I regularly give talks and workshops to all ages, from infants to adults. My sessions are lively, silly, interactive and stimulating. I'm just as comfortable singing songs, imitating animals and acting like an idiot with PreK as I am discussing how to harness the power of the formal elements of art to create visual narratives with Year Twelve. I was a secondary school teacher before I began illustrating, so am very comfortable managing and engaging large groups of students.
If you would like to know what to expect when I visit your school, click here for details.
Why are author/ illustrator visits so valuable?
They are proven to improve literacy, generate spontaneous reading, and encourage even reluctant readers
They provide valuable enrichment and stimulation with links to key areas of the curriculum
They forge a lifelong connection to writing and reading
They promote lateral thinking, empathy, critical analysis, and creativity
They demystify the creative process and motivate students to take creative risks
Recent past events...
I've been invited to talk about my work, and also discuss the ways that picture books engage readers and bring them "Back to the Library", and how they are relevant to the HSC topic of "Discovery".
I'll be at the Australian Society of Authors National Writer's Congress taking part in an interactive panel showcasing the work of multimedia artists. We'll be discussing the pros and cons of working with digital media. I'll be focusing mainly on my dimensional illustration work for Sounds Spooky, and my digital painting for commercial projects such as the American Girl books. The congress looks as though it's going to be extremely interesting, so don't miss out on tickets!
To tie in with Book Week and The Brisbane Big Draw, I'll be running a three hour masterclass designed to help you discover and develop your unique illustration style. An intensive workshop centred around hands-on, practical exercises that will help you identify your illustration superpowers and harness them to work for you, whether you're an established illustrator wanting a fresh perspective on your work or a newcomer just setting out and trying to build a portfolio. This session builds on and complements skills learned in previous workshops on visual narrative and character development, although it's not necessary to have attended these.
Please bring a current sketchbook, colour copies of 5 finished illustrations you have done (please don't bring originals) and your favourite drawing materials.
Click here for more info and to book
I'm delighted to announce that Juliette MacIver and I will be doing an all-singing, all-dancing double act at the Brisbane CBCA Book Week dinner. Sword swallowing! Fire-eating! Death-defying stunts and derring-do! Or at the very least, a hearty discussion of ducks, Toucans, rhyming and scribbling. See you there!
I'll be running a three hour character design workshop at the CYA Conference in Brisbane. I'll be talking about how to create expressive human and animal characters with verve and personality. This will be a hands-on intensive workshop, so bring your favourite sketching gear, limber up those pencil-holding fingers and prepare to work hard and have fun - and hopefully learn stuff.