Sunday 29 April 2007




Thought I share with you two test illustrations I made for a book I've written (Work in progress - dummy completed - still have to submit to publishers.)

Goodnight, Grandpa is based on a true story. My son Markus was 3 years old when my father died in hospital. That night we had not yet told him that his Grandpa had died. After midnight Markus came into our bedroom and told us that Grandpa had just visited him in his room. Wide awake and in a clear voice he said, “Grandpa came to say goodbye and then he flew away”. For the little boy the encounter was absolutely real. The story stayed with me and eventually became a picture book.

Friday 27 April 2007

Work on final artwork for the duck book continues! I think I have now drawn 1,000,699 blades of grass - Have a good week-end - I'm working!!

Tuesday 24 April 2007

I call this sketch - reading in Africa. I enjoyed drawing her hair too.

Sunday 22 April 2007


















I love drawing hair - they say so much of the character - here are a few close-ups of hair.



Friday 20 April 2007

a quote... Maurice Sendak says: "To me, illustrating means having a passionate affair with the words." (Page 109 from The Art of Maurice Sendak by Selma G. Lanes - 1980) a book I found very helpfull when I first started illustrating Children's Books.
Here is another pic from the Monster book (see below April 8th).

Thursday 19 April 2007


Working hard and long hours on the finish art illustrations for "Nina and Little Duck" - here is one of the finished artwork - Really enjoyed doing Mrs Rajah's hair - Have a good drawing day.

Sunday 15 April 2007




I love trees - Trees have a powerful presents and and I use them in my illustrations to create atmosphere. Here are some of my illustrations with trees in them.

Thursday 12 April 2007




While living (1999 - 2003) amongst the pine trees in the mountians north of Athens, Greece, I became very concious of the play of light and its source - something that has stayed with me ever since and has become an important part of my illustrations - I drew this picture then and this was the scene through my Greek studio window that inspired me. These were the pine forest arround our Greek house in winter - isn't the play of light amazing!

Tuesday 10 April 2007

Hope you found a lot of chocolate eggs this weekend - I work most of the time and finished all the rough illustrations for "Nina & Little Duck" and felt like the girl in the illustration.
(From a book (in Greek) I illustrated for Patakis Publisher in Greece - the sneezing dragons also came from this book)

All you illustrators out there - Have a good drawing week!

Sunday 8 April 2007






I'm busy with the last rough drawing of the Nina and Little Duck - the 64 page! 34 double spreads. Tomorrow I start with the finish Artwork. So I feel a bit like this drawing that I did for factual book on monsters - that was also a gigantic task - I had to draw over two hunderd monsters - but I really had fun with that book

"Ek en My Monster" (My Monster and Me) written by Leon de Villiers, published by LAPA Publishers SA in 2004
Unfortunately it only was published in Afrikaans - hopefully it will one day be published in English too







Friday 6 April 2007

Some more Dragons - Sneezing Dragons!


I'm burning the midnight oil... Lots of Ducktivity happening in my studio! - I really enjoyed doing this rough illustration for the Duck Book.

Wednesday 4 April 2007

Another rough drawing & close up from "Nina and Little Duck" - I'm having fun!



More Dragons...

Tuesday 3 April 2007


I love dragons - If I see a book on dragon's I just HAVE TO BUY it! I also love to draw Dragons - I hope to one day be asked to illustrate a REALLY good Dragon story!
This Dragon picture I call THE GUARDIAN I drew for my son, Markus... for his office.

Monday 2 April 2007





Work is going well on the "Nina and Little Duck" Book - Here are one of the rough double spreads.

Sunday 1 April 2007



April 1st Red Nose Day in Africa!! Have a Happy Fool's day