Ceramics

Yay, found my photos of ceramics I made many years ago! The clay is coming out of the bags again in 2016, just need to get it wet enough to work it ...

Advent is here

Today, my crafty christmas advent is on SCBWI's online magazine, Words & Pictures.
http://www.wordsandpics.org/2015/12/advent-is-here_17.html
http://www.scbwishowcase.org/#!Anna Violet/zoom/c1ljm/image_1nbo
Tweetable micro-stories going up this month on twitter #W8PAdvent

#SketchOMatic

Blurry sample from my 30 whizzy portraits last friday, my head's still spinning! #SketchOMatic  
Held in mock photo-booth at Home in Manchester http://homemcr.org/

Sketch-O-Matic is back!

Sketch-O-Matic is back in Manchester at Home!
http://homemcr.org/event/sketch-o-matic-2015-2/
Also in Manchester Evening News http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/sketch-o-matic-booth-returns-10537513
55 artists will be doing quick 5 min portrait sketches from inside a mock-up 'photo' booth.
My slot is tonight 6-8pm. Do come along if you can!

warm-up sketches Anna Violet

Seasons Greetings

Yikes, it's December already! Meet some of Santa's helpers.

Red Riding Hood black and white

Little Red Riding Hood

"She didn’t know what a wicked animal he was, so she wasn’t afraid of him"

(Excerpt from Philip Pullman’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood”, from FAIRY TALES FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM ,Viking, 2012) 

So Chorlton shopping bags

Hooray- I now have my very own So Chorlton bags! Commissioned by Chorlton Traders and now for sale in Chorlton shops. So Chorlton lettering and lychgate illustration by me.

Colour-in/stick-onto crafty christmas cards

Christmas is coming! Black & white colour-in/stick-onto crafty cards available at The Make It Shop  www.themakeitshop.co.uk. 

The Enormous Crocodile

I've been drawing a lot of crocodiles recently!

Illustration for 'Good Morning Mr Croco-doco-dile'

Thrilled to have illustrated this wonderful poem - Good Morning Mr Croco-Doco-Dile - by Charles Causley. It's published in a handbook this month by Oxford University Press as part of their excellent 'Read Write Inc' series.

illustration Anna Violet

Apple picking patterns

It's apple-picking time already!

Chorlton Map 2015-2016 is now out - hooray!

Really chuffed to see the colourful Chorlton map for Chorlton Traders now printed and out in the shops. Map designer Tom Biddle,  black and white illustrations and icons by me :)

map front

centre of map

reverse side with listings

details of listings

details of listings

Illustration Showcase Edinburgh Book Festival 2015

Yay! My pig is flying at Edinburgh Book Festival (15-31 August) as part of SCBWI (Society Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Illustrator's Showcase.
http://www.scbwishowcase.org/

Chorlton Map due out soon

Here's a screenshot from last month's Community Index, showing how the Chorlton Map for Chorlton Traders was beginning to take shape. Looking forward to seeing the map in print - map designed and put together by Tom Biddle, and I have illustrated all the buildings and icons.

Mudpie Mo: Part 4

Mudpie Mo is making mudpie pictures today. The 4th instalment is out online today at scbwi Words & Pictures.
http://www.wordsandpics.org/2015/08/mudpie-mo-by-anna-violet.html

Mudpie Mo: Part 3

Misreading your story spells?

Need to develop a strong voice as a children's book author?

Follow the latest Mudpie Mo on SCBWI's online magazine, Words and Pictures
http://www.wordsandpics.org/2015/07/mudpie-mo-by-anna-violet.html

SCBWI mask-making at Manchester Children's Book Festival Fun Day

Enjoyed being involved with mask-making workshops on the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) stall at Manchester Children's Book Festival Fun Day (http://www.mcbf.org.uk/about)last weekend.

We had bears, elephants, crocodiles, dogs and chimpanzees, but cats were by far the favourite choice by children. Every mask was different and we used the wonderful range of materials from Grumpy scrapstore (www.grumpy.org.uk)

Lots of fun workshops by children's authors and illustrators.  Plus an excellent SCBWI Pulse Panel Event on 26th June, So When Are You Going to Write for Grown-Ups, chaired by Marie Basting and with panel members author Jonathan Mayhew (Mortlock, Monster Odyssey Series), illustrator/author Kate Pankhurst (Mariella Mystery Series plus much more) and Julia Churchill of AM Heath Literary Agency.

Mudpie Mo

How not to write picture books? Follow Mudpie Mo on SCBWI's Words & Pictures online magazine, up today.
http://www.wordsandpics.org/2015/06/mudpie-mo-by-anna-violet.html

Chorlton Cross

New prints of Chorlton Cross now for sale at The Make It Shop, Chorlton.