Art postcard No. 01: Empathy before discipline

This art postcard is the first in a series from Christiane Lesch’s studio. Born in 1940, she studied graphic design in the late 1950s and is now a renowned children’s book illustrator and mother of three. As well as commissioned work, she paints freely, including colour etchings and watercolours.

The inspiration for this postcard series came from her friend, the NVC trainer Dr Gitta Zimmermann. She gave Christiane Lesch a list of sayings relating to the principles of Non-Violent Communication (NVC). Christiane Lesch says: “Gitta gave me the list and told me I could decide for myself which quotes I wanted to illustrate. And these quotes really struck a chord with me!” Both wanted images that were suitable for children and would captivate viewers of all ages with their vibrant colours.

The illustrations emerged from an interplay of sketches and discussions between the two friends. “First, I did lots of sketches and showed them to Gitta. We discussed them and then I set the designs aside. It’s like making yeast dough – you have to let it rise,” says Christiane Lesch, describing her working method.

You can buy this card individually or as part of a discounted bundle containing all 10 art postcards. The designs are also available as a pack of 10 in business-card format – handy for giving as gifts or as little inspirations for workshops and practice sessions. If you’d like to discover more from Christiane Lesch: we also stock her perpetual NVC calendar and the children’s book *Lups and Spotty*, which she wrote herself.