And a Happy New Year 2015 !

Nothing to add !

I saw this Bob and Roberta Smith piece at the Royal Academy Summer Show some weeks ago ... coincidently a few hours after the said Mr Gove had lost his post. Nothing more to add really !

The Colour of Home interview

If you have taken a look at the Diverse Voices Top 50 Book List and are inspired to find out more about 'The Colour of Home'.... you may like to find out what went on behind the scenes.

Take a look at this short film by Counterpoints Arts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eW09l-Uq-s

Diverse Voices Top 50 Children's Book List

Great news! Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children Books, has announced the Diverse Voices Top 50 Book List and I am very excited to learn that a very special book 

'The Colour of Home' written by Mary Hoffman which I illustrated  ( published by Frances Lincoln) has been chosen.

The list champions Britain's rich, cultural diversity from the 1950's to the present day and is so inspirational. The Awards Ceremony was held on Monday at The Guardian building and they are running a 'Diversity in Children's Books' Week, so as well as seeing the full list of all 50 amazing books there is also something new and exciting to see every day 

http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/oct/13/50-best-culturally-diverse-childrens-books  

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Exhibition

I have an exhibition of limited edition prints showing at Dot to Dot in Letchworth . It's on all summer until the end of August , but the private view is on Friday August 1st, so do come along if you can!

Courtyard Studio

And this is where it all happens! Courtyard Studio is an amazing place. Based in an old run down (we like it like this!)  factory building tucked away in the historic backstreets of Clerkenwell, or is it Bloomsbury? It depends if you turn left or right out of the building I suppose! The whole building is full of creative people ...illustrators, authors, actors, filmakers,textiles designers, photographers, animators... and more.
The actual studio has been in existence for almost 30 years and it's a bit of an institution. It sits alongside The Drawing Room, another illustration studio. So many well known and respected illustrators and creative people have worked here ( I nearly wrote 'lived here' as it feels like that sometimes! ) over the years and many are still in touch. There's a wonderful web of illustrators all over London, all over the country, all over the world connected by this place, that's for sure.

And a new illustrator has just arrived in the studio, Sally Kindberg, and I'm just enjoying looking at her shelves slowly getting filled up with her books and just seen there's a little tin monster holding a pencil! Looking forward to more! 
Amber Hsu creates her artzine "Tiny Pencil " from here . She's just sitting at her desk now getting the next issue ready. Bridget Strevens-Marzo, children's picture book author and illustrator sits over by the big window and is finishing her new book for The Tate. Adrian is a lecturer and portrait artist.Then there's Nicola Gregory, amazing watercolour artist and greetings card illustrator. And me ...at the moment sitting at my desk at the back of the room looking out over the studio and through the windows beyond  so I can see what's going on! On the desk are scatterings of paper covered in scribbly drawings .. the beginnings of a couple of new stories. There's a pig, a little black cat and a drawing of an old toy rabbit in front of me..... Let's see what happens!

My desk is in the left corner ... with Immi keeping a watchful eye on it! And if anyone wants to know what that big object at the back of the room is ... it's a Grant Enlarger! We call it Cary Grant and it is either vintage or antique or just plain old ! We still use it .. the easiest way of reducing and enlarging drawings in an instant. Anyone know of any others ? 

     

Sea Horse

    

I always wanted a horse , and this is one way to get my very own! 'Sea Horse' ( first published by Gullane Children's Books and now with Albury Children's Books) is about a boy and his horse. A song. A dream. A journey. It's an enchanting tale of friendship without bounds and  'destined to become a classic ' was one perfect review ! ' Sea Horse' was also chosen in The Independent's Best Beach Reads as one of the top 5 children's books 'Gorgeous lush illustrations and descriptive text'  and is becoming a favourite request for school visits and events. 

From these simple , scribbled beginnings.....

to this.....

 

 So many piles of paper, all these thoughts..... which way is it going to go ? But bit by bit ,  just  like the shell's song,  the story becomes stronger and clearer....

I feel like I'm being taken on my own journey  ....

Helped along by these...as always

Now 'Sea Horse' begins to feel very real indeed

Then finally , finally, becoming this ......

Some of the final spreads

Now it's out in the big wide world ......and that's another adventure !