WRITING AND ART

Luckily for me, I have a very strong visual memory and this has always been an important part of me being able to draw and write creatively. In addition to this, the desire to create an ‘other’ world, to put on paper the world inside me, has always been strong. At school (my teachers will testify to this, if they can remember that far back) I wasn’t much good at science or maths or anything else that involved concentrated thought, but I loved escaping into the fantasy world I could create in my head. I struggled with reading as a child, so was always drawn to comics and poetry, where there were fewer words to decipher and images to pour over. I loved the Asterix books, the Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely M. Barker, and Butterfly Ball and would copy the pictures. These images brought the stories to life for me and were part of the magic, which I guess is partly why my initial writing interests lay in picture books and why I have a bit of an obsession with graphic novels.

My first two picture books were published in 2006 – no-one could have been more surprised than me! A few years later, The Ruby and Grub series was published by Piccadilly Press in the UK and Koala books had co-editions in Australia. Some of this series has been translated into Dutch and Slovenian and in 2015 the first two books came out in the USA (yippee!) Buttercup Magic: A Mystery for Megan, also published by Piccadilly Press, came out in 2012.

COMMISSIONS

I have completed a few art commissions, which I always love doing as they take me out of my comfort zone.  If you’d like to commission a piece of artwork or purchase an original painting, please contact me via the Contact tab of this website. I am also available to do artwork for websites, illustrations, book covers – just ask and I’ll let you know if it’s something I can work on for you. Here are a couple of examples of completed commissions – both are acrylic paintings on canvas. For more of my artwork and more commissions see the MY ART tab.

WORKSHOPS

Over the years I have done a variety of readings, talks and workshops, from Waterstone’s and the Women’s Institute to schools and libraries. I’ve taken part in the Derbyshire Literary Festival a number of times – always great fun and a great opportunity to work with children and meet others who are passionate about literature.

My workshops range from readings and activities for primary school children, to art and creative writing workshops using music for inspiration, for secondary school children. I  can adapt workshops accordingly and can work to your own agenda. Visits can be an hour or two hours long to half or a full day. Please contact me on the Contact tab for a chat if you are interested in me  running a workshop for you.