I like to call myself a children's illustrator, I graduated last year from North Wales School of Art and Design with a BA Honours in Illustration for Children's Publishing. I love being creative, drawing and painting, sewing and making. Whilst I'm not being creative I work at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire as assistant to the general manager. I'm currently painting lots of wooden decorations and printing my illustrations onto canvas bags ready for the stall I'm having at the Berkeley Castle annual Charity Fair in November (please come along).

Whilst at university I had the opportunity to refine my style of illustration which I have been developing all my life and which continues to evolve as I do. I began using simple characters, bright colours and textures to create a nostalgic world of make-believe inspired by the fairy tales I read as a child. I hope to create some of the magic I found in the pages of picture books and inspire other children to read and use their imaginations. 

Since leaving university I have continued to experiment, collecting fabrics and textures to enhance my work. I have continued to develop my work through the use of software such as Adobe Photoshop to collage my painted and hand draw illustrations with more detailed fabrics and patterns. Constantly inspired by the wonderful illustrators of the past and present, of personal inspiration to me are Jane Ray, Jackie Morris, Arthur Rackham and Rebecca Dautremer, to name but a few.

During my final year at university I won the bronze award for the Randolph Caldecott Prize (UK) and entered the Macmillan Prize for Children's Book Illustration. I began my illustration career by selling handmade cards in local shops around the South West. I recently entered the Waterstone's Picture This competition and did some work for New Fairy Tales. I've also begun a rather exciting journey, writing my first YA novel Overshadowing Darkness. But the most exciting news this year was an offer from Midsea Books in Malta to illustrate three Maltese reading scheme books. They are nearing completion and I cannot wait to hold the finished books in my hands.

I have also just finished illustrating a fourth book, Stories About Santa by Susannah Woodland which is to be published later this year by the lovely Helen Hart of SilverWood Books in Bristol. It has been a truly wonderful year thus far and I really hope I can continue the success.

Thank you for taking the time to browse through my work, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions, suggestions or ideas. To see more of my creative projects please visit my blog Buttons and Creative Things by Mary Harris.