I often speak at schools and literary festivals, so if you'd like me to come and visit, I can be booked through the Lateral Learning agency. I give general talks about the process of illustrating and designing picture books, using slideshows and props such as sketches, dummies, and original paintings. We usually have a lot of fun, and do some collaborative drawing together - the kids usually invent some crazy scenarios for me to illustrate. (My favourite so far was the meerkat fruit salesman who lost his job because he ate all his stock, tied closely with "Bob Claws the Baggy Bones Monster meets Ninja Rabbit and His Apple of Doom!") The final drawing is donated to the school or library, and students often get so enthusiastic they rush off and write the rest of the story. I run workshops for smaller groups on practical art skills, designing characters, creating visual narratives, or interpreting visual texts. For secondary students, I conduct workshops on drawing and painting, digital media, interpreting and creating visual texts, and career paths in illustration and design.
To see where I'll be popping up next, check my Facebook page.
