I've always loved picture books.
Richard Scarry, Lauren Child, Mary Blair, Shirley Barber, Dr Seuss & Quentin Blake...
I could never get over the feeling of how their stories felt so real. The illustrations were alive & created worlds for me. Anything could happen and I could do anything, be anything, overcome anything.
It then occurred to me that this is the beauty & significance of illustration. They are not only pretty drawings on a page (which they still are) but a way to encourage, instil identity & bring pure wonder to a developing mind.
I want to harness this feeling of colourful imagination & endless possibility in my own work so the reader, kids & adults alike, can experience this same inspiration.