#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Katie’s PictureShow” - my very first book, in 1989, but reillustrated for the 25th anniversary in 2014. Here’s my spin on Renoir’s Umbrellas! Perfect for a rainy day…

Watch out for the final #60for60 on Sunday - an exciting COVER REVEAL!

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake” (2010).

All my working life I’ve tried to celebrate & share my love of the Arts for children. I’ve loved creating these books.

Watch out for my final #60for60 on Sunday - a cover reveal for my new book!

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Mrs Noah’s Garden” - story by Jackie Morris (2020).

I loved developing the collage technique for this series, although I’ve often broken my own rules and painted as well. It’s taken many years to allow myself to be this free!

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is for a story by Zeb Soanes, 'Gaspard's Foxtrot' (2021) - where I cheekily popped in a self portrait of me with Toto & Diva! Such a lovely series to work on and Zeb is the BEST book-comrade!

Line, wash, pencil.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay - I'm almost the end of my #60for60 series - one last week of illustrations by me. But watch out for something VERY SPECIAL on the last day - next SUNDAY May 5th.

Today, it's an image from 'Mouse & Mole - Clink Clank Clunk' (Joyce Dunbar 2023)

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from 'Ella Bella Ballerina and A Midsummer Night's Dream' - more mendelssohn than Shakespeare! Behold Titania!

Complex non-digital layers of art for a retro feel.

Watch out for my FINAL #60for60 this Sunday... a very exciting #CoverReveal !

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Mrs Noah’s Garden” (text by Jackie Morris, 2021).

Planting seeds is an act of hope, I think. It thrills me to see them grow, flower or fruit. Illustrating a book can be a similar process!

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Koshka’s Tales” (1994). Here’s the Firebird! This was actually a student piece from around 38 years ago, and I kept it because I so badly wanted to do this book, following a trip to Russia in 1986. It pretty much got me the job!

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “The Ugly Duckling” (2013). A wordless retelling of Andersen’s tale, an “Early Reader” for schools. I loved the challenge of telling the story through pictures alone, & the fairly painterly approach.

Here our duckling becomes a swan. #60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Katie and the British Artists” (2008).

A little bit of Constable - here’s Katie exploring (my pastiche of) his “Cornfield” painting.

Emulsion, pastels, inks, gouache etc.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is for my story “The Palace Made Out Of Glass” from an anthology “The Cloth of Dreams” (1992).

Early work - seems a lifetime ago. This was a collection of new fairy tales by 10 different authors.

I was clearly under the spell of Dulac.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Katie and the Impressionists” (1997).

(I could only find a Turkish edition on my shelves!)

Exactly 150 years ago the very first Impressionists exhibition opened in Paris.

Here’s my version of Monet’s Poppyfield.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from 'Ella Bella Ballerina & The Magic Toyshop' inspired by Rossini/Respighi's ballet 'La Boutique Fantasque' (2017). The toymaker is modelled on my very own Toto 😍🥰
The illustrations were created in (real) layers to give a vintage look.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Beauty & the Beast” retold by Philippa Pearce (1996). I absolutely loved illustrating this - it’s one of my favourite fairy tales & I’m such an old Romantic. I love crumbling castles hidden in forests. Ink & watercolour.

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Mrs Noah’s Pockets”, story by Jackie Morris (2018). At a time of personal crisis, a new technique, new hope. I fell back in love with creating, surprised & challenged myself, inspired by this exceptional text. Printmaking & collage. 60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay continues my #60for60 birthday series. Here’s “Pinocchio” (1994). I sketched all across Italy for this & LOVED illustrating the *original* story (retold Josephine Poole). Alas this kind of book was out of fashion… but I think it’s one of my best!

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay #60for60 continues with this: “Ella Bella Ballerina & Swan Lake”

I’d originally hoped to be a theatre designer, so I adored illustrating this theatrical/ballet series, using layers of art (non digital) to recreate the feel of vintage lithographic books.

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is from “Ella Bella Ballerina and the Sleeping Beauty” (2007)

Complex (non digital) layers of art create a vintage lithographic feel for this series, a nod to the 50s & Duvoisin etc.

Here the Lilac Fairy summons a forest of roses…(detail)

#60for60

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay #60for60 is from “Stories From the Opera” (retold Sharukh Husain, 1999). Here’s Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”, with the Queen of Night; Papageno & Papageno, and Pamina at the base. Loved this book - full of theatrical characters !

Watercolour & line.

#BookIllustrationOfTheDay is for a quote from “The Winter’s Tale”, featured in “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”, an anthology of Shakespeare lullabies and quotes.

“To be boy eternal”

I remember that feeling.

Watercolours, tiny bit of sepia pencil.

#60for60