My Best Friend

' My Best Friend' is my children's book about a young girl who tries to comes to terms with the loss of her beloved cat. Thinking or believing you see/hear your cat everywhere makes it so much more difficult. Children should be offered facts and reassurance. Not left in the dark. This book could help them to express or discuss their feelings.

I wrote and illustrated this based on my own personal loss and emotions. Here are a few final spreads; in ink and muted coloured pastels.

Cornsnakes

My sister has 12 cornsnakes, some of them are babies and look like pencils with eyes. Also coloured inks are fun and charcoal is annoying.

Sketchbook snakes

A few line drawings of corn snakes. The python was in a zoo... I want one.

Sheep.

Just a few mixed media developments of sheep. Looking a a variety of breeds and ages, anything I can spot that adds character.

Tortoise

Experimental ink and watercolour.

Tortoises rule!

Aesops fable. A wolf in sheeps clothing.

These are my starting point for Aesops fable illustrations my last project of the 2nd year. For this I visited a local farm to draw sheep from life. I also like to show character expression on the wolf.

Ducks and Geese

I created these ink drawings in Stanley Park Blackpool during autumn 08. I really enjoy drawing animals from life. The ducks were my friends but geese are forever evil!

Issues and Beliefs

A 2nd year project on campaign posters. I believe a strong majority of the fur trade is wrong, mostly overseas where animal welfare is lacking or laws are not enforced to stop the hunting of endangered species. Although I did find this project difficult in portraying my opinions in an innovative way, mainly because there are already many campaigns out there such as PETA- "Fur is dead" or "Fur? Id rather go Naked."
As most campaigns are slogan based mine became Fur Shame. I took the photograph in an interior design shop then changed it to expresses a deeper meaning.... Do you wear fur??

Decorate

In this 1st year brief the aim was to decorate a wrapping paper on an environmental or cultural issue. Then wrap up an object which depicts the subject. I chose homlessness as it seems to be an issue which effects both Preston city centre and many parts of the UK.

I chose to show a dog wrapped in a duvet as these are both strong symbols when thinking and talking to the homeless. They often care for a pet before themselves. I made this quilt by stitching old materials together, such as t-shirts, gloves and rags. This is also my dog Taz.

How to make....

These are 1st year illustration photographs. The project was entitled How To Make..... A sandwich. This is made from an old pillow, cardboard, tin foil, a rubber glove, tissue paper and other such objects. Its a swiss army sandwich because of the way I designed it to fold out in style. I remember at the time trying to make tomatoes and failing because it looked gross.

Limited edition artist books

In this project the aim was to create 10 print books. I based mine on the theme of apples: The journey to the core. I used the letterpress and halved actual apples to print on the cover. Inside are 8 monoprints and a woodcut. 10 books were made to show you can repeat a method and at a cost of less than £1 per book to make. I also bound the books using twigs from my garden.

Observational drawing of pips :)

Lizzie's Lunch - Macmillian entry

Character design based on Fred and Phylis, our pet bearded dragons. This was 2nd year illustrations for my macmillian childrens book entry.

My Macmillian childrens book entry.

Lizzie's Lunch. (12 double page spreads.)
Lizzie spent many hours dreaming of her favourite food.
Lizzie loved to eat insects. She was beginning to feeling hungry and was ready for her lunch.
Locust was lunch, but locust was too fast.
Lizzie wanted to eat a fly, but the fly was too high.
Lizzie found a juicy worm, but the worm wiggled deep underground.
Lizzie followed a trail of ants, but the ants climbed a tree.
Lizzie saw a cricket, but the cricket soon hopped away.
Lizzie chased a beetle, but the beetle hid behind some giant rocks.
Lizzie tried to catch a butterfly, but it fluttered far across a field.
By now Lizzie was feeling tired... and very hungry.
So she decided to eat something she could catch, it was very tasty indeed. (Lizzie is eating leaves she turned into a lazy vegetarian!!)
Lizzie looked forward to her next easy meal. (She is daydreaming of plants instead of insects.)......

Written March 09