Joey's shadow Ed. 2 of 50

The love of a dog is like no other. From the opening spread of my debut picture book as both author and illustrator, the first sentence reads 'Riley was Joey's shadow and Joey was Riley's.' Their relationship is what this image is all about. It was the first illustration I created for the book and this moment in time tells us everything we need to know about Joey and his dog Riley. Every line of the original drawing has been kept and watercolour added to complete it.

The original illustration was created in graphite pencil and watercolour as the title page for the Award Winning children's book titled 'Joey and Riley'. Published by Hachette Australia.

The image size is 31.5cm wide x 31.5cm high plus a 3cm white border all way round, unframed to allow you to select a complimenting frame of your choice. It is beautifully replicated to the original artwork, so much so it is a struggle to tell the difference.

Follow

I paint for the pure joy of it and to bring happiness to those who behold it. Picture books create worlds in which to escape, laugh, cry, learn and explore. Growing up in the Mallee of South Australia, I was the kid always drawing in the margins of my school books. My obsession with drawing animals and giving them an abundance of personality began when I was around 2, with chalk, on my grandparents pavement. Only then they didn’t look like animals or anything much for that matter. Thankfully, I never stopped drawing and am fortunate today to have a very successful career in the Children’s Book Industry as an Author/Illustrator.
Mother Nature and the Animal Kingdom are my greatest inspiration. I write to give voice to those who can’t be heard. I illustrate to create empathy and bring emotion to the very same through visual literacy. Every image tells it's own story.
When I'm not in the studio, one of the most fulfilling roles I have is to visit numerous schools each year and share this passion with thousands of students. I conduct workshops and presentations for all year levels - from
ELC (nurturing a love of literacy and self expression through drawing activities) right through to Year 12 where I delve into the process of creating a picture book and aim to inspire the next generations to create.
The majority of my work here is from my children's books - explore and enjoy.