Puffins

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The lovely Alex (Head of Puffin Liaison Services) at the Puffin Post magazine asked me just before Christmas if I would like to produce a cover for the magazine. It was for the March/April edition and had to be Puffin based and suitable for Spring. The above is what I produced and the magazine is out now. (Not so Secret Fact: I'd love to live in that little house on the rocks!)

If you haven't heard of the Puffin Post, I urge you to check it out. It's a beautifully designed little mag full of games, activities, illustrations, comics, interviews with author and illustrators and wonderful snippets from new books. You can read a little question and answer with me and check my Puffin Passport here!

Alex also sent me my very own Honorary Member badge for the Puffin Club which I am delighted with and will be wearing it always with pride. Thanks Alex!

Mr. Pilchard

The other day, whilst waiting for a biggish file to save I doodled this Bright Young Kitten motoring along in his very smart vintage car.

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I couldn't resist colouring him in and as I did I found out quite a bit about him. 

His name is Mr. Pilchard and he's one of the wealthiest cats in Manhattan. He has a penthouse apartment on 5th Avenue and is always at the best parties in the city. This car is a present that he bought himself for his birthday. He's splashed on a bit of Cat Cologne, thrown on his cashmere scarf and his driving goggles and gone for a pootle around the Big Apple. I wonder what will happen to him. 

If you ask me, a cute lady kitten will be involved...he is quite a dashing chap after all...

Here he is all coloured up and ready to go!

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Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2012

Cor! How about that then?! 

My book "Claude in the City" is shortlisted in the Children's Fiction category for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize! 

I'm very excited about it and really honored to be amongst some really great books written and illustrated by some super authors and illustrators.

The books are being promoted in store and online from now until when the winners are announced on 28th March, so do check them all out.

I'm equally as pleased and excited for my fellow Arena Illustration (Team Arena) illustrator Jonny Duddle whose brilliant book The Pirates Next Door is up for the award in the Picture Book category. Jonny's work is breathtakingly beautiful, cinematic and full of warmth and charm and quirky characters. He's also had the  green-with-envy making job of working as a designer on the new Aardman Pirates movie.

Also in the picture book category are books by the brilliantly bonkers Nadia Shireen and the fantastic Marta Altes. 

Good luck to all and I can't wait to see you all at the awards ceremony!

The Diamond Jubilee

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A day late, but there we go - congratulations to our Liz on your 60 years on the throne!

When Mabel Wandered In...

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I've always wanted to illustrate a book set during WW2. It's a period of history that has always fascinated me - the clothes, the air raids, the smog etc all strike me as being brilliant things to research and draw. I'm now wondering if I should try and write my own story set in the period. What would it be about? Who knows... But I find it always helps me to start with a character. So into my sketchbook wandered this little girl. I think her name is Mabel and it looks to me like she's an evacuee. But where is she from? Where is she going? What adventures does she find herself mixed up in during the blackouts? I'm not sure yet, so I'll let her wander around in my mind for a little bit - make herself feel at home. Then maybe she'll start to tell me her story...

BRING IT ON.

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So here in the UK the temperatures have dropped and we are heading for minus double figures and snow! How are my tiny, naughty little dogs going to deal with that? The same as they deal with pretty much every day - curling themselves up in bed or piling onto my lap. They also have a wide selection of winter coats and jumpers that they enjoy wearing, including 70s style parkas as modeled above by my tiniest chihuahua, Mr. Billy Bongo.

Have a great weekend, y'all and keep warm!

Illustration Friday: TWIRL

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