Hello!
I’m Gemma, an illustrator and teacher, living in rural Oxfordshire with my husband, two rugby mad boys and Nelly the black Labrador. As well as drawing and creating, I love to keep active through trail running, Pilates and open water swimming (and will head to Cornwall whatever chance I get!)
With a background in textiles particularly in costume and then later print design (MA in Print Design, Winchester School of Art), I really enjoy bringing character, colour, texture and pattern into my illustration work. I love creating imaginative worlds which are fun and whimsical through experimental mark making, hand illustration and digital manipulation.
As a child, I loved to be creative, however comparison to others made me feel I that ‘I couldn’t draw’, so I limited my options and took a round about route to illustration.
This route led down some exciting avenues, which included being highly commended at the New Design Britain awards for my work for interiors which was also was featured in Elle Decoration magazine. I also created a gift ware range for The Lowry, Salford Quays, a fantastic accomplishment.
However children's book illustration is a much more natural fit for my style of work and now I am here, I realise my unconventional journey has made my work what it is today.
As a part time teacher of creative arts, it is also my mission to inspire young people to not put a ceiling on their creative skill, but nurture and develop it through creative exploration, perseverance and risk taking which is approached with an inquisitive mind.
I hope you enjoy looking through my recent work and feel free to get in touch with any projects you have in mind!
