The Wind in the Willows

I'm really excited to have been asked to do some illustrations for Alma Books's new edition of The Wind in the Willows. The inside drawings are in black and white, and colour for the cover! It was intimidating to begin drawing such well-known characters - EH Shepard's version is so iconic and beautiful, and my style isn't very realistic! I pretended it was a normal, new book, for me, and now I'm happy with how this cover has come out. 

Re-reading it I feel much more impatient with Toad than ever before, and much more keen on Ratty!

This edition of The Wind in the Willows will be published by Alma Books in April 2017.

Draw It! Colour It! Beasts

The follow up to Draw It! Colour It! Creatures is going to be published in September by Macmillan Children's Books: Draw It! Colour It! Beasts! I'm proud to have been asked by Emily Ford to be part of this wonderful project once again. 

Just like the last one, this is beautifully realised activity book, with opportunities for colouring, drawing and inventing. I thought the last book was beautiful, and this can sit proudly next to it. In terms of follow-ups, this is definitely a Last Crusade rather than a Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!

There is such a nice variety of spreads inside...

Add food to Bethan Woollvin's hungry croc! 

Draw underground animals in Lydia Coventry's picture!

What are Jools Bentley's monster gang eating?

Help Miss Medusa with her hair on Marta Altés's spread!

Colouring and sheep-completing with Steve Lenton's drawing! 

Who is Jim Field's Piuggle's owner? And what will Yasmeen Ismail's Fluffy look like with new hair?

What are Zak Simmonds-Hurn's characters running from in the ice??

Here's my spread! A cat circus, draw in alllll the extra cats!

Here's the one that I've done so far! Alexis Deacon's excellent monster page...

 * * * Beasts APLENTY! * * *

Draw It! Colour It! Beasts is published by Macmillan Children's Books this September.

Congratulations Emily and Macmillan!

Poor lil guy!

I'm trying to think of stories for this new little witch character, and it seemed a good unblocker to draw some short stories in panels for her - here's a start! 

Sleepy witch

This is Pomona, a new character I'm working on and trying to think of stories for, in her bedroom.

Daunt Books Children's Short Story Competition

This was the fourth year of Daunt Books' Children's Short Story Competition, open to children aged between 4 and 15.  The 13 winners had their stories published in a book, and this year I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Last night Daunt had organised a prize-giving in the beautiful setting of Burgh House in Hampstead.

I really enjoyed reading the stories, which were wide-ranging and quite anarchic. Ideas included three of the Seven Dwarfs on the psychiatrist's (the brilliantly named Miss Think-It-Through) couch, the death of Prince Albert by carnivorous plant, mermaid dreams and a playground mishap.

I enjoyed the challenge of representing each story on the cover. Daunt did a beautiful job with the printing, and I think the finished book looks great. Hurrah for 2016's winners!

Bits and bobs round up!

I found some people sketches from a project that didn't happen for me, and I liked them so I'm giving them some colour love! I've had a few projects with people in them lately, and all practise is good...

And a moonlight serenade!

Palazzo d'Accursio

This is my friend Ella and me, checking out the art in Bologna's Palazzo d'Accursio in the centre of the town. Well, it's based on that - not very representational perhaps! Apart from the bit where Ella's a croc and I'm a cat, of course.

Bits and Bobs!

A gif from the fairy godmothers!

Harping on

Treehouse

Pancake Day!

Unwanted houseguest

Puzzling it over

Storytellers, Inc. 2016 Illustrators Calendar!

Earlier in the year Katie Clapham, the owner of the independent bookshop
Storytellers, Inc. in St. Annes-on-Sea, asked me to contribute a page
to the fourth edition of the Illustrators Calendar.

I jumped at the chance to be part of this project, and managed to bagsie
October for Halloween-themed fun.
I made this two panel trick-or-treating picture:

Yesterday my copy of the calendar arrived, and it's come out so well.
I'm proud to be in the super company which you see here...

To go with the calendar, Storytellers, Inc. runs a project called ‘An Illustrated Year’
for Key Stage 1 groups in primary schools, delivering them a gift-wrapped
book by the illustrator each month, complete with an activity sheet to have
their own classroom picture book events. They send their packs each month
 to 28 local classrooms across nine schools. 

They've had great success and feedback with the project, and are hoping to
build on it for 2016.
I couldn't be happier to be involved!

The Illustrators Calendar 2016 for sale now on the Storysellers, Inc. website for £14 - a fine way to anticipate 2016!

Pumpkin patch!

Here are Will, Bill, Florence and Shane hanging out in the pumpkin patch. 

When I was a child in California one of the highlights I remember was when the local destination The Nut Tree had their annual Pumpkin Patch. This included a ferris wheel and a biggest pumpkin competition, scarecrows, candy apples and giant lollies. And all the thrill of Halloween approaching! I'm feeling nostalgic for it this week - tinges of the excitement I used to feel on those lovely autumn visits. I wish I could ride on the miniature train again, and look through The Nut Tree's selection of semi precious stones for sale. And hang out on an enormous pumpkin!

Rushing to have more fun!

Turtle picture

This lovely picture is by Caitlin, my friend's niece. The crucial moment in Turtle and Me, where everything goes wrong for our hero! 

I think Caitlin has done a super job - look at the expressions on her people!! Poor old Turtle is really in for it!

Villainy at sea!

Probably true