The Netherlands Nadya Bonten-Slenders

A FRIEND Nadya Bonten-Slenders

NADYA-BONTEN SLENDERS lives in Zuid-Limburg with her husband, son and bunnies. She has her own art studio in her home in Terwinselen. She officially graduated as a speech and language therapist but has been drawing ever since she was a child and continues to enjoy it tremendously to this day. In 2012 she took the plunge and started working as a freelance illustrator. For years she only created commissioned paintings, birth announcements and prints for her Etsy shop. A couple of years ago she signed up for illustration courses, followed by an extensive illustration mentorship, with the ultimate goal of illustrating picture

On his way home from school, the introvert Luuk finds a small and fragile seed in the snow. He takes it with him to care for it. At home, Luuk plants the little seed. He puts a lot of love and attention into it.

Suddenly, Luuk feels less lonely. At night, he dreams about the exciting adventures that lie ahead. This extraordinary bond makes both friends flourish.

When Luuk is asleep, the first leaves start to show. Will his little plant be everything Luuk imagined it to be?

Nadya worked with mixed media for this collection of three artworks. She used graphite pencil, water colour and gouache. The finishing touches were added digitally. Nadya made several sketches before starting to work on a larger scale, to get to know Luuk and to find the compositions that felt just right. The third artwork features multiple spot illustrations to picture all the ways that Luuk gives attention to his new friend. It was important for Nadya to show mood changes throughout the illustration sequence. That is why her colour palette features warmer and brighter colours in the second and third piece.

Nadya tried to create some mystery about what kind of plant it would become, to appeal to the reader’s imagination.

books. She loves how this lets her combine her passion for drawing, stories, language and working with children, all at once!

Nadya’s art often testifies to her love for all sorts of animals, big and small. Her personal work and stories feature characters that feel different in some way and must learn to cope with strong emotions. She hopes she can send a message of acceptance and belonging to those that see and read her work. Through her art and stories, Nadya invites young children and their parents into a world of wonder and imagination, meeting endearing, whimsical and adventurous characters along the way. In her spare time she loves hiking through nature, taking care of her house plants and reading picture books with her son. www.nadyart.me

JURY REPORT A squirrel, drawn in a seemingly simple manner, gains a very strong character through posture and facial expression. As the saying goes, ‘less is more’; and Nadya’s drawings are spot-on. She needs very little to tell a lot: how a squirrel finds a seed, puts it in a pot, waters it and pampers it and hopes that they will become friends. The fact that we, as viewers, know more than protagonist Luuk adds a special dimension. The plant emerges from the soil while Luuk is asleep. A subtle piece of work infused with a tender atmosphere.