I grew up in north-east England, in an industrial town, where my dad taught in a residential centre for children who had committed very serious crimes. I lived with my family in the staff houses there until I was 19 years old. It gave me an insight into the effect a lack of love, education and happiness had had on the children who we grew up alongside.
One of my favourite places to visit when I was a child was the local library, where I would go on a Saturday afternoon with my siblings.
As a teenager I worked part-time jobs as a waitress and in a factory in the north east (with a brief stint as a chamber maid in Luxembourg).
But my real love was art, and I left home to study Graphic Design at the University of Central Lancashire, graduating with an Honours Degree (1st class) in 1996. I worked as a graphic designer in London for over 25 years, first for other companies and then running my own freelance business. I love combining words, images and telling stories in my designs.
After starting a family, I rediscovered a love for children’s books, which led me to study for an MA in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. I graduated with distinction in 2021. I was longlisted for the Association of Illustrators' World Illustration Awards in 2020 and 2022. I also won a Hiiibrand Merit Award in the Unpublished Picturebooks category in 2022 and 2023.
In my illustration practice I like to use strong shapes to create memorable images and to experiment with different media. In my stories I love creating characters who children will identify with and will make them laugh.
I live in London with my husband and two children, now aged 15 and 18, who have been my biggest inspiration. When not drawing and designing, I love reading, knitting, gardening and go running with our very barky Miniature Schnauzer. I have also recently learnt how to do the Rubik's cube, proving it's never too late to learn new tricks!
World Illustration Awards 2020 and 2022 Longlisted Artist
Hiiibrand 2021 Merit Award and 2022 Finalist