Hello World!

Well, this is my very first attempt at a blog.

Today I am supposed to be mounting up the artwork for my latest book, Dragon's Dinner, which I finished on Friday - hurrah! Each drawing (there are 16 in all) has to be trimmed and tacked onto a sheet of white card. I then tape a sheet of paper to the top edge of each mount, which lies over the top of the drawing as protection and prevents the pastel from getting smudged. Once that's done I package it all up with stiff cardboard and post it off to the publisher. After around 6 weeks working on the coloured artwork, it's a lovely feeling - relief, excitement, freedom (although mixed in with worry, hoping it will arrive ok).

However, instead of getting on with my work, I am fiddling around with this. Part of the reason is that I am all excited because I have just been sent a new story to illustrate next. I probably shouldn't say too much at this stage, as nothing is definite, but it is such a fun one I just had to tell you. All I can say for now is that it is a re-telling of the Billy Goats Gruff, but with a few new twists. If you know my work, you will know that I rather like goats at the best of times, and this one has a troll too. Ugly and warty and grumpy - perfect! The goats in this one are all nervous and fluffy, which will be great to draw too. Hence the likely title, Billy Goats Fluff. Very silly.

One other bit of news - my book Class Two at the Zoo has been shortlisted for 2 awards: The Coventry Inspiration Book Award and The Stockport Schools Book Award. I've been shortlisted quite a few times before, but never actually won anything. So, if your kids are under 10 and live in Stockport or Coventry, why not have a go at voting? Of course I'm hoping they'll love Class Two at the Zoo and vote for me!

Cast your vote for Coventry online at: http://www.myvotescoventry.org/, and for Stockport by emailing schoolsbookaward@stockport.gov.uk Thank you! Crossing fingers and toes...

Must get back to it, so this it's goodbye for now.