Strange to think that my trip to the Bologna Children's Book Fair and time with the Cambridge School of Art is all over now. I saw so many fantastic illustrations and received great (if sometimes curt) advice from publishers. What have I learnt so far? Well...I'm not 'commercial' enough, that's for sure. I really need to travel a bit more in terms of my 'style'. The whole trip taught me that simplicity is a child's best friend when it comes to learning the world around them, and how to engage stories with them. I guess it explains why there are so many picture books where characters are living in a constant flux of white limbo (ahem... Emily Gravett's 'Orange Bear Apple Pear', you have been poked). Seriously though, I need to learn how to tone down the texture, but that's going to be so hard as I adore it so much. Some of the publisher's liked my work, but they said it wasn't for them as it was too 'mature' (which they assured me isn't always a bad thing). I don't know if I'll get a contract or anything out of this, but it's really opened my eyes.
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