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!

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.

ASA Mentorship Award Winner!

Wow, still coming to terms with this, but super excited to announce that as of last week, I am one of the winners of the Australian Society of Authors Mentorship awards! This will mean the opportunity to work with another successful Australian illustrator - what a privilege! Thanks so much to the judges, looking forward to getting started.

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The Excitement Builds!

It’s hard to believe that it is only about 1 1/2 weeks till the Sydney SCBWI Conference begins!

For the past few months I have been busily grabbing any time I could to build a portfolio of artworks to show at Illustrators Showcase. I am getting into the final stages but will need a last minute push along to complete all that I am hoping to get done.

I am very excited, possibly a little nervous for the adventure to begin…

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Morning Flower

The weeks of Term 3 are flying by and I can't believe the first Christmas food is available in the supermarkets! Can it really be that time already?

In the studio I have been very busy working on an exciting  project I will be revealing in my next post! I have had small pockets of time for other pieces but here is one that I recently completed using watercolours and pencil. I called it 'Morning Flower as Emily is giving the flower a gentle hug. 

 

Happy day all!

watercolour, pencil

watercolour, pencil