I studied at
the Michaelis
School of
Fine Art, UCT,
where I was
awarded the
McIver Scholarship, and at
the Ecole Nationale Superieure
des Beaux-Arts, University of Paris,
as a Bursary Student of the French Government.
On returning to South Africa, I taught Lithography and Illustration at the Department of Fine Arts, University of Stellenbosch from 1971 until 2006.
My interest in illustration has been a lifelong one, but I only began making picture books in the late 70’s when our first child, Nicholas, started taking an interest in books as a baby. I realized then what amazing picture books were around and how one could live out one’s art as well in books as in the fine arts.
Most of the picture books I have written and/or illustrated have been published internationally. My illustrations for Louis Baum’s Are we nearly there (pub.The Bodley Head, UK 1986) were shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Sindiwe Magona’s The Best Meal Ever (pub. Tafelberg 2006), which I illustrated, received Special Mention on the “White Ravens” list of notable picture books compiled by the International Youth Library in Munich.
My picture book The Mouseboat (pub. Tafelberg 2008) has been nominated for the 2009 M.E.R. Prize.
I recently illustrated the official picture book version of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom for Macmillan Children’s Books (UK), due to be published in September 2009.
My own picture books originally revolved around our children, but are now more focused on what I would have loved to read if I were a child again!
My style is naturalistic and I enjoy building up atmosphere and creating intriguing situations into which I introduce characters with whom children can identify, portraying their feelings and emotions, carried by subtle body language.
