Merry christmas!

Workshop making clay mice

Thrilled to run a drop-in mouse-making workshop for children last Saturday at Bolton Museum, as part of the opening of their new exhibition, 'Animals and Us'. The exhibition features Leopold the mascot mouse (drawn and designed by me in black and white).

We made over 60 little mice, using self-hardening clay, string, pink cardboard, small hazel twigs, paper and pencils. Clay is great to use with children because it is so malleable.

Leopold the mascot mouse @annaviolet

Illustrated exhibition opens at Bolton Museum

I am delighted to have been involved in an exciting and unusual illustration commission for Bolton Museum, including Leopold the mascot mouse. 

I provided the black and white ink line drawings for the museum’s interactive family exhibition, ‘Animals and Us’. These images were no bigger than A4-size, scanned in at high resolution and then made into vector files. 

I am impressed how Bolton Museum has had these illustrations printed onto foamboard at varying sizes, to link the exhibition together in a very graphic and fresh way. The illustrations provide the actual furniture and the setting for the displays, so the pillars, the cupboards, the fireplace and the stable door are now life-sized. 

Leopold the  mouse is child-sized on the stairway and mouse-sized elsewhere, and guides young visitors around. 

The exhibition opened to the public yesterday and will last about 18 months.

http://www.bolton.gov.uk/website/news/pages/Miniaturemascotstarofnewexhibition.aspx

Waiting to go in the kiln

Some clay models I made of hare, tortoise and elephant, waiting to go in the kiln. The owl was inspired by ceramist Rosemary Wren. These have helped with some recent illustrations I've been doing, to be published next year.

Illustrations for Bolton Museum

Thrilled to have drawn the black and white illustrations for Bolton Museum’s Animals & Us exhibition, including Leopold the mouse. Exhibition opens 3rd December.

Promoting the exhibition are five fun animal displays with a story-theme, set up in the foyer and library (see below). Stuffed animals from Museum's Victorian collection.

Leopold the Mouse (before colour)

Leopold the Mouse

The Fantastic Mr Fox

The Fantastic Mr Fox

The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs

Little Red Riding Hood

The Owl and the Pussycat

At Seven Stories

Thrilled to be part of the scbwi touring showcase exhibition, now exhibiting at the cafe at Seven Stories, alongside some wonderful illustrators (see scbwi showcase).

Roald Dahl re-imagined: The Enormous Crocodile

Bumble bee sketchbook studies

Some of my sketchbook studies of buff tailed bumblebees.

2016 scbwi touring showcase

The scbwi (society children's book writers and illustrators) illustrators showcase is currently up in Norwich Millennium library until 28th sept. Selected illustrations are on show, including my take on Roald Dahl's "The Enormous Crocodile'.

You can see all the illustrations online here http://www.scbwishowcase.org

Manchester Pride image, from rough sketch to final

I just wanted to share how my image evolved, from sketch idea through to final print.

3 limited edition prints are left (contact annaviolet@btinternet.com)
Postcards for sale at The Make It Shop, Chorlton.

first rough sketch idea

in detail, adding balloons, adjusting large flag and trucks

photo of final image, printed onto archival paper,
hand-painted with overlapping gouache,
colour order changed so red at top of rainbow flags

In Lord Mayor's Parlour