Happy Fat Penguin

Just added a new link - Happy Fat Penguin! They make unique, handmade toys for children & each one is lovely. They're currently selling on folksy.com & you can go straight there by clicking on the penguin picture.

Viking Mice

Working on some new book ideas and this picture is for one of them. To be honest, it's actually one that's been knocking around for a few years. A friend prompted me to work on it some more - so I am.

The basic idea is Viking Mice, who go off to discover islands to find something - but I'm still deciding what exactly.

Cards and Gifts

Added a new page to my web site today - Cards & Gifts. You can see it by clicking on the picture.
But I do have to admit that, at the moment, there is only one card on it. This is because I only wanted to include my most recent ones - but more will be coming soon! And I'm also painting some pictures to give as presents to children. Will let you know more as soon as I can.

Sprites

Just updated my web site to include sprites. Just in case you don't know what they are - they change an image when you hover your mouse over them. You can click on the picture to see what I'm talking about.

I've fallen in love with them because they're fun - though I do need to tinker with some of them as they jog a bit on the page. Who'd of thought one pixel would matter that much? Computers are so fussy!

Mess Monsters Animation

I have so many card ideas on the go at the moment that my head is spinning. Thank goodness for my sketchbook - which is now full of ideas. Can't wait to show them.

Updated my animations page to show the above. The new plan is to have only one, but change it as often as I get chance.

Greetings Card Drawing

Still busy working on new card designs - my little sketchbook has seen a lot of use recently and is a mess of scrawls and smudges. I can just about understand them and they seem to be falling into two main groups - quirky and graphic.

Can't wait to put them on this site, which I will as soon as they are ready. As a little clue, some of them will be untraditional (if there is such a word - spell checker says not) Christmas cards with a slightly, hopefully amusing, dark edge.

Greetings Cards

Received some brilliant card samples from a couple of printing companies & now can't wait to get some made. Spent all week working on new designs, including Christmas ones. It feels very strange drawing snowmen and snowflakes in July (especially in such a hot one) but it makes sense to plan ahead.

Afraid that I can't show any of the new stuff just yet, but the picture is of a card I designed earlier this year. It's called Granny Mafia. Probably one of my better titles!

Aesop's Fable

30 degrees Centigrade and about a billion in Fahrenheit - is that spelt right? I'm too hot to care! Anyway, been busy looking at printing companies as I want to make my own cards. And also found a company that will print 3D models of things I build on my computer. So excited!

Becoming a Children's Book Writer and Illustrator

Added some more questions & answers to the Frequently Asked Questions section - about becoming & working as a children's book writer & illustrator. Click on the picture if you'd like to read them.

Also heard some very interesting publishing news yesterday, but can't say anything more just yet.

Mother Mouse

Piers Harper's News

This illustration is unpublished and I have just spent several minutes trying to remember if there was some kind of a story behind it. If there was, I honestly can't recall it. Mother Mouse is clearly sheltering her children from the wind but I can't help wondering if there is more going on. I'll have to put my thinking-cap on and see if I can come up with something.