibition this month, at De Gallery on Woodford Street, Port-of-Spain.
People, places and colour
Bootman left with his family for the Bronx, New York, when he was seven. He cites the influences of those two very different landscapes as the main shaping forces behind his art. "There will always be that duality in my work," he says, adding "my subject matter, my palate-they're sometimes vibrant, sometimes dark. "A lot of the stuff that I've been doing has a Trinidadian sort of connect to it-if not in the backgrounds, in the people. It's also in my approach, the way that I paint." And the way he paints is, actually, beautiful. His rich images show realistic representations of life. People of colour populate his paintings; there are street scenes, depictions of home and family, always with a sense of warmth and a compassionate point of view, showing the inherent dignity of people.
New show
Bootman's show at De Gallery is his second solo exhibition here. He says it will "touch on different aspects of womanhood: sensuality, fertility, innocence." It will also feature sceneries. He works mainly in oils, but switches to watercolours on occasion. "There are certain books that have a light-hearted feel. Watercolours are a lot more spontaneous. "With oils, the prep time and process are much more tedious. So for more serious subject matter, I choose oils."
Horror of Katrina
"Serious subject matter" is an apt description for A Storm Called Katrina. Published by Peachtree Press, the book tells of a boy who experiences the devastating storm that hit New Orleans in the US in 2006. Bootman and author, Myron Uhlberg, were riding a wave of success after their first book, Dad, Jackie and Me. They received the prestigious American Library Association's Scheider Family Book Award at a ceremony in New Oreans, and were so affected by the catastrophic scenes they witnessed, they felt they "had to do something". "It was horrific," he said. "We started throwing ideas around," he said, and "after a few changes and revisions" came up with the story and images. The book manages to tell the sad tale with humanity and without sensationalising the issue. It's a simple story that could engage any child's imagination. "I feel good about it," he said, adding, "so far the reviews have been stellar."
Boy Days
Bootman now lives in Brooklyn but comes back to T&T "fairly often," either just visiting, or working on arts projects. His next will be a collection called Boy Days. He said it will aim to capture the childhood games played by local children of yesteryear, that are now disappearing because of technology and computer games. Bootman's art show will open with a reception at De Gallery, from 6-8 pm. His books are not yet available in T&T, but can be sourced online.