Illustration Up Close

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-23T16:43:00.000+11:00

Illustration by Deborah Niland

Happy holidays!

Delightful paintings

2011-12-14T14:11:00.000+11:00

I love these simple paintings from old Japan.
Unfussy and elegant.
Superb.

A Favourite Book

2011-09-26T16:19:00.000+10:00

I like to hang on to children's books that have impressed me.

The one I've chosen today, dates from 1971, and is called The Pedlar of Swaffham. It's written by Kevin Crossley-Holland and illustrated by Margaret Gordon. It's published by Macmillan.

The story in this book is based on an East Anglican folk tale set in the 15th century.

I love the illustrations! They are influenced by the style of the woodcut, and are a perfect match for this medieval tale.
Margaret Gordon has illustrated two books similar to this one, The Green Children and The Callow Pit Coffer..
They were also written by Kevin Crossley-Holland

As well as the books I've mentioned, Margaret Gordon illustrated The Wombles written by Elizabeth Beresford. The famous Wombles of Wimbledon.

A Well-Travelled Hippopotamus

2011-09-16T16:23:00.000+10:00

There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake is the first title of a series of books featuring a well- rounded and jovial hippo who has a sweet tooth.
These books have been popular for decades
Along with their English language editions, all of the hippo titles have now been translated into Chinese and published by Sichuan People's Publishing House.
Available from 2011.

The cover looks very colourful. I hope these books will be enjoyed by another generation of children!

A Tall Man Library Display for Book Week

2011-08-25T20:51:00.000+10:00

From Fremantle City Library a wonderfully colourful creative display for Book Week.

Check out the gorgeous pictures based on the illustrations in The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies!

Thanks Bree, for sending me the photos!

Children's Book Week 2011

2011-08-24T15:18:00.000+10:00

Now we're in the middle of Book Week and there are so many wonderful books to read!

Last Friday The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies written by my nephew, Tom, and his mother, Kilmeny and illustrated by me, was awarded a prize in the CBCA Awards for 2011.
All the books and award-winners can be found here.

Tom and I were thrilled to have received an award, and Kilmeny would have been as proud as Punch of her talented son.
Thank you to the publishers Allen & Unwin who believed in this funny story and were totally supportive.

I'd like to acknowledge the dedicated work from the members of the CBCA who have done a magnificent job in encouraging and extending the reading habits of children. Also to our fantastic teachers/ librarians who promote reading and work tirelessly for good literacy standards.

Nicola from Swallowcliffe School in South Australia has sent me a photo of herself dressed up as a Book Week character. She has chosen The Tall Man. Doesn't she look fabulous!

Well done Nicola! I'm sure the kids were delighted!

Another Activity for It's Bedtime, William!

2011-08-15T20:08:00.000+10:00

Here is a word search activity for my book It's Bedtime, William!

Click on the image and print out.

Remember to check out my other William activities under the entry dated 31 July, 2011.

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies Activity

2011-08-14T20:24:00.006+10:00

Here is another fun activity for the Tall Man.
This one is word based.

Click on the image and print out.

See how many words you can find!

There are other Tall Man activities on this blog to try. Have a look at more ideas shown in the entry on the 27 July 2011.

Korean edition of Double Trouble!

2011-08-14T17:23:00.001+10:00

I've recently received advance copies of the Korean edition of my book Double Trouble.
This is a story of the day to day antics of twin toddlers.

Originally published in English by Penguin Books Australia, this new edition has been published by Glbburi in South Korea in 2011.
It is a beautiful production.

No matter what language my story is in, I'm sure twins do the same funny things all over the world.

Babies Proms: Music Book 2011

2011-08-04T17:34:00.000+10:00

This year I've been lucky enough to have one of my books, It's Bedtime, William! selected as a performance piece for the fabulous Babies Proms held each year at the Sydney Opera House.

Popular children’s books are combined with music by the Babies Proms Orchestra, Music Book 2011.

These performances introduce very young children to the joys of live music accompanying their favourite stories shown on screen.
The dates for this year's concerts are from 9-19 August.

These concerts are enormously popular and fun for the littlies.

Find out more details from the Sydney Opera House site here.
I might see you there!

Activities for It's Bedtime, William!

2011-07-31T12:12:00.007+10:00

This craft project is based on my book It's Bedtime, William! published by Penguin.

With this activity, we can make a mobile of William having a pillow fight with his visiting friend, the lion.

Hopefully, it is an idea with which crafty people can springboard into their own creative ideas.

Download this Activity Sheet here.

Once the pages are printed, they can be used for just colouring-in if a mobile is not your thing.

You can make these figures bigger or smaller by adjusting your printer settings.

I've been working on another activity for It's Bedtime William!

This one is fairly simple to make. It is a Lion Face or Mask.

A number of lion faces would be quite impressive decorating a classroom wall.

Click on the image and print the instructions.

Activities for The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies

2011-07-27T19:33:00.007+10:00

I do get many queries for activities relating to my books. I thought I would design some printable activity sheets for children that might be fun!

The first one is making your very own Tall Man!

Tall Man Activity

Click on link above and print out instructions.
I'll add other activities as soon as I can.
Also suggestions are welcome!

Tall Man Activity No 2

Colouring-in page.
Click on the image below and print out.
Print it bigger if you like.
Colour all the babies in different colours. See how unalike you can make them.
The tall man and the babies like to be bright and happy!

Tall Man Activity No 3

Another picture to colour.

The Tall Man is taking the Babies for a walk.

Remember to print in landscape format.

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies

2011-07-13T20:32:00.001+10:00

This book has received some lovely reviews so far and I get many emails from children and adults.
They are always a delight to read. Recently I was most impressed to view the following video on youtube.

Check out this great book trailer created by 11 year old Marcus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQp9WXrJQFw

I would be happy to see other videos and creations based on my books from children of all ages.
I love to see original ideas from the kids.

A treasured painting

2011-07-02T17:09:00.002+10:00

About twenty-five years ago I bought a small painting from the local thrift shop in Sydney.

I had seen it in the shop window and loved the quietness of it. I took it home and had it cleaned and reframed.
I've always had this painting hung on a wall in my house.
I never knew who had painted it until a name revealed itself after the cleaning. Even then I couldn't find out anything about the artist. I've been curious all these years because I've always admired the fine detailed work in this small painting which measures only 10 x 8 inches.

Since the advent of the internet and the wealth of information to be explored, I've finally found out who my mystery artist is. The name on the painting is C B Presbrey which I have traced back as belonging to Clara Briggs Presbrey (1864-1946) an artist who lived and worked in Taunton, Massachusetts, US. She specialised in miniature painting.

I haven't been able to find any other work by this artist and I wonder if any others exist. And how did this painting end up in a thrift shop on the other side of the world?

Painting by Clara Briggs Presbrey (1864-1946)


Larger than actual size close-up. Painting by Clara Briggs Presbrey (1864-1946)

The other mystery I've yet to solve is the identity of the subject. For a while I thought it might be a portrait of Clara's cousin, Frank Presbrey, who had a significant reputation in the advertising industry in New York. Then I thought it could be a portrait of her own father, Silas Dean Presbrey, well known in Taunton, MA, as a respected physician and educator. Or it could be someone quite unrelated to Clara.

Meanwhile I continue to enjoy my little painting!

Art of Giovanna Garzoni

2011-06-24T21:19:00.000+10:00

Giovanna Garzoni (1600-1670 ) was an artist who was greatly admired during her professional life. She produced superb paintings under the patronage of the powerful Medici family of Florence, Italy.

Her delectable paintings of flowers, fruit and vegetables with the occasional lizard or hedgehog, were painted on vellum using watercolour in a gouache technique.

When Coco was a Kitten

2011-06-08T16:10:00.000+10:00

This is another book of mine for the very young.

The theme is children and pets. The story features a kitten and her owner who looks after the kitten from babyhood to adulthood.
She observes the changes as the kitten grows.

I've made the illustrations simple and colourful, and again I have used Photoshop for the entire book.

I love working on the illustrations using the computer these days.

This book is also published in the USA by Kane/Miller.

First published by Penguin Books, 2009

The Paintings of Jacopo Ligozzi

2011-05-09T12:57:00.000+10:00

Jacopi Ligozzi (1547 – 1627)

Good News!

2011-04-14T16:44:00.001+10:00

Wow! I was so delighted to learn that two of my books have been shortlisted for this year's CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards in Australia.
What a surprise!

The books shortlisted are:

It's Bedtime, William! Published by Penguin Viking, 2010

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies. Published by Allen & Unwin, 2010

William jumps for joy!

The lion is laughing!

The babies are so happy!

We are all thrilled at this exciting news!

Let's Play!

2011-04-10T19:25:00.004+10:00

I've written and illustrated this book for very young children.
Using bright colours and a simple theme, this story takes a look at friends having fun together in the playground.
The version shown below is the delightful Spanish edition published by Kane / Miller Book Publishers in California.

Let's Play! Cover of Spanish edition

Red Dog climbing


Blue Cat and Yellow Bird Swinging

This story tells of three friends having a great time by sharing and co-operating with each other.

Congratulations!

2011-02-28T18:47:00.003+11:00

A fantastic win for Shaun Tan!

He is taking home an Oscar in the category of Best Animated Short Film in today's Academy Awards.
His film was based on his very popular children's book, The Lost Thing.

Shaun Tan is an outstanding artist and deserves all the acclaim he receives now and in the future.
He inspires many, many new and established illustrators and artists with his superb work..

Grandpa Baby

2011-02-28T18:30:00.000+11:00

How exciting to see a copy of the Portuguese edition of a favourite book of mine, Grandpa Baby!
Here is the cover.

And the title page...

Written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by me, this Portuguese edition is published by Editora Fundamento, Brazil.

More favourite illustrations

2011-02-22T17:13:00.002+11:00

The delicate art of Kazuo Iwamura...
Have a look at the delightful illustrations from a range of his children's books.

The Bandicoot

2011-02-12T21:01:00.001+11:00

The sweet bandicoot is a small Australian marsupial whose varieties are unfortunately in decline. They have fallen prey to domestic cats, foxes and dogs. Once they were commonly found in suburban gardens foraging for slugs, worms, snails and other pests. They have been known to add a little meat to their diets when in captivity.

The Long-nosed Bandicoot is found in Eastern Australia and this is the type I chose to illustrate in a light-hearted way for my book The Drover's Dream, published in 1979.


Illustration Deborah Niland: The Drover's Dream (Collins 1979)

These days the bandicoot is a protected species. Let's hope the numbers will increase, especially the particular varieties that are endangered.

Illustration Deborah Niland: The Drover's Dream (Collins 1979)

A plethora of pigs

2011-01-30T21:26:00.000+11:00

What is it about the charms of our porcine friends which attract the artist and illustrator?
Many a delightful character has been created in pigly form by a large number of artists.
Here is a selection of superb swines to appreciate. All by artists who have a special affinity with the inspiring pig.


Colin McNaughton, Illustrator: Book - Who's Been Sleeping in my Porridge?

Carol Thompson, Illustrator: Book - In My Bathroom

Anthony Browne, Illustrator: Book - Piggybook

Arnold Lobel, Illustrator: Book - The Book of Pigericks

Mick Inkpen, Illustrator: Book - If I Had a Pig

A favourite book

2011-01-19T15:43:00.000+11:00

Mister Dog is a childhood favourite!
The combination of the quirky story by Margaret Wise Brown and the perfect illustrations by Garth Williams makes this one a winner.

It was many years later before I stumbled on a reprint and I had just as much enjoyment from this book as I did when I was a child.

Garth Williams (1912-1996) as an illustrator was able to convey the furriness and character of the many animals he drew in his books. As a child this is what appealed to me looking at his illustrations.

Garth Williams has a well-known reputation as an artist, writer and illustrator. His classics include Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

From an obituary article by Mel Gussow in The NY Times 1996:

"In his review of "Stuart Little" in The New York Times Book Review in 1945, Malcolm Cowley praised the book as "one of the best children's books published this year," but never mentioned the name of the illustrator (often Mr. Williams's fate)."

Another quote from Mel Gussow:

"He (Garth Williams) believed that books "given, or read, to children can have a profound influence." For that reason, he said, he used his illustrations to try to "awaken something of importance . . . humor, responsibility, respect for others, interest in the world at large."

May Garth Williams continue to delight generations of children with his thoughtful, skilled and humorous illustrations.

In praise of dragons

2010-10-30T19:23:00.000+11:00

Dragons have tended to receive bad press over the centuries.

I'd like to concentrate on their good points. Despite somewhat fiery temperaments, dragons are relatively peaceful and generally keep a low profile, going about their work guarding their treasures. Their aggression only rises when confronted with a threat.

But isn't this what you would expect from a loyal dragon doing his job?

I'm sure the working conditions are less than ideal. And what does a dragon receive for his stoic efforts in battling his enemies and protecting his treasure, be it money or maidens?

These days, I think small dragons could make good house pets. They would be fairly low maintenance, although toenails would need clipping regularly, could light the barbecue on command, and be a great watch dragon for the whole neighbourhood.

Artists and illustrators have always been inspired by the myths and legends surrounding dragons.

Dragon from Korea, artist unknown

Netsuke with tiger and dragon, artist unknown

St George and the Dragon, artist Paolo Uccello

Another St George and the Dragon, artist Deborah Niland

Chinese dragon, artist Libico Maraja

Dragon Boats, artist Libico Maraja

The magic of twins

2010-10-10T17:04:00.001+11:00

I enjoyed the opportunity to portray a day in the life of twin toddlers in my book Double Trouble.

Being a twin I can well remember the sense of unity our twinship had.
Always someone there to share the good times, and always someone there to commiserate with you during difficult times. I saw it as an advantage in my life and never envied the status of the 'sole trader'.
There is a special bond between twins.

Double Trouble was published as a picture-book by Penguin Books Australia in 2008. The story and illustrations were great fun to do.

Some of these illustrations are shown below.

Who can jump higher?

United in purpose

Feeling proud and pleased with creative work

Equally matched

More about wombats including a certain Muddleheaded Wombat

2010-10-01T14:48:00.002+10:00

A brand new edition of the adventures of The Muddleheaded Wombat will be on the shelves from today!

Wombat and his two friends, the prickly, over-sensitive cat Tabby, and the calm peace-loving Mouse have been entertaining children since they began their lives on radio in the 1950's. They first appeared in book form in the 1960's and have been in print ever since.

What makes this new edition so special is the quality production. It includes four humorous Wombat stories, notes from Ruth Park, the author, a section about the life and work of the author, and biographical notes on Noela Young, the illustrator of all the Muddleheaded Wombat books.

Noela Young is an immensely talented and versatile illustrator, who throughout her long career has produced illustrations of superb quality and apt perfection. I cannot envisage the characters of Wombat, Tabby and Mouse being created by anybody else.

This is a book to treasure.

On my shelf I have other beautiful books which feature wombats.

The gorgeous artwork of Kerry Argent is a delight to look at in her picture book, Sebastian lives in a Hat. Written by Thelma Catterwell, the story tells of a baby wombat orphan, his rescue and care.
This book was first published in 1985 by Omnibus Books.

Illustration by Kerry Argent

I was pleased to read recently of the magnificent donation of funds to a wombat sanctuary which is devoted to the care and health of injured and orphaned wombats. This will go a long, long way to assist the sanctuary's valuable work in wombat welfare and protecting this endangered species.

The author Jackie French has had a close and personal association with wombats for many years.
One of her books is the best-selling title Diary of a Wombat.
The illustrations by Bruce Whatley perfectly capture the charm and stubborness of this marsupial doormat.

An equally delightful follow-up book by this author and illustrator team is Baby Wombat's Week.

The way of the wombat

2010-09-18T20:39:00.002+10:00

Hairy-nosed Wombat. Illustration by Gordon Lyne 1967

Who is not captivated by the charms of a wombat? He's a stumpy legged animal, blunt at both ends. The wombat is a herbivore, who feeds at night and sleeps it off in his burrow during the day.

Common Wombat. Painting by Jean-Charles Werner 1847

The Australian wombat is a solitary marsupial. The female produces one baby and totes it around in her pouch for at least six months. The pouch, like the koala's, opens backwards. Otherwise the pouch would fill up with soil and debris when on burrowing expeditions.

Over two hundred years ago the explorer, George Bass, was fascinated by the discovery of the wombat. He wrote to Sir Joseph Banks back in England.

‘It is a squat, thick, short legged, and rather inactive quadruped with an appearance of great stumpy strength. Its figure and movements, if they do not resemble those of the bear, at least remind one of that animal. The head is large and flattish and when looking the animal full in the face, seems independent of the ears, to form nearly an equilateral triangle. The hair on the face lies in regular order, as if combed.’

Illustration by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the English poet, painter and illustrator, was the proud owner of a menagerie, including two wombats. In 1869, he acquired the first wombat, naming him Top.
"The wombat is a joy, a triumph, a delight, a madness," he wrote. Top was much loved. He followed people around the room 'nestling up against one, and nibbling one's calves or trousers.'
Unfortunately, Top was short-lived. In his grief, Rossetti drew the self-portrait above and wrote this verse.

I never reared a young wombat

To glad me with his pin-hole eye,
But when he most was sweet and fat
And tailless, he was sure to die!

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies

2010-09-08T19:38:00.005+10:00

The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies is the title of a new children's book I have illustrated. Published by Allen & Unwin, it will be out in the shops in November 2010.

And what a fun book it is!

Drawing and painting twelve babies on nearly every page of the book was a challenge. Throw into the mix, a Tall Man looking after a houseful of babies and coping with the cacophony of domestic life.

Waiting for breakfast

I've created the illustrations digitally, incorporating various patterns that are repeated throughout the book, on the babies' clothes and the backgrounds. However with all my digital work, I aim to have the finished illustrations look as 'hand-done' as possible.

The wonderful story for this new book was written by my talented nephew, Tom Champion, and his mum, Kilmeny, my late sister. Together they have produced a sweet and funny tale which will be well-loved by babies and children and many, many tall people.

Look out for it this November!

Still waiting for breakfast

Leaping into Spring...

2010-09-01T16:29:00.000+10:00

Or mud...

Or flowers...

The joy of Spring!

The Children's Book Council of Australia

2010-08-22T20:14:00.000+10:00

The annual awards from The Children's Book Council of Australia have been announced!
There are many fine books which have earned a gong. One of my favourites this year, is Bear and Chook by the Sea.

It's published by Lothian Children's Books, Hachette, written by the award-winning Lisa Shanahan and illustrated by the very talented Emma Quay. This book is a sequel to the equally delightful Bear and Chook.
Who could resist that lovable bear and rascally chook? Check out both!

Talking of poultry, Mr Chicken Goes to Paris was also a contender for an award but alas, didn't make it this year. This fabulous picture-book about a feisty worldly chicken, is a definite award winner in my view. Written and illustrated by the amazingly creative Leigh Hobbs and published by Allen and Unwin.

Gustaf Tenggren

2010-08-15T17:56:00.004+10:00

Gustaf Tenggren was born in 1896 in Sweden to a family of artists. He showed early aptitude and began thorough training as an artist. His early illustration work shows an influence from his contemporaries, mainly John Bauer, and decorative styles of the day. The subject matter was often mythological in nature.

Tenggren immigrated to the US in 1920. He opened a studio in New York and began a prolific output in children's books and magazine illustration. His style changed to adapt to the requirements of the market. In 1936 he was hired by Walt Disney to work on the first feature length animated film, Snow White.
He also worked on Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi and others, as a concept artist and designer. His Scandinavian background is evident in the artwork for these films.

From the 1940's to 1962, Gustaf Tenggren was a major illustrator of Little Golden books. One of his best known titles from these books is The Poky Little Puppy. He was amazingly successful and produced art for a wide range of subjects and age groups.

One of my favourite books from childhood is called Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights with superb illustrations by Tenggren. His approach is more stylised than his Disney work.

Gustaf Tenggren died in 1970 and his widow donated much of his artwork and papers to the children's literature research library at the University of Minnesota,

Early works from the 1920's.

Little Golden Book titles illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights. Simon and Schuster. First published in 1957

For further information and more of his artwork, there is a great site devoted to Gustaf Tenggren. Take a look here.

Annie to the Rescue

2010-08-08T15:13:00.002+10:00

My book is now in glorious paperback! Originally published in 2007, Annie to the Rescue is a companion volume to Annie's Chair.
Both books tell stories of a small girl who likes to do things her way. She considers herself resourceful and brave. Sometimes things don't go to plan in Annie's world but she always faces the challenges.

The artwork in these books were drawn and painted in the traditional method on watercolour paper, with some digital input.
Both books have been incredibly popular. I often get lovely letters telling me that the Annie stories have been very much enjoyed by the family.

More about these books on my website. (see side panel) Also click on the books' covers to read more from the publishers at Penguin.

Korean folk art

2010-08-01T21:21:00.001+10:00

Here are some gorgeous examples of Korean folk painting. The dexterity and economy of line and colour is beautiful and so effective in depicting the subjects of birds, butterflies and insects, fruit, fish, foliage and one lumpy toad.

Black and white illustration

2010-07-25T21:31:00.003+10:00

I've always enjoyed drawing with pen and ink in my sketchbooks and my finished art. It's a good idea for artists to sketch straight in pen sometimes, and not always rely on the trusty pencil. If you are not worried by mistakes in your sketchbooks, and of course, you shouldn't be, then your hand-eye co-ordination will improve in leaps and bounds and you will acquire a confidence in quick sketching.
There are many styles and techniques artists use in monochrome art. Some of my favourite artists are Gustave Dore, Leonardo da Vinci, Honore Daumier, Peter Bruegel, Hans Holbein and so many others.
Some favourite illustrators are William Heath Robinson, Edward Gorey, Aubrey Beardsley, Robert Crumb, Alan Stamaty, the list goes on.
My illustrations below have been taken from a variety of my previously published books.

Garden goat

Jubilant gnome

Gnome concentration

Giraffes in knots

Irate fortune teller Madame Fratlin


A conference of elephants

Favourite books from childhood

2010-07-18T16:57:00.003+10:00

I have long treasured books from my own childhood. I don't know how much of the style of certain illustrators influences other people's work, but in my case, I'm sure each artist, whose works I appreciate, is going to be an influence, however subtle.
Back in my childhood, I read and re-read collections of fairy tales. Sometimes these books were given as gifts and I still have them with me today.

The artist, Libico Maraja (1912- 1983) illustrated a number of fine books. The work below is from a version of The Wizard of Oz. This edition is dated 1958 and published in Australia by Golden Press, Sydney.
I loved then, as I do now, that Maraja's illustrations are well drawn with a straight-forward approach to the subject. He does not cute-ify his images, so in my mind as a child, they were totally believable.

I'll show more great illustrations from my books in the next few months.

New book release...

2010-07-11T17:53:00.007+10:00

It's Bedtime, William! is the title of my new book, published in June 2010. This picture book looks into the world-wide occurrence of kids not wanting to go to bed as opposed to the parent who knows the sleeping hour has definitely arrived.
A battle of wills can develop but with some negotiation and some strategic thinking, a child can usually buy some more precious time. In this story William has played his last card and reluctantly trudges up to his room only to find his bed is already occupied by a huge uninvited lion.
After the initial shock of this unexpected discovery, it is William who tries to persuade the now energetic and wide-awake lion to stop fooling about and go to sleep.
Does William succeed and will his parents find out?

I had a lovely time working on this book, creating the characters and writing the story. Nowadays I tend to keep the design and format of the layout quite simple and direct. I can then concentrate on the rapport between the main characters, their expressions, and vitality of the book as a whole.

These illustrations were drawn on a Wacom tablet using Photoshop.

Its Bedtime, William! is published by Viking, Penguin Australia.

Margaret Clark

2010-07-04T13:27:00.001+10:00

Margaret Clark was an Australian painter and illustrator who was born in 1901. She grew up in Sydney and attended Julian Ashton Art School for a short period.
In 1918 she was commissioned to paint pictures of fairies to decorate confectionery boxes for the firm of Sweetacres.
Margaret Clark had a short but successful career as an artist. She exhibited five fairy paintings with the Sydney Society of Women Painters in 1924 and held a solo exhibition at the Sydney Art Salon in 1926.

The painting shown here is from the 1924 or 1926 exhibition. Margaret Clark's work is influenced by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, but nevertheless is well executed and skillfully painted. Despite her exhibitions of work being highly successful for such a young artist, her output after this was minimal.
After her marriage in 1929, she disappeared from the public art scene.
Some of her existing work is apparently now in the possession of the State Library of NSW.

Update...

2010-06-26T16:48:00.001+10:00

Great success for Freya Blackwood! She has been presented with the Kate Greenaway Award for best illustrator in 2010. Her stunning illustrations for the picture book Harry & Hopper written by Margaret Wild, were judged to be the winner in this year's event. Very well deserved and I'm looking forward to seeing so much more of Freya's talent in years to come.

Grandpas and grandchildren

2010-06-23T20:59:00.006+10:00

I've been very fortunate to work with Margaret Wild on two picture books. One is called Chatterbox, first published in 2006, and the other is called Grandpa Baby published in 2009. These are some illustrations from the lovely Grandpa Baby, one of my favourite books. Grandpa has swapped roles with his grand-daughter for the day and I think he is really enjoying the role! This book has recently been nominated for the 2010 Speech Pathology Australia Awards, and was a delightful story to illustrate.
For these illustrations I worked digitally, drawing and painting using Photoshop..

Congratulations!

2010-06-13T16:43:00.004+10:00

Three cheers to Freya Blackwood for her well-deserved place on the shortlist for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2010.
Freya has illustrated Margaret Wild's beautiful story Harry & Hopper with great sensitivity and understated charm. This is evident in all her illustrated books.
My fingers are crossed for a Freya Blackwood win at the end of June 2010.
See more of Freya's work here.

New book coming soon

2010-06-08T17:33:00.012+10:00

I've been checking the proofs for a brand-new book which I've illustrated and will be published later this year. This is a fun book and as you can see, features babies galore. I'll reveal more in the coming months.

So many cats...

2010-06-06T12:58:00.007+10:00

My book illustrations often feature cats of all kinds. Fat, happy, athletic or devious. Some of these drawings date back to 1979 when I illustrated Jean Chapman's fabulous collection of all things catty in an anthology called Velvet Paws & Whiskers.