Babies First Walk

Welcome friends,

I’m busy in the studio of late. I’m working on the finals of my current picture book with Wombat Publishing. I feel like I am often saying that it can be tricky to not be able to share pieces that I create in picture book illustration which requires that no details of books are shared until after their publication date. Sometimes this can be more than 12 months after they are created!

Today’s piece that I'm so excited to share with you (and able to ) is one of my newest creations: "Babies First Walk," is a charming water colour illustration capturing the sweet innocence of a mama taking her baby for a walk but loving her so much she can’t bear to lay her down in the pram!

an archival print of a mother rabbit cuddling her baby rabbit with a water colour pallet.

This illustration is drawn, painted and then digitally enhanced in my home studio. The print is available in my Madeit Store here. The fabric is available in my Spoonflower store as this ‘Babies First Walk” collection. By purchasing from an independent artist, there is the joy of owning art and fabrics that are truly one-of-a-kind. There's just something special about surrounding yourself with pieces that reflect your personality and style, don't you think? And when you support small businesses like mine, you're not just getting unique products – you're also helping to fuel someone's passion and dreams.

Fabric design water colour with a mama bunny pushing a pram and florals circling.

I hope that this print will be a unique part of your child’s room or baby shower present. Perhaps it may also be the fabric for a unique hand sewn piece. I’d love to hear what you think of my latest illustration. Happy decorating or sewing!

Water cooler baby elements balloon, bunny, bow, star.

Ruth-Mary

Bookish Adventures - Summing up 2023!

It seems all my family and friends were commenting about how quickly 2023 whizzed by. Do you agree? I felt compelled to share & celebrate some of my highlights before moving on to 2024…

Unboxing Book Week Bear!

It was a thrill to have Book Week Bear published in July! This involved the opportunity to meet with author Rory H Mather and go on an adventure around the city signing copies of Book Week Bear. thrill of publishing Book Week Bear to the joy of visiting schools and meeting enthusiastic book fans, it was a year filled with unforgettable moments.

The following day, Rory and I had the opportunity to launch the book at Better Read than Dead bookshop. What a great time we had, celebrating the Book Week Bear with fellow book lovers.

Book signing

But it wasn't just about the books. Getting the chance to visit schools and talk to students about illustration was a privilege. At North Narrabeen Public School I got to spend the day with creative children and work with them on their own illustrations. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were infectious, and it was heartwarming to see their faces light up as we talked about storytelling and creativity. At Covenant Christian school the Kindergarten class created their own ‘Book Week Bears!’

I really do feel grateful for all the wonderful experiences and opportunities that came my way in 2023. Here's to another year of creativity, inspiration, and new adventures. I hope you enjoyed sharing them with me.

Cover Reveal "Book Week Bear!" June 2023

Hey there, picture book lovers and bear enthusiasts! Today I’m writing about the reveal of the “Book Week Bear” cover. I've had the honor of working on a new children's book titled "Book Week Bear," written by the talented Rory H Mather during 2022. And the time has finally come to unveil the cover! As the illustrator, I've adored working on this fun book which captures the essence of Book Week and has a few magical surprises. So here it is…

I'm delighted to announce that Scholastic Australia, an amazing publisher with a passion for inspiring young minds, will be bringing "Book Week Bear" to bookshelves across the country. Mark your calendars because the big day is just around the corner—1st July 2023!

KidlitVic 2023

Hi everyone!

Walking through the door of KidLit Vic 2023!

I just wanted to share with you all about my recent trip down to Melbourne for KidLitVic, last weekend. KidLitVic is a conference for authors and illustrators interested in the Australian publishing market. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I'm so grateful to have been able to attend.

The conference was packed full of great content, with four publisher panels covering topics such as finding the right publisher, what to expect when you receive a contract, and finding your voice. The panels were incredibly informative and gave us all a lot to think about as we navigate the world of publishing.

Ruth-Mary Smith holding my portfolio in the KidLitVic showcase

One of the highlights for me was having my portfolio in the illustrator showcase, which gave me the opportunity to have it looked through by a variety of publishers. It was nerve-wracking to have my work on display like that, but it was also incredibly exciting to see the reactions from people as they flipped through my illustrations.

But perhaps the best part of the conference was the connections I made with other authors and illustrators. I had the thrill of meeting Anna Battese the author of the PDMcPem series. It's always great to be able to chat with people who understand the industry and who are going through the same things as you. And after so long without being able to see each other in person, it was especially wonderful to be able to connect face-to-face.

Ruth-Mary Smith meeting Anna Battese. They are holding the page showing PDMcPem in the showcase of KidLitVic 2023

All in all, KidLitVic was an incredibly valuable day, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. I learned so much and made some great connections, and I'm excited to take everything I learned and use it to continue growing as an illustrator..

Logo for Ruth-Mary Smith

Early 2023 Illustration

Hello there! Summer has just ended and I am looking forward to cooler weather. For those of us in Sydney we finished summer with a heat wave and now the few cooler days we have had, are bringing joy to my bones!

We also had a wedding in the family! Such a joyous ( and busy) occasion. I had the privilege of designing the invitation, the illustration was also used for the order of service- a little bit different to my usual style!

Here’s a little update of current projects I have been working on. My studio is a busy place and I always have a few projects going on concurrently. Let me share the one taking up most my attention at the moment…

It’s exciting to share with you about my current project which I am working on behind the scenes. It is a book that is being published by Wombat books called Walls. It's been a joy working on this project, I love the daily discipline of bringing characters to life.

However, one of the challenges faced by picture book illustrators is not being able to share any of the illustrations until the release date. As an illustrator, I'm always eager to share my work and get feedback from others. But I also understand the importance of keeping the illustrations under wraps until the book is ready to be unveiled. Then the fun begins!

Recently, I also had the opportunity to take part in SCBWI Create a Palooza, and it was such a fantastic experience! I listened to some amazing speakers and learned so much from them about the craft of illustrating for children's books. I also had the chance to participate in portfolio assessments, which was incredibly helpful. Getting feedback from industry professionals helped me to plan and grow as an illustrator, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. Huge thanks to the SCBWI East team- I know this would have been a huge amount of work to facilitate!

I continue feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I love - bringing stories to life through my illustrations. It is always a delight to be entrusted with authors ideas. I am also in the process of writing my own stories, we will see where that journey takes me.