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I like to imagine that they are singing this.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Friday, 9 December 2011
The Polar Bear Post
click to enlarge.
The Polar Bear Post is how all your letters to Father Christmas get delivered to his workshop in the North Pole.
The post gets dropped off by a boat on the icy shore of the Arctic, where it's picked up by the bears who then amble across the snow with it to make sure your notes get to Santa before Christmas. Only they know the exact location of Father Christmas's house. Didn't you know that? I suppose they did rather skirt around it on Frozen Planet so you can be forgiven...*
*I might have made some of this up...
FREE! An address label for your letters to Father Christmas!
click to enlarge.
Here's an address label for you to use on you letters to Father Christmas!
Simply click on the image above to enlarge it.
Save it to your computer then print it off.
Then just follow the instructions and Bob's your uncle - your letter has it's own very smart address label! AND there's no need for a stamp as the postage has been paid for you!
Once posted it will then be rushed across the North Pole by the Polar Bear Post.
Have you not heard of that? Well come back later and find out more....
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
My Online Shop is now OPEN!
Hooray!
Available right now is a pack of two signed Christmas cards. Keep popping back regularly though as I hope to add new things soon, including some hand drawn badges.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Storytime: Alice, the Blitz and the New Melting Shoes
Fancy a bit of storytime? Well put on your tin hats and grab your gas mask - we are going back to 14th November 1940...
Mood music
For anybody who doesn't know, I was born in Coventry, England. It's a not very big city which is famous for quite a few things - car building, watch making, ribbon weaving etc, but it's most well know for two events: Lady Godiva and the Blitz.
Today, 14th November, is the anniversary of when during WWII, the German planes swept over the city and bombed it very badly. So badly in fact that pretty much the entire city centre had to be rebuilt after the war, and the medieval cathedral was hit so badly that all that was left was an empty shell.
I thought that you might like to read a story about that night and about what happened to one ordinary little girl. A little girl named Alice....
Once, not all that long, ago there was a war.
-------------------------------------------------
This is actually a true story and I know that because the little girl named Alice grew up to be my grandmother. Here is a picture of us together when I was a little boy. (Snazzy jumper. hey?!)
Alice was born in Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland in 1926 and when she was still a very little girl she travelled over from Ireland to England and settled in the early 1930s in Coventry. I have the tiny suitcase she used for the journey in my studio. It was in Coventry that she grew up in the big Irish community that set up up home in the city. It was a tough time for the Irish then. There were signs put up in buildings reading 'No Dogs. No Irish'.
Every November, when I was a child, Alice would tell me the story of the Blitz, how she sheltered with her Mammy and younger siblings and how her street was almost destroyed and how, a few days later, she walked up to the Cathedral with her Dadda and how her shoes started to melt on the steps. I think it was a very poignant memory for her as later that winter, her father, whom she loved very very much, became ill and died. She was infact just a little bit older than the Alice in my story, but really did get new shoes for her birthday as well as a golden ring engraved with her initials - AS - Alice Stapleton.
Alice died when I was eleven, but the summer before she took me up to her bedroom and took the ring out of it's box and gave it to me. We have the same initials and she had been saving it for me from the moment I was born and named.
Because Alice's father died when she was young she had to finish school early and put the career she wanted (to become a tailor) on hold. She had to in a way become the mother of the household as her Mammy had to go out to work. Because of this she always felt that she wasn't very clever or well educated and one of the saddest things we found when she died was a little lined notebook that she had kept and practiced her handwriting in and her spelling. She was very funny and although not a writer like her husband Sid, could tell the most wonderful stories, including the one you just read.
Actually, talking about Sid, the story of how she met my grandad is really lovely, but I think I will save that another for another time....
Her shoes melting on the steps of the cathedral must have been a really life changing moment as the memory of it stayed with her forever, and when she grew up and married my grandfather she became a bit of a shopaholic! She had shoes of every colour and bags and gloves to match and we can never remember her ever going out of the house with out looking like a million dollars. Even when she went into hospital towards the end of her life, she made sure she had her lipstick with her - just incase!
Mood music
For anybody who doesn't know, I was born in Coventry, England. It's a not very big city which is famous for quite a few things - car building, watch making, ribbon weaving etc, but it's most well know for two events: Lady Godiva and the Blitz.
Today, 14th November, is the anniversary of when during WWII, the German planes swept over the city and bombed it very badly. So badly in fact that pretty much the entire city centre had to be rebuilt after the war, and the medieval cathedral was hit so badly that all that was left was an empty shell.
I thought that you might like to read a story about that night and about what happened to one ordinary little girl. A little girl named Alice....
Once, not all that long, ago there was a war.
It was a war that stretched all across the world.
Every night was filled with noise and smoke and bombs would fall like rain drops in a storm.
In a small city, in a not very big country, there lived a young girl named Alice.
One cold, cloudless November night, when the moon was as big and as bright as could be, Alice was sitting admiring her new shoes.
It was early evening and in their small house on an ordinary street, all around her her family were busy. Her Mammy was feeding her little brother and sister, her father, or Dadda as she called him, was getting himself ready for his night shift as an Air Raid Warden and her older sister was fixing her hair for a night out dancing. Her older brothers were fighting somewhere in the war, but Alice didn’t like to think too much about that.
What she did like thinking about however, was how smart her new shoes looked. A few days before it had been Alice’s birthday and her family had put all their spare clothing coupons together and bought Alice some new shoes.
They weren’t fancy shoes, or extraordinary in any way. They were sturdy and brown and very sensible, but Alice loved them. Nobody had much money back then and Alice had had to wear all of her sister’s old clothes and shoes for as long as she could remember. This was the first time she she had ever had anything new and something that was just for her.
Soon Dadda was ready to go so he gave Alice a kiss on the forehead and left for his shift.
Her sister blew kisses and clattered out the door to meet up with her friends. Alice’s little brother and sister yawned and grumbled in their sleep and Alice and her Mammy sat in their overcowded living room waiting, like they did every night, for bombs.
They didn’t have to wait long.
The sirens sounded, filling Alice’s ears with their loud and urgent cries. Searchlights snapped awake and danced across the sky, darting all over the place trying to find the aircrafts which grumbled and groaned low over the city.
Alice and her Mammy leapt into action. They bundled themselves and the babies into warm clothes. Alice grabbed her gas mask box and slung it over her shoulder. Taking him by the hand she led her little brother across the pitch black street and down into the shelter, stopping only to push the family dog down in front of them. Mammy and her little sister were close behind.
And it was there in that shelter that Alice and her family stayed that night, crammed in with other people, neighbours, whose white worried face shone out of the gloom. Above them, the earth shook and trembled as wave upon wave of bombs fell on the city. They didn’t know it but the sky was lit up, red and orange with flames. Plumes of smoke coughed and sputtered across the sky.
The night dragged on. Down in the shelter, everyone was quiet. Some wringed their hands, others shuffled their feet. Everyone winced when a loud bang went off nearby and gripped onto each other in fear as all around them the earth shook and quivered.
Alice kept looking up at her mother’s face. It was drawn and tense and she bit her lip anxiously. Alice knew that her Mammy was worrying about Dadda, and her sister and her brothers who were fighting in some far off place. Alice started to think about them too, but shook her head to banish the thoughts away.
Eventually morning came and the bombing stopped. Slowly and quietly, everyone shuffled out of the shelter into the cold, foggy morning air.
The city was in ruins.
Alice gasped as she stood in her now dust covered new shoes and looked around at her street. Not one pane of glass was left in any window and several houses had disappeared. It was if the night had swept them away leaving only rubble and fires and mess. There were other things for Alice to see; a smoke blackened bed hanging out of a bombed upstairs bedroom. A headless porcelain figurine lying half-drowned in a puddle. A neighbour lying dead in the pile of bricks and glass that used to be their house.
Nobody said a word. They just looked at the mess and destruction. Silent tears ran like rivers down their pale, dusty faces.
Alice stood next to her mother and tried to shield her brother’s eyes from the horror. Where was Dadda? she wondered. And her sister? Were they safe?
It was impossible to know if anyone was safe, so they busied themselves helping the wounded and clearing the mess until they could find out.
It wasn’t until the middle of the afternoon that Dadda arrived home. He appeared through the smoke like a miracle. His face was covered in soot and dust and his eyes were small and red and tired. When he found his family however, they lit up like Christmas and he swept Alice and Mammy and the babies into his arms and held them there, safe and warm as the dog danced around their feet.
Alice breathed a little sigh of relief.
Alice’s sister arrived back later, pale faced and tired. Alice noticed that it was only then that her Mammy’s face started to look a little less worried. Her family that were in the city were safe.
The city, however, was not.
It had been almost destroyed. Streets full of houses had been blown to pieces. Shelters full of men, women and children had been hit. Fires raged in the cold winter air.
And worst of all, the beautiful cathedral that had stood proud and solid in the middle of the city for centuries had been hit by the bombs and had burst into flames. It burnt all night long and for several days afterwards.
When the fires had stopped burning and some of the rubble had been swept away all that was left was an empty shell and, by some miracle, the spire.
A few days later, when the fires had died down and the smoke had cleared slightly, Dadda took Alice for a walk through the city. Alice put on her best clothes and her new shoes and walked with her Dadda through the injured, bomb ravaged streets. They eventually found themselves by the remains of the cathedral. Alice couldn’t believe her eyes. Where they had once been a high roof and stained glass windows, there was now blacked stone walls and fragments of brightly coloured glass littering to floor like dropped jewels.
As she stood next to her father, Alice became aware that her feet were feeling hot and uncomfortable. She looked down and with horror saw that the soles of her shoes had started to steam. The stone step on which she was standing was still so hot from the fires and the bombs, that it had started to melt her new shoes.
Dadda saw it too and he saw the shock and disbelief on his daughter’ face, so he lifted her up and he carried her home.
-------------------------------------------------
This is actually a true story and I know that because the little girl named Alice grew up to be my grandmother. Here is a picture of us together when I was a little boy. (Snazzy jumper. hey?!)
Alice was born in Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland in 1926 and when she was still a very little girl she travelled over from Ireland to England and settled in the early 1930s in Coventry. I have the tiny suitcase she used for the journey in my studio. It was in Coventry that she grew up in the big Irish community that set up up home in the city. It was a tough time for the Irish then. There were signs put up in buildings reading 'No Dogs. No Irish'.
Every November, when I was a child, Alice would tell me the story of the Blitz, how she sheltered with her Mammy and younger siblings and how her street was almost destroyed and how, a few days later, she walked up to the Cathedral with her Dadda and how her shoes started to melt on the steps. I think it was a very poignant memory for her as later that winter, her father, whom she loved very very much, became ill and died. She was infact just a little bit older than the Alice in my story, but really did get new shoes for her birthday as well as a golden ring engraved with her initials - AS - Alice Stapleton.
Alice died when I was eleven, but the summer before she took me up to her bedroom and took the ring out of it's box and gave it to me. We have the same initials and she had been saving it for me from the moment I was born and named.
Because Alice's father died when she was young she had to finish school early and put the career she wanted (to become a tailor) on hold. She had to in a way become the mother of the household as her Mammy had to go out to work. Because of this she always felt that she wasn't very clever or well educated and one of the saddest things we found when she died was a little lined notebook that she had kept and practiced her handwriting in and her spelling. She was very funny and although not a writer like her husband Sid, could tell the most wonderful stories, including the one you just read.
Actually, talking about Sid, the story of how she met my grandad is really lovely, but I think I will save that another for another time....
Her shoes melting on the steps of the cathedral must have been a really life changing moment as the memory of it stayed with her forever, and when she grew up and married my grandfather she became a bit of a shopaholic! She had shoes of every colour and bags and gloves to match and we can never remember her ever going out of the house with out looking like a million dollars. Even when she went into hospital towards the end of her life, she made sure she had her lipstick with her - just incase!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
COMING SOON: Christmas Cards for Sale!
"
Arthur and Magnus"
"Martha and Pipsqueak"
Two Christmas card designs.
Currently at the printers.
Will be on sale soon.
Limited supply!
Monday, 31 October 2011
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
ELLA, my new picture book (another sneaky peek!)
It gives me great pleasure to present to you my new picture book for Scholastic UK, Ella.
It's a love story between a shy ladybird (Ella) and a lovesick spider called Pierre set in Paris.
These pictures are from the hardback version of the book which arrived with it's paperback twin this afternoon.
I'm absolutely delighted by how the whole thing turned out and I must thank Ellie and Alison my lovely editors and the very talented Alex Fowler who designed the book and made the whole thing come to life. Also a big thank you to my agent Tamlyn who is always on hand to deal with the little ups and downs that creating a picture book brings. Excellent work from them all!
The book is available to pre-order here and here and will be released online and in the shops in Jan 2012. Look out for it and remember to support your local independent book shop.
And now I must get cracking on my next picture book for Scholastic - another girly book this time about a very 'spirited' Princess and her pug dog Percy.
--------------------------
Come back to my blog soon for another sneak peek of the new CLAUDE adventure - Claude at the Circus!
Monday, 17 October 2011
Bunny Hug
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Inspired by the little rabbit toy my big brother bought for me the day I was born.
He's quite tatty now and lives a quiet life on my book shelf.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
"Will you come to my party?"
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What on earth would you wear to a monster party?
I think a bowtie would be in order...
Monday, 12 September 2011
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Monday, 29 August 2011
Mr Penguin starts his day...
click to enlarge.
I seem a bit obsessed at the moment with drawing characters in bed...
It's probably because I have some big deadlines looming and I'm very, very tired! When my next picture book is finished I'll make sure I follow Mr. Penguin's lead and have a cup of tea in bed and catch up with the big wide world out there!
Friday, 26 August 2011
On the phone to Grandma...
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Poor thing - she's not feeling very well. Mr. Cat is enjoying himself though!
Hopefully Grandma will be over soon to administer cake,
tea and hilarious stories about how they know Kung Fu*...
More experimenting with this picture.
Am really enjoying working with my sparkly new Wacom tablet!**
*my grandmother does this...
** am a geek.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
And now for something completely different...
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A little doodle. Trying something new.
P.s. I would like a penguin please.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Feathered Friends
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There's an autumnal tinge to the air. Only slight, but it's there and I can feel it.
My poor bike (Walter) has been neglected since I moved house, but I think it's time to dust him down, pump up the tyres and go for a cycle. It's not quite as autumnal up here as it is in this picture, but it will be soon I reckon!
This is quite a large painting I created whilst waiting for the most enormous Photoshop files to save for my new book. I've had to piece the image together on screen as I'm still looking for a big scanner!
Friday, 19 August 2011
Friday, 29 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
A Quiet Moment...
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Hello!
I'm back from a week in the sun, splashing about in the sea and messing about on boats!(Pictures from my holiday sketchbook to follow soon!)
I don't know whether it's because I've come back from roasting hot weather, but I can't help but thinking that England is chillier than usual. Almost autumnal... So here is an autumnal picture for you all. I'm thinking about getting some little prints done of this. Would anyone be interested??
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Mermaid
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A few weeks ago I was thinking about fairytales and drew some character designs and scenes from Little Red Riding Hood. To continue this mini occasional series, I was thinking about the Little Mermaid yesterday and painted this.
I have to say I do much prefer the Disney version to the original. Probably because when I was a child I had a copy of the original text and it was utterly terrifying. The illustrations were horrible ( and scary!) and the text included a bit about how when the newly human mermaid started to walk it felt like knives stabbing her feet...
<< Shudder>>>
Needless to say, the all singing, all dancing, comedy crab including Disney version was altogether more cheerful!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Contents of my head...
I've just finished my first completely painted-and-not-gone-near-a-computer book ( a board book for a lovely Swiss publisher) and am now in the process of doing the final art work ( a mixture of digital and traditional) for one publisher and thinking about the story for my next picture book with another. The contents of my head at the moment is a bit random to say the least.
On the one hand I have a sly little fox, a cross-dressing alligator and some very jazzy, feathery ballroom dancers and on the other I have this little madam - more about all of this soon I hope!
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Day in the Life of a Toddler (Parts 1 -3)
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I've posted the first two of these onto my Flickr page, but here's the whole set. This started off as a small doodle in my sketchbook of the little girl getting dressed and I just kept on drawing!
Monday, 6 June 2011
Introducing BRAND NEW ILLUSTRATOR: THOMAS SMITH
Click to enlarge
These pictures are nice aren't they?! The top one shows a brave knight battling a FEROCIOUS dragon and below is a very grand castle. They are the work of brand new illustrator Thomas Smith (aged just 6 years old).
Some need to know facts about Thomas:
1. He can rustle up a full colour, stapled together picture books in next to no time especially if you are feeling poorly and need cheering up or if you just seem a long way away. ( My wife and I are both proud owners of some of these masterpieces.)
2. He is an EXPERT on Star Wars, Castles, Knights, aliens and Indianna Jones.
3. He enjoys bouncing on beds and having water fights.
4. He's my Big Nephew*
These pictures were mailed to me on Friday after I asked for something to brighten up my new studio. Watch out publishers and bookstores - there's a new kid in town!
*I have two hilarious nephews and a very lovely, getting-quite-grown-up-now niece. I am a VERY (embarrassingly) proud uncle! Sorry!
Friday, 3 June 2011
Thursday, 2 June 2011
NEW STUDIO!
I've moved into my new studio. As you can see 'some of us' are making ourselves right at home. Bella the other dog was feeling too shy to be snapped! The window in front of my desk is proving very distracting!
Friday, 27 May 2011
Bear and Bunny play Detectives
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Once again I have no real idea what is going on here...
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
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