Voting Open for The Never Too Young Book Award!

The Ravenous Beast is thrilled to be shortlisted for the Never Too Young Prize from Coventry City Council. The public can vote and comment for thir favourite picture book. If you loved The Ravenous Beast you can find him here!

Time bending and Trocaire Christmas Cards

Trocaire Christmas Cards will be available in Skerries Book Store from this week. There are 4 designs in all. They are also available from the Trocaire shop Tel: +353 1 6293333 . I really enjoyed painting these cards in the middle of summer, it seems so long ago now!

I was chatting to my eight year old about this flexible nature of time and the way that it speeds up over the weekend. You know, Saturday seems like a long leisurely day where you fit loads in.

My Saturday involved getting up early, driving to Dublin, interview on FM4, getting new winter boots, coffee and chats with my friend Dermot at his wonderful gallery, buying presents for 2 birthdays, driving home, going to first birthday, painting kids faces as vampires, spotty dogs, going to second party, going to dinner in friends house with the kids... just your typical Saturday. But then on Sunday for some reason, time is speeded up. So one minute its breakfast time, next minute it's bedtime! Very little achieved and it went so quickly!

Is there a theory for this or is it just our minds time bending? Or does time go slower when you have a jammed packed day!

Junior Painter Deadline 20th November!

Deadline is fast approaching for the Sightsaver's Junior Painter Of The Year Award. You still have a few days so badger your teachers to let you paint, doodle and draw this week. Info is here in case you missed the earlier release.

For inspiration the above picture is by one of the winners in the Junior Category from the UK last year. Get Painting!

Viviane Schwarz's There Are Cats in This Book

This is an absolute favourite in our house, I love it, the kids love it, the hubbie loves it, even Rosie the dog loves it! So I was delighted to see that Viviane Schwartz has made a video.
It is charming, fresh, really interactive and one of the most original picture books I have seen in a long time. Enjoy!

Christmas Cards for Temple Street Children's University Hospital

This year I have designed the Christmas Cards along with Steve Simpson and Adrienne Geoghegan for Temple Street Children's Hospital in aid of much needed funds.
They are available online here and soon will be in will also be available from McCabes Pharmacies and Woodies stores.

Junior Painter of the Year Award!

The first ever Junior Painter of the Year Award is being launched by Sightsavers and I am delighted to be one of the judges!
The theme is 'The sight I would most like to see.' The deadline is the 20th November so you all have lots of time to get painting!

I hope all the schools around the country take part. It is for all primary school children and there's fantastic prizes to be won.
Easons are giving away gift vouchers to the winners totaling €3000. The regional winners will be exhibited in Airfield in Dundum at the prize giving next year. There is plenty of scope for your imaginations to run wild. Its a great theme, so get doodling first, your ideas might be a place from your imagination, an imaginary creature, animals, portraits of people you love, the texture and colour of paint .You can pick up your pack and find information here.

Then pick up that paintbrush and get painting!

Doodle Fever!

Doodling across Ireland, I had a fantastic Book Festival thanks to the Libraries and arts festivals. Highlights include the Family doodle in Castlebar, making books in Nenagh and the children who came to the Fingal libraries. At Castlebar Roolaboola festival I showed young and old how to draw a Hugglewug at the Family Doodle. They painted brilliant family self portraits.
This year for the libraries I focused on older groups, focusing on illustration and bookmaking. We came up with sequels for The Ravenous Beast, some really funny ones. Spreading the word on how great picture books are!
Will post up photos later. My cameras batteries need a charging. OOps!