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

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

Little Mister Is Here!

Hard to believe but finally Little Mister gets a Sister is released!!!

Written by Samaria Lemke and published by Larrikin House it is the sweetest story of the effect of a new sibling in the home. Hysterical situations are captured beautifully by Samaria’s text.

Our Bookish days review stated, ‘This is an extremely relatable story seeing those little signs of jealousy peek through when everyone is fussing over the new baby… Little Mister Gets a Sister is humorous and light hearted and would make a wonderful gift for new big brother and sisters.”

Creative Kids Tales Anthology 2 Launch

What an exciting day I had last Saturday 26th October at the launch for the Creative Kids Tales 2 Anthology. I had the extra thrill of having an illustrations chosen for one of the covers of the fun flip book- one side Enchanted one side Things That Go Bump! The launch took place at Harry Hartog Miranda on a very busy shopping day. When I arrived the table was set so beautifully by Georgie Donaghey to look spooky with many delicious scary treats.

After an introduction by Georgie, many children went to sit on the mat and hear a couple of the stories from our amazing Creative Tales authors.

It was so great to meet many authors and illustrators and see how popular the Anthology was. I’ll leave you with some pictures from the day.

In the special chair!