The SAA are very pleased to be supporting the World Illustration Awards by sponsoring The SAA Agents Award for New Talent.

Naomi McCavitt

Christine at Artist Partners tells us a bit about one of the newest artists on their books.

"As soon as I saw Naomi McCavitt's work I utterly adored it - A Botanical artist so gifted, who hand paints such beautiful images, she is primarily a Natural History illustrator but with an eye for interior design - Naomi's work is sensational, and although only on Artist Partners books very recently, we are getting some wonderful feedback! Her flora and fawna have a wonderful classic and vintage quality about them."

For more of Naomi's work please visit the website where Naomi McCavitt is represented by Artist Partners

Box of Delights: Profiling Ashling Lindsay

Ashling Lindsay has an immediately recognisable style. She understands how to use colour, and how to compose her subjects within the space on a page to create unforgettable scenes. The Night Box is everything a children’s book should be, with a thoughtful and poetic voice — comforting anyone who feels slightly less than bold in the dark. It is the perfect way to help a child to feel secure and comforted as the evenings draw in over the long Winter months. Ashling is still very set on honing and developing her skills as an artist, so much so that despite already working as a picture book illustrator, she has gone back to art school to continue her studies in the fine arts.

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Ashling, where did you study, and did the course help to shape your style, or was it something you found organically?

I did a BA in Graphic Design and Illustration at Ulster University Belfast – and am now back there working towards an MFA. I’m not sure how the style I have came about, I think I just drew a lot and got to know what I liked and what I didn’t. For me what’s most important is that the image communicates what was intended.

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What drew you to illustrate for children?

I’ve always been really into picture books – some of my favourites are The Shrinking of Treehorn by Edward Gorey, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and Moonman by Tomi Ungerer. I remember being read those as a kid, and when I realised that making them was an actual job that people did – I wanted to do it too.

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Your colour palette is beautiful, calming and very recognisable. How did you develop this, and is there a reasoning behind that particular palette – as in, was it very thought out, or did it occur naturally?

I try to come up with a palette that feels right for the text and usually spend a lot of time working it out. I do have my personal favourites though, and am definitely guilty of trying to make them work whenever possible!

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Can you tell me about any outside influences on your work – such as films, books, places, people?

I can’t say for certain what outside material has influenced my work – I do read a lot, and I definitely watch a lot of films. Book wise my favourite writers are probably Virginia Woolf, David Foster Wallace and maybe Proust – I say maybe because I’ve only read one of his books so far, but it was a good one. And with film – I really like David Lynch’s stuff, all of Studio Ghibli and a lot of Wes Anderson’s.

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What’s next on the horizon for you in terms of picture books, and where would you like your career to be – say in five years time? 

I’d really like to try writing and illustrating a whole picture book myself. And I would also really like to work with a writer from the very beginning of a project – to come up with ideas and story together – to make a more collaborative book.

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With my thanks to Ashling who is represented by The Bright Group

You can also follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Kate Costigan

Shiny new signing!

Kate's work is inspired by a mid - century Aesthetic , particularly the 1940's - 1960's , her attitude is firmly planted in the present day . "Retro illustrations for the bad girl inside ! Kate always installs a sense of humour , fun and sass to her work, with a dash of girls power for good measure.

Kate Costigan is represented by Lipstick of London

Frances Castle: The Rise of Wolves Cover Illustration

We love Frances Castle’s beautiful cover illustration for Kerr Thomson’s The Rise of Wolves, which sets the tone for this gripping adventure thriller on a remote Scottish island.

Frances Castle is represented by Arena Illustration.

Garry Parsons – The Greatest Magician in the World

We are thrilled to share a behind the scenes look at the making of The Greatest Magician in the World illustrated by Garry Parsons written by Matt Edmondson and published by Macmillan Children's Books.

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Graham Carter Illustrates The Gravedigger’s Son

Graham Carter created this stylish cover along and black and white inside illustrations for The Gravedigger’s Son, the debut novel by Patrick Moody, published in hardback by Sky Pony Press.

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