Tiger and Schools

My week started in London by visiting my publisher Walker Books. I have now permission to start working on the final pictures! Working on the final illustrations is my favourite stage of making books.

From London I traveled to Kent. I visited St. Mary’s Primary School in  Gillingham. School visits are something I’m used to, but I’m always curious about what kind of school is going to be the next one.  I’m lucky to work with children in primary schools. Children like to play, make things and draw. Just the kind of things I like to do. Soon as I start showing pictures and drawing on the board I have their attention and it’s now up to me how well it will go.

But not every school is the same. In most of the schools the teachers are friendly and joyful and so are then the children. But I’ve also been in schools where the teachers would be strict with the children and in the staff room they would hardly talk to me. In the staff room I would sit in the corner and the teachers would pretend they don’t see me. I always think – is it kind of strange shyness, or just rudeness?  Children in such schools would often be rather nervous and it would take some time to make them relax and enjoy themselves.

I’m pleased to say that St. Mary’s School in Gillingham was one of the happy schools. I was well looked after by nice teacher Jacinta Read. I felt welcome and I think I can say, that we all had a great time. Here I am drawing a fly. I also got lots of lovely drawings from children. This elephant is from Holly. And this card is from Laisa. During the rest of the week I was cutting and stretching  papers for the book. I was also drawing rabbits and I was painting too.

I was asked to contribute  a picture for a very good charity call WILLOW.  Willow is a UK charity supporting seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds. The exact project I was asked to take part in is called “Stars on Canvas”. Stars on Canvas, is a bi-annual charity auction of original artworks created by well known names from the worlds of art, illustration, sport, music and popular culture. The online eBay auction is accompanied by a public exhibition with all proceeds to Willow.

I was sent a canvas size 20 x 20 cm. It didn’t take me long to think what I wanted to paint. I was recently drawing this tiger in my sketchbook.  Than I painted it on a small canvas because I liked the drawing. It happened that my friend Anthony had a birthday the same week that I finished the picture, so the tiger found a good home. And then the empty canvas from Willow arrived. I still had this tiger in my head, so I painted one more. This picture is called “Dream” and I hope it will find a good home.