Stars On Canvas 2012

I was asked to contribute to the Stars on Canvas Exhibition again this year. It's a charity exhibition run by the Willow Foundation, set up by Bob and Meg Wilson to provide special days for seriously ill young people.

Artwork featured includes canvases specially painted by such well-known children's book illustrators as Korky Paul, Peter Firmin, Mini Grey, Leigh Hodgkinson, and Thierry Henry.

This is my little effort. I dusted off my old acrylic paints to do this. Most of the stuff I do these days is digital, and I kept wanting to press the step-backwards button. A lot. It was fun to paint all the same.

The exhibition has its private view and press launch on the 29th November at the Maddox Arts, 52 Brooks Mews, London W1K 4ED (nearest tube: Bond Street). The exhibition runs to the 1st December. There's also an on-line eBay auction which runs from 22nd November to the 2nd December, so you can pick up a classy canvas with a click of a mouse.

Extremely Gruntled

Here they are -- the two new books of mine from Scholastic, Make It! Robot and Make It! Rocket. 

It occurred to me that this might be the only occasion I'll be able to say "I had two books published today." To have one book published is an event. To have two published on the same day is really pretty unusual, even if the books are very closely related.

Sometimes as I grind through a mountain of artwork or sweat over a text or have a cherished project rejected, it's easy to become disgruntled with working in the publishing industry. Then they publish stuff of yours and the world seems a better place.  This week it's safe to say that, just for the time being at any rate, I'm extremely gruntled.

New Book!

I'm very pleased to announce that two books of mine are being released in May! They're called 'Make It! Rocket' and 'Make It! Robot' and are published by Scholastic. They star Hugo and his mad bonkers inventive family. As you read the story, you can pop out the various pieces and actually build your own rocket and robot. Coooo! I thought I'd give you a sneaky peak of one of the spreads before the books reach the shops. I know -- I spoil you. This is where Hugo interrupts his Mum, Dad and sister Dottie in the middle of some mysterious goings on. (I was quite pleased with the name of the rocket fuel.)

Snip!

I've just finished this illustration to accompany a poem called Snip! for Highlights High Five Magazine in the States. So go on, see if you can spot all ten letter S's. And how many pairs of scissors? Lots of points on offer, and of course normally points mean prizes, but today I'm feeling mean.

Dino School

This is an image from a book I've just finished illustrating for Simon and Schuster in New York. The book is called 'Dino School' and as the name suggests, it's about a school for dinosaurs. This particular story is about a T-Rex called Teddy, who can only roar extremely loudly. Think Brian Blessed in dungarees with scales and teeth.

Another Highlights High Five Cover

This is another cover for those nice people at Highlights High Five Magazine, in the States.
A Mother Hen and her chicks can only mean that this is an Easter cover!

Highlights High Five Cover

This is a cover that I recently finished for Highlights High Five magazine in the States. Happy, smiley animals for a bright, sunny morning.