Bringing Copia to life

“Shhhh! . . . Don’t tell anyone, but somebody lives in our bathroom. . . She’s my best friend.”
The first line of Jeremy Daniel’s My Forever Friend should take anyone who reads it – regardless of your age – back to those long, meaningful conversations with an imaginary friend.
The delightful book follows the adventures of redhead Mimi and her “best friend” Copia, who looks just like her and pulls the “same funny, stinky-bathroom faces in the mirror.”
Ballito resident Olivia Villet brought Copia and Mimi to life with her vivid illustrations.
The Cape Town native said she had a ball working with Daniel to create Copia.
“I have always worked with paint and ink, so this was my first time drawing on Photoshop. It was a different experience and I really enjoyed it. Jeremy had strong ideas about how Copia and her family should look, which made my job easier.”
Villet, who has a degree in fine art and a Master’s in children’s book illustration, has illustrated several educational books published overseas. This has been her first proudly South African illustration project.
“I have always been arty and loved drawing, so when I got the chance to work with a local author I was glad. I am very happy with the final product. It is a happy, easy story for children.”
The mother of two said she is venturing into drawing on ceramics and plates in her spare time.
“Art is my life and I cannot see myself doing anything else.”