Linda de Canha I

 

Squawk went to Bologna as the graduation book of Linda De Canha, it is a fantastic book about belonging and place . . . told from the perspective of suspecting pigeons, who with the arrival of parakeets learn to deal with change. I hope it has found a publisher.

Windy Zhu

 

These are illustrations from a book called 'What Colour Am I', by Windy Zhu who has completed her Masters at Anglia Ruskin University. Her see life has great charm and humour and I love the way she has integrated the marine plants with the. sea creatures.

Severus Lian 年糕太太

'Hiding in a fridge', I think has already entered the urban dictionary of phrases for cowardice in the UK so Severus Lian's illustrations are timely and funny.

Al Rodin I

Images from Al Rodin's book; 'Little Echo'. Al is just graduating from the MA in Children's illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Their show opened in London on Tuesday, I hope to catch it the following week at Anglia Ruskin, in Cambridge.
Al has a wonderfully loose style and great use of vibrant layers of colour, he has just been awarded the Sebastian Walker Prize for illustration.

Lily Irvin I

Lily Irvin is an Irish artist currently studying MA Illustration at Cambridge Anglia Ruskin. Her work has that special quality of quiet contemplation, of time taken to enjoy the solace of a woodland walk.
As we shift and appraise between the years, these walks seem vital healing and growth times. So enjoy your New Year walks and also enjoy a wander through Lily Irvin's portfolio.

Julia Woolf

We are dashing towards Christmas on hog back this week, and so I had better acknowledge it's ever quickening arrival with some fabulous Christmas illustrations. This one is by British illustrator and animator Julia Woolf  who graduated from Anglia Ruskin's' MA in Children's illustration in 2015.

Simone Lia I

Last month I attended a conference 'Beyond Picture Books' at CSA that I didn't really expect to enjoy or even stay to the end of as I had to drive home to Scotland that day. However, I found myself gripped and stayed to the very end, driving all through the night to get home. One of the speakers was Simone Lia and I love her! she was enigmatic, quirky and very, very funny and all of these great qualities travel through her hand and into her work.
The images above are from Simone's 'NEW' book 'They Didn't Teach this at Worm School' of course it's a winner for me as it has two of my favourite things, 'birds' and 'worms'. I bought it at The Fruitmarket Gallery last week and I think you should treat yourselves to.

Dave Barrow

When I first met Dave Barrow he told me of many evenings sketching in dingy pubs trying to capture the effect of the lighting, so it was great to get the opportunity to see some of these original sketches and see how all these man hours and studies then went into creating the lightscape of his hugely successful debut book 'Have you seen Elephant'. Dave was one of the inspirational tutors at the CSA summer school this year, a course that I cannot recommend highly enough. 

New Faces

After a week at Anglia Ruskin, I am returning home happy to have met so many wonderful people and participated in such a fabulous summer school.
Every morning since starting with Birgitta on Monday making portraits from nature, I have walked into college and collected magic. Relaxing my way into the day's illustration composing characters with my gatherings. It has been a wonderful week.

Birgitta Sif I

On Monday we had a lecture by Icelandic illustrator Birgitta Sif one of the course leaders, where she spoke about her work and working methods. Birgitta feels the common thread to her work is the experience of being different and shy. "I think the strongest characters are those who reveal who you are."

Birgitta is an advocated the importance of sketchbooks to record anything and everything for those details are what makes your "story and character even stronger." Birgitta does this and more concealing personal details in the story anchoring it to her life.

Anglia Ruskin II

Lunchtime relaxation, between lectures and launching into the weeks work, was provided by Birgitta Sif in the form of a bucket of organic objects and a jar of wheat 'O's above are some of my companions creations below are mine, mainly created with the dust I shook through the basket base.

The first day was busy, hot and intensive, but the tutors and international artists attending are fantastic. I am looking forward to a very interesting and challenging week.

Anglia Ruskin

I am off again, this is a busy and eventful summer in so many ways and although I realised how crazy it would be, I had booked myself onto the Anglia Ruskin Illustration Summer School.
Today I start an intensive week with some very inspirational tutors Marta Altés, Birgitta Sif, Dave Barrow and Helen Stephens and fellow students who ever they will be.
I hope it energises me and propels me forward into the last three weeks of my MA and the overwhelming amount of work that is still required. Looking forward to sharing some of this experience with you next week.

Sarah Smith

I have fallen in love with this illustration of a grandmother making slow progress on her old legs.

 'In apartment 53 where Nana Georgina live, the doorbell rings. Lately she has felt she has become quite slow at walking she makes her way to the door, shuffling from one foot to the other, over and over and over again - almost as though she has several pairs of legs.' The Butterfly House by Sarah Smith, Tate, London. 2014

 A lovely warm story about friendship between a grandmother and her grandchildren.
This grandmother is special (they all are).
She lives in a house full of butterflies and also knows how to change into one.
Sarah studied Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University in 2011 and is based in Bristol.