Expect the unexpected
Well, so much has happened since my last blog! I remember attending the Craft and Flea market https://www.thecraftandflea.com/at Sheffield Cathedral in February and being worried about Storm Dennis but who knew that March would see us in Lockdown! I don’t want to blog about the pandemic here even though I have to say there have been some heart-warming stories amongst the sadness.
https://www.instagram.com/herbertandrose/
At the beginning of January I was approached by the author Ruth Drury and asked if I would illustrate her first children’s book. After I read the story, I immediately agreed. I like the fact that Ruth was tackling issues of anxiety in children and exploring ideas for dealing with emotions that had worked with her daughter. She also covered this in such a fun way – by talking about pants! As I work with children with SEN, I see a growing number of youngsters displaying social and emotional health (SEMH) issues so this is another reason the book appealed as I could imagine some of the children I teach enjoying it. Even though the illustrations were a far cry from my usual animal drawings I felt it was too good an opportunity to miss.
https://www.writtenbyruth.com/product/too-many-pants-by-ruth-drury/
Fast forward to the end of April and Ruth’s book Too Many Pants was published. I found the commission tricky to start with – trying to imagine what the characters would look like and painting illustrations which would complement the storyline was such a daunting task. Equally, ensuring that the character’s features remained constant in each illustration proved challenging. The book has been selling really well and I have to say that I quite like the fact that my name is on the front of a book! Click on the link below to see it read by Briony Williams and signed in BSL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFXrnREQWAQ
Now the summer holidays are here and I am still keeping busy with my doodles. Pre and post-pandemic, I have gained a few stockists of my cards (see stockists page). It’s been fantastic to see my cards on display in shops and I am truly grateful to each stockist for displaying my cards in their shops.
I’m also working on another book; this time for the children’s author Lucy Finch. Lucy also covers the different emotions children experience and helps them to understand how these feelings might manifest themselves physically. It’s such a fun book and is written about a young dinosaur called Dinky. I haven’t yet finished the illustrations for this book but I’ll leave you with a sneak peak of one of the illustrations. I cannot wait for the book to be published. I think kids will absolutely love it!
Dinky the Dinosaur https://www.mrsreedwarbler.co.uk/