I have very little formal training for which I am sometimes grateful! I was accepted by
Michaelis Art School in 1989, but after 2 weeks of a humourless environment I packed
my pencils and ran.....
I have done modules at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington DC (the first to inspire
confidence in me) and Frank Joubert (also highly recommendable), as well as a 6 month
mentorship with Paddy Bouma (Thanks Paddy - you were great!). My best training has
been a lifetime of being the Make and Do book!
My official career as illustrator began with the publication of Wild Iris Herbal Handbook
in 2003, which drew from my experience owning a herb nursery in Observatory,
Cape Town. I have Quivertree to thank for their belief in me. Wild Iris was well received
by the media including radio. (My 60 seconds of fame)
I have also illustrated for various publishers, among them Mmegi, Cambridge University
Press, Via Afrika and Shuter and Schooter. Other work has included illustration for
t-shirts, murals, business cards, poster, fliers, websites etc. My abilities to wrestle with the
honourable Apple Mac (thank you Steve Jobs) have enabled me to combine illustration
with various forms of design, including webdesign. I prefer pen and paper, ink and chalk
pastels to the screen, but the Apple is also a marvelous tool!
In 2009 I illustrated Balaclava Boy for Tafelberg, a delightful story by Jenny Robson.
That same year Xlibris brought out my first picture book, Feeling Sheepish.
“A heartwarming tale
about standing out and fitting in!”