Back To The Start....1998!

This summer marks 21 years since I started my career as an Illustrator & Author in 1998. I had no idea how long it would last and I certainly never imagined that I would still be doing this happily in 2019! One of my highlights and proudest moments was during the first week I started my business in July 1998. I had just graduated from Loughborough University School of Art & Design from an Illustration degree course and then I was lucky enough to win ‘Best of British Illustration Student Gold Award’ in ‘Images 23’ which was the annual and UK touring exhibition run by the Association of Illustrators (Aoi). (My winning Illustrations are below). I also won the Hawkins Innovation Network Award and was awarded £250 which helped me to set up and start my first studio, essentially, paying a few bills and buying materials like paint, paper, brushes and pencils which I used to Illustrate my first two commissions which were for the BBC Radio Times and ‘The Runaway Chapati’ by Susan Price and published by Cambridge University Press. I have always felt that this was such a lucky break and a very positive start to my career. All these years later I’d like to thank the Aoi and the judges of the student category in 1998 and also the Hawkins Innovation Network! It’s been a wonderfully exciting, diverse and challenging career so far which I’ve enjoyed so much and hope to continue doing it for many years to come. I’d also like to say a huge thank you to my tutors at Loughborough University between 1995 and 1998. Primarily Mario Minichiello who started the Illustration degree course back in 1994 and along with Mike Davidson offered me the place on the course. Mario was and still is so passionate about art & design, drawing and creativity. He was a constant inspiration and instilled a sense of being honest when drawing, through inventive ways of seeing and critical judgement and strong work ethics! I’d also like to thank Eric Luke our Life Drawing tutor who was an incredible mentor and artist, plus two wonderful Illustrators Ian Newsham and Robin Harris who also taught us. I have never forgotten their guidance and words of wisdom which came from their own experiences as innovative artists and teachers. Also, Andrew Selby who has been a mentor and a friend for the last 20 years, his work as an illustrator and author never fails to be inspirational. Thank you all for your time, patience, advice, support, positivity, enthusiasm and sense of humour which all in all helped me to discover my individual drawing/visual language and helped to forge a critical design process, which has turned into my life long love, passion and career!

12 Aug. Join us on Friday 23rd August at Skipton Library when children & parents can create their own Space Chase Creations! We will be designing all things ‘SPACE’, some in colourful 3D to create a display in the library window! As part of the Summer Reading Challenge by The Reading Agency. Check out www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

12th August. Hi, This is the first time I’ve put all my Children’s Books side by side. A collection of 15 of my favourite books which I’ve illustrated over the last 21 years, some of which I’ve also written. A huge thank you to all the publishers for giving me these amazing opportunities!! There’s a new one coming soon!