a bit about me
LATEST NEWS:
EXHIBITION TIME!
'THE ART OF THE BOOK ILLUSTRATOR'
A colourful show of original picture book paintings and drawings runs from th 31st January 2012 at Gallery Q in Sudbury, Suffolk. At least twenty works from my published books as well as those of the highly talented Rebecca Elliott (see my Links page for Rebecca's website) will be on display for the duration. All work is for sale.
Gallery Q
The Quay Theatre
Quay Lane
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 2AN
Tel. 01787 374745
The gallery area is incorporated into the public areas of the Quay Theatre (foyer, stairway and bar).
And the latest piece of news is that the board book, 'Sleepy Me', has been selected for inclusion in the Bookstart pack for 2012.
WINTER 2011
I’m very lucky to have been illustrating for independent children’s book publishers, Little Tiger Press, since early 2008. My first picture book with them, ‘Gruff The Grump’, written by Steve Smallman, was published in 2009 in the UK, US and 8 other countries. It is one of the 'Reads Of The Year' in the Younger Children category of the Red House Children's Book Awards 2010. Since then I've illustrated 3 more picture books and 5 board books, either in print already or due for realease later in the year. I'm currently working on an exciting new book 'Super Pants!', also written by Steve Smallman - it has a cold, wintry, Christmassy theme so look out for that next Autumn... Details of existing works can be found on the 'New Books' section of this site.
Previous publications include some novelty books for toddlers for Dorling Kindersley US, French publisher Editions Babiroussa, greetings cards for Two Bad Mice and various other commissions. My way of working has continued to change and develop, especially after completing an MA in Children's Book Illustration as a mature student at Cambridge School of Art in 2008.
Although children's illustration is now my focus, I've also worked occasionally in a more adult style for a cool little cult magazine called One Eye Grey.
I love music (loads of stuff, though rarely anything very mainstream), language, humour, studying French, daydreams, and my shed where I work, and I'm endlessly fascinated and enthralled by nature, especially birds, which I adore. And bugs. Well, not the ones that make you ill, or the kind that bite you in bed. But creepy crawly ones are fine.
I dislike straight lines...! ~ ~ ~
I enjoy life drawing too, which is a great discipline, but for me illustrating picture books has to be the most rewarding of all.