Tweedmouth Event

On Saturday 11th Feb I will be visiting The Sure Start Centre in Tweedmouth to do a reading and drawing activity. There will be 4 sessions between 1pm and 3pm, it's open to all the children who go to the Sure Start Centre and their parents. What makes this event extra special is that this is where my little girl goes to nursery, she has been asking what I do when I visit schools, well now she'll get to see. It will be funny to see how she reacts. I'll be bringing along books to sell, and do a signing too.

Kelsey- you are number 30!

...but I can't get in touch with you to send your lion artwork. Can you leave a comment here, or email me through my website? Otherwise the artwork will just sit in a draw with no nice new owner...

PS Kelsey got in touch and the artwork is on it's way.

The first proof of How To Hide a Lion

I am so pleased with how it is looking, the colours need adjusting at the printers, it's come back slightly darker than expected, but other than that I am very pleased with it. A big thank you to Alison, Zoe and Rebecca at Alison Green Books.

30th follower

To celebrate 30 followers, the person who is number 30 will get a free line drawing of a lion. Go on, be number 30! I'll need your address too, so let me know. Thanks!

Venice photos

We went to Venice in 2011 to do some research for a new book, here are some photos we took, I'll post some more drawings soon.

Gerry's plywood trees.

Gerry is off to Edinburgh Printmakers today to make
more trees to sell on his etsy shop.

New shelves- aah!

I bought these old shelves in a junk shop and painted them turquoise,

Gerry put them up yesterday. I am so pleased with them... places to put our

STUFF.... ahh.... After 15 years in a tiny (but lovely) flat in London

I get so excited about having places to put things now!

My first copy of The Big Adventure of the Smalls arrived today!

It's feeling very Christmassy in our house today.

Gerry and Samantha's exhibition at The Penny Lodging House

My partner Gerry Turley and our friend Samantha Cary had an exhibition at The Penny Lodging House in Berwick. The building is amazing. Abandoned years ago, and until recently, inhabited only by pigeons. Gerry decided to make paper pigeons to fill these wooden cubbyholes and at the private view, on a dark November night, they seemed to glow out of the dark, quite ghostly, beautiful.

'Picture This' exhibition at Gallery Oldham.

The BBC have done an article on 'Picture This', an exhibition of children's book illustration.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-15870500

Picture This! an exhibition of Children's Book Illustration

My work is being shown at Gallery Oldham from Nov 26- 11 March. There is work from Fleabag, The Night Iceberg and my new book, The Big Adventure of the Smalls. I am planning to go and see it in a couple of weeks time, and probably do a signing. It will be great to see the work up alongside Shirley Hughes' and Anthony Browne's work.

http://www.galleryoldham.org.uk/exhibitions/picture_this.htm

Goose Hill School

This week I visited Goose Hill School in Morpeth. I was there for 2 days and each class made a page in a giant book. At the end of the second day we all got together so the children could see what they had created. I have a fantastic time, and the children were so full if ideas and enthusiasm. Thanks Goose Hill!

Venice sketchbook

My next book is set in Venice, so I had to do some research (oh poor me!) Here are a couple of the drawings I did there.

Fleabag in Julia Donaldson's top ten Children's Books

Julia Donaldson, the children's laureate, puts Fleabag amongst her top ten picture books in the Guardian this week. How amazing!

Julia's top 10

Julia's favourite recent picture books in alphabetical order:The children's laureate names her favourite picture books of recent times ...

Baby Brains Simon James

Blue Chameleon Emily Gravett

Dogs Don't Do Ballet Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie

Fleabag Helen Stephens

I Hate School Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Milo Armadillo Jan Fearnley

My Name Is Mr Fox Shen Roddie and Henny Löhlein

The Man on the Moon Simon Bartram

The Monster Who Ate Darkness Joyce Dunbar and Jimmy Liao

Traction Man Is Here Mini Grey 

Cragside School

Today I visited Cragside Primary School in Newcastle. What a lovely school, I was made really welcome, and the children were so enthusiastic. They did some amazing Fleabag drawings, and each one so different!

Beverley Literature Festival

I was really pleased to be asked to do the Beverley Literature Festival again this weekend. I got the children to make icebergs inhabited by penguins and tins of sardines. One boy filled his sea with red bellied piranhas- eek!

Abney and Teal

Have you seen Abney and Teal? It is wonderful. It has the wise philosophy of Moomins, the tinkly, plinky plonky tunes and warm voices of Bag Puss and the lovely hand made feel of Clangers. It is the best children's programme I have seen for years. When I saw the clip advertising it I was immediately hooked and when I saw the first episode and saw Joel Stewart credited at the end I was delighted, as I love his books.
http://joel-stewart.blogspot.com/

The book I am working on at the moment is called How To Hide A Lion. 

Big Adventure of the Smalls

During a very exciting meeting at Egmont last week (about a new book I am illustrating for Michael Morpurgo) I was given this blad of my new book, The Big Adventure of the Smalls, out next March. The cover has lovely gold foiling on the front, and I am so pleased with it. 

A little insight into what I'm working on today...

This is a rough drawing for my latest book, out next year sometime I think.

Black and white drawing

A drawing inspired by my new book 'How To Hide A Lion', 

due to be published next year by Alison Green Books.

Black and white sample sheet

I did this black and white sample sheet to

show publishers. I used to do quite a lot of

black and white work,  including books by

Roger Mcgough and Sophie Hannah, but

haven't had any black and white work for a

while. Don't know why, anyway I thought I'd

remind everyone that I still do black and white!

Night Iceberg selected for White Ravens International Library

The ICDL Foundation's goal is to build a collection of books that represents
outstanding historical and contemporary books from throughout the world. 
Ultimately, the Foundation aspires to have every culture and language
represented so that every child can know and appreciate the riches of
children's literature from the world community.

Today's piccie

... this is what I'm working on today.

Sketchbook drawings in Berwick

I little insight into my week...

This is what I have been working on this week. It is my entry to the London Transport Museum Poster Competition. The theme was river and I had a sketchbook full of pictures I drew from The Festival Hall balcony before I left London. I thought I'd have a go.

Some Old Sketchbooks

When I first left art school I had no idea how I was going to make a living, I just knew it had to involve drawing. I filled loads of sketchbooks during this time, I think in an attempt to hang onto my artistic life. I found these sketches from around that time. I love them, I'm quite impressed with my younger self!

See my Top Ten Books at Babyccino Kids

I was pleased to be asked to do a Ten Ten picture books list for Babyccino Kids, although, what a task! I had to squeeze in an extra one, ten just wasn't enough.

Fleabag by Helen Stephens

Fleabag, The Night Iceberg and three more of my books have appeared on Cbeebies Bedtime Stories. Here is Jake Wood reading Fleabag.

I love to draw shoes

I love to draw old shoes. They are strangely sad, I can't quite work out why. I drew these gorgeous shoes at The Bowes Museum in Teesdale.

These are paper shoes that I drew at The Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. They are so small & delicate, I love them.

Seaside fashions

I love this illustration of Seaside fashions by John Leech. The colours are gorgeous, and where can I buy that dress on the right?

World Book Week

It's around this time of year that bookings for World Book Day start to arrive, so if you'd like me to visit your school then get in touch. World Book Day is Thursday 3rd March.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories

I am so excited, Fiona Shaw (of Harry Potter and Three Men and a Little Lady fame) read The Night Iceberg on CBeebies Bedtime Stories last week. She read it beautifully. Exciting stuff!  Keep an eye out, they are often repeated.

Today's picture...

Another little taster of what I am working on at the moment.

The Snow

The snow here has been amazing, we are loving it. Please can we have some more in time for Christmas?

All About The Giant Alexander

I came across this beautiful book in a charity shop. It was written by Frank Herrmann and illustrated by George Him (Illustrator of The Little Red Engine) in 1964.

A little insight into my day

I thought I'd occasionally put up something that I've been working on that day. Here is today's piece. It's a rough for a new book I'm working on. Can't say any more at the mo....