Hilary Yafai

Fresh challenges, great music and good coffee all feature in my working life as a creative designer from my home in the Lake District, more often than not with a cat on my lap. My influences stem from a love of nature, pattern, colour and travel…I just love what I do for a living!

Favourite film: The Wicker Man
Favourite book: One Day by David Nicholls
Favourite colour: raspberry red
Favourite place: Lake District, Cumbria
Favourite quote: ‘don’t grow up – it’s a trap’
Favourite food: Thai, Greek

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Becky Sands

I live with my husband, little boy and our miniature schnauzer in Lincolnshire, England. I studied Illustration at Lincoln University receiving a first class honours. This is also where I met my husband and we have now worked together as illustrators for 12 years. I’ve always loved the creative world and my parents have been enormously supportive in my dream to work in design. I find patterns and good design have always excited me. I love to travel and finding inspiration in the most unusual of places. I carry a sketchbook with me everywhere and visit as many exhibitions and museums as I can.

Favourite Film: Dirty Dancing
Favourite Book: ‘Rebecca’ by Dauphne de Maurier
Favourite Colour: Inky Blue
Favourite Place: New York has many happy memories for me and my husband but I do love being home.
Favourite Quotes: “A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men” Roald Dahl
Favourite Food: Seafood

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Wayne Lockwood

Once upon a time there lived a dashing young illustrator who was kept captive by an evil corporation and made to do their payroll and invoicing. He longed to see the world and draw stuff so he escaped and did just that. He eventually settled down with a wife who drew stuff too, a son who obsessed over dinosaurs and a dog called Daisy. And they lived happily ever after.

Favourite film: Star Wars: A new hope
Favourite book: Moby Dick
Favourite colour: Red (though it hates me)
Favourite place: Apart from home… Bali
Favourite quote: ‘The best things in life aren’t things.’ Art Buchwald
Favourite food: Curry

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Michelle Poultney

I colour in for a living from my London shedquarters. A passion for pattern and crafting. Loves a good pub quiz and makes a mean victoria sponge.

Favourite film: Rita, Sue and Bob Too
Favourite book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Favourite colour: Yellow
Favourite place: My garden
Favourite quotes: I feel the need, the need for speed!
Favourite food: Cockles and curly wurly’s.

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Rachel Oliver

My artwork is mostly inspired by nature and animals, including my pets and growing plant collection! In my spare time you can find me attempting to learn to play the piano, or curled up with my cat and a good book.

Favourite film: Arriety, from Studio Ghibli.
Favourite book: I’ve read too many books to pick an outright favourite, but I do have a particular fondness for Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
Favourite colour: Purple and green (but not together).
Favourite place: I have lots of fond memories of family holidays in Jersey
Favourite food: Give me a good chinese takeaway any day.

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Clare Leary

I am a illustrator/designer with an adaptable style to suit various projects. I enjoy working in different styles using a mix of Photoshop, Illustrator and my drawing and painting skills. I find inspiration everywhere from wallpapers, magazines, childrens books to the countryside.

Favourite film: BraveHeart
Favourite book: Girl on the Train
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite place: Lake District
Favourite quote: “One door closes another one opens”
Favourite food: Thai

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Jane Dodds

I love to work in line, watercolour and layering.
Using hand drawn and painted techniques and combining them with fun in Photoshop.
6 music keeps me company in the day. Running, classes, books and films fill the rest of the week .

Favourite film:  Netflixs series and the cinema at the weekend.
Favourite book:  Always a Jodi Picoult or Victoria Hislop for holidays. The Letter, Penelope Lively, The Scandal, Fredrik Backman and How Much the Heart can Hold, collection have been great recent finds.
Favourite colour: Cornflower Blue.
Favourite place: New York, Udaipur, my local canal and footpaths.
Favourite quote:  “Be kind to yourself but don’t be easy on yourself”……..not really a quote just something my old friend says.
Favourite food: Tapas, every time……….

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Heather Horsley

I just love making marks whether its drawing, painting, printmaking, throwing inks over large areas of paper or generally getting messy, i was born to experiment with different materials. I like to think that can adapt my skills to most briefs and commissions supplying customers with a fresh look to illustration and publication.
I have a degree in Visual Communication (Illustration). I’m a terribly geeky Brass band player too and have played for nearly 40 years i also like to play Raquetball, run (well jog), cycle and love eating out.

Favourite film: Moulin Rouge
Favourite book: Where the Wild Things are – Maurice Sendak
Favourite colour: Sky Blue
Favourite place: Kefalonia or any Greek Island
Favourite quotes: ‘Do more of what makes you Happy’
Favourite food: Thai Food

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Linzi McGivern

Creative versatile artist who lives in Shrewsbury with her son. Working in a variety of media, paints, pens, inks and fabrics, uses a variety of hand techniques to produce illustrations in Photoshop. Creating art in Photoshop and Illustrator. Inspired by beautiful objects in nature, interesting places in the world and wonderful people in life. Loves to create quirky fun characters and interested in everything.

Favourite film: I robot
Favourite book: The colour of magic
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite place: Hawkstone
Favourite quotes: “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder” / “great minds think alone”
Favourite food: Potato

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Jean White

When I was little I wanted to be an artist or a teacher and both have happened, so not going too badly!

Favourite film: My Life as a Dog
Favourite book: Remarkable Creatures
Favourite colour: can’t have favourites!
Favourite place: Isle Of Muck
Favourite quote: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the the first step” (Martin Luther King Jr)
Favourite food: Homemade hummus

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Helen Penton-Voak

I love colour & how people use it & I’m becoming increasingly interested in what influences design trends to change, or stay constant.
I find ‘favourites’ really difficult to pin down, but if forced to give some answers on this wet afternoon I would say….

Favourite film: Right now, ‘School of Rock’, partly because my son loves it & does a very funny Jack Black impression.
Favourite book: Currently a big fan of all things by Philip Reeve, particularly the ‘Mortal Engines’ quartet.
Favourite colour: jade greens
Favourite place: Corsica, love the mountains, forests and the sea…..
Favourite quote: “Life seems but a succession of busy nothings” Jane Austin
Favourite food: tea is essential!

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Gill Chapman

I live in a sleepy village in the north east with my almost husband of 18 years, two children and two dogs.

In a house that is always busy (some may call chaotic), I love to retreat to my studio and indulge in my creative work, usually accompanied by two dogs, often my almost husband, followed by my little boy, then my teenage daughter!! So to fully escape the mayhem I love to take the dogs on long country walks, this where I usually get my lightbulb moments of creativity and sanity !!

I love to doodle and sketch and try to be as diverse in my work as possible.

Favourite film: Grease
Favourite colour: Grey
Favourite place: Forests
Favourite music: The Great Late Mr George Michael
Favourite food: Pretty much anything I have not made!
Favourite book: Wolf by Sara Fanelli

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Melissa Crowley

Australian-born, San Francisco-based graphic and surface designer, Melissa Crowley, believes ornament enriches our lives in meaningful, lasting ways and that the best stories are told visually. Her work frequently depicts pattern formations in nature and reflects the micro-detail and sculptural qualities of plant life. Moving fluently between traditional and digital mediums, Melissa’s work is typically composed of both hand drawn and digitally rendered components.

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Dillon Lee

My love of illustrating started at school and has continued all through my varied creative career. Situated in the hill top village of Baildon, working from my attic studio overlooking Baildon Moor, West Yorkshire I get wonderful views of nature and life passing by. I have a varied style and ability and enjoy working in all mediums, by hand and digitally

Favourite film: I love old school comedy like Laurel and Hardy and Pink Panther. When Harry met Sally, Planes Trains and Automobiles from the 80’s, Oceans 11, Eat Pray Sleep and most things that tugs on our emotions or that catch me out!
Favourite book: I have a passion for cooking and baking and I seem to have taken on the role as head chef within the household, often inspired by the many books, websites and TV programmes available to us.
Favourite colour: Looking at my wardrobe it appears my favourite colour is Blue, which probably stems from the colour of my boyhood football team which shall remain nameless as they now languish in division 2 of the football league!
Favourite place:  Cornwall’s South East coast, the North York Moors and Dumfries and Galloway, locally Cow and Calf Ilkley, Bolton Abbey Estate and anywhere with a tea room!
Favourite music: Whilst creating I have radio 4 in the background, when I need to crank it up a bit heavier, I turn to Ramstein, Muse, 70/80’s Rock, 90’s Indie and Ministry of Sound!

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