It’s been quite a tumultuous year, probably for most of us, so here’s to looking forward with positivity, mindfulness and creativity!
Chicken and Frog Bookshop Window Decoration
The delightful Chicken and Frog Bookshop invited me to bring a little Snow Ghost magic to their window - such a glorious sunny day for painting snow! Thanks to Natasha, Rosa and Dave for making me feel so welcome. Lots of great books to read and things to see in the shop in Brentwood, Essex. I’m sure she’ll be very happy there this Winter!
Snow Ghost - written by Tony Mitton, published by Bloomsbury, available from all good book shops and online.
Folktale Week
I’ve just completed making images for @folktaleweek, over on Instagram. Phew! What a week busy creating images based on African folktales, trying out new compositions, colours and subject matter, as well as finding so much fantastic artwork from lots of new illustrators. Very inspiring!
Here’s one of my favourite images based on the traditional African story, “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky”. You can see the other six images in my portfolio.
Alice in Wonderland
I’ve been enjoying creating some illustrations for the classic Lewis Carroll story “Alice in Wonderland” of late. I’m hoping to add some more characters soon…
Snow Ghost Paperback
Snow Ghost is out in paperback! Written by Tony Mitton, published by Bloomsbury Publishing, it’s a
“timeless story of hope and belonging, perfect for sharing with loved ones this winter.”
“Unique and Magical” - Storytime Magazine
Details
Whilst making images, tidying in photoshop and then sharing then on social media, I’ve noticed that I sometimes prefer an illustration when I’ve ‘zoomed’ in! So here are some of this ‘zooms’.
It's Spider Time!
It really feels like Autumn here in the UK as I walk down my garden path, gossamer spider’s webs finding my hair to stick to at every step! Well, at least it’s inspired some new black and white spidery pictures…
The first one up is called “Ballooning Spiders”, inspired by E B White’s story “Charlotte’s Web”
Molly Proofs
I’m excited to receive Excited to receive proofs of “Molly on the Moon” today! Written by Mary Robinette Kowal and publishing in April 2022 by Roaring Brook Press at MacMillan Kids.
Details from "The Little Mermaid"
Original story by Hans Christian Andersen
Cover Reveal!
I’m really happy to share the cover of a new picture book, “Molly on the Moon”, written by space expert Mary Robinette Kowal. It’s going to be published by the fabulous Macmillan Publishing (USA) in April 2022.
That’s quite a long time, but then it takes a while to get to the moon!
A New Book Begins!
“The End is Just the Beginning”, written by Mike Bender,, illustrated by me and published by Crown Books, RandomHousePenguin is out today!
“A timely message of hope and comfort, this stunning picture book is the perfect treasure to share with anyone trying to navigate these uncertain times—or any life transition!
Starting a book at the end may seem confusing. But the end of one thing is just the beginning of something new in this innovative and heartfelt book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Mike Bender. Accompanied by beautiful and inspiring illustrations by Diana Mayo, this story is ideal for helping kids understand how to meet life’s challenges with optimism and hope. A wonderful gift for all ages. “
Available via my shop in the menu
New Shed
Spring has sprung here in the UK, although there’s still a biting wind and frost. Nevertheless, we’ve been busy building a shed in our garden and then I’ve spent equally long trying to hide it so we can not notice it focus on the plants!
I love gardening, so I thought I’d paint my space working in the sort of way I do outside - sort of letting it evolve as I go, rather than with a master plan. It’s meant there’s more white space in the picture, somehow. Maybe it’s a little too tentative, but I like bits. Rather like my garden…
Self Portrait
As part of #MarchMeettheMaker over on Instagram, the eleventh challenge was to share a portrait.
Not my best self-portrait (but current), it includes relevant things for this on-going lockdown: Comfy clothes, no makeup, home-cut fringe, one of the cats, plants, ceramic pots, my painful tennis elbow, view to the garden…
I’m hoping the next one I paint I’ll be outside, having done other stuff!
Lockdown Pot #3
This hand-coiled, stoneware pot is the largest I’ve made to date, so still a learning curve for me.
I’m wishing I could visit the Makerspace in Colchester to actually throw some pots, but whilst we’re still in lockdown here in the UK, I’m making do on my kitchen table.
I’ve almost finished illustrating it with underglaze; it includes both personal family and generic “lockdown’ images, all over-laying the continually growing plant background, that is nature continuing on regardless!
I’m looking forward to firing it and then retiring with transparent glaze to really bring our the colours.
Book Mark Project
Just painted a book mark for the #BookMarkProject over on Twitter organised by @slhattersley.
It’s the Snow Ghost, written by Tony Mitton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Happy new Year
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
A study from Snow Ghost, written by Tony Mitten, published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Artist Partners Christmas Card
Thanking my wonderful agent Christine at Artist Partners for supporting and working so hard on my behalf this year. And thanks for making my “Snow Ghost” snow!
Published by Bloomsbury, written by Tony Mitton.
#folktaleweek Day 7 -
“The shoes That Were Danced to Pieces” for ‘Dance’, the very last day of Folktale week 2020 on Instagram!
For this final story prompt, I visited my trusty old Grimms Fairy Tale book, and was inspired by this tale, otherwise known as “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”
.
Each night, 12 princesses wear their shoes out with dancing, even though they are locked in their room. The king seeks someone to find what his daughters are doing each night. A wounded soldier accepts the challenge and discovers the secret passageway the girls follow to meet their suitors to dance the night away. As a reward for his work, the soldier is given the oldest princess as his wife and is promised he will be king after the current king passes away.
.
A sad tale, as I believe the shoe covers the foot and so represents their stance, or viewpoint. The 12 do escape the king’s power by dancing night after night, thereby wearing out their shoes, but are sadly overpowered in the end...
Keeping it simple this time, I’ve thrown and decorated a wonky, “folky” porcelain pot and shown the worn out dancing shoes, to me the focal, poignant point in the story.
.
I hope you’ve enjoyed some of my illustration play over Folktale week - I’ve loved being involved! Thanks organisers at @folktaleweek and @storycamp_disco 🙏😀
#folktaleweek Day 6 -
“The Peasant and the Devil” for ‘Harvest’ on day 6 of Folktale Week on Instagram.
This tells the tale of a wily peasant who tricks the devil. The peasant agrees to give him half of his field’s harvest, but only everything below ground. The peasant plants turnips, so leaving the devil with the wilted leaves above. The next year the devil wishes for everything underground instead, but the peasant sows wheat, leaving the devil with the stubby roots and so reaping a good harvest again...
.
I had a play around with some new colours for this image. I’m not sure I like the end results, but i enjoyed the repetitive mark-making and looseness of the textures!
#folktaleweek Day 5 - Death
“Fitcher’s Bird” for ‘Death’ on this, the fifth day, of Folktale Week on Instagram.
This is another gruesome tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm concerning the capturing, imprisonment and death of young girls by an evil wizard.
It is not until the youngest, and wisest, of three sisters outwits him by not doing as he wishes (carrying an egg wherever she goes!), and disguises herself with feathers as a bird, that she saves her sisters and escapes death herself.
It’s one of the few Grimm’s stories that the woman rebels and chooses to leave her ‘husband’, choosing to be free and single instead.
