About

jass-racklyeft-squishy-minnie-003 MeStudio

Image top: story time at Squishy Minnie, image by Lucky. Image below: my messy studio, image by Penny Lane.

Hello there, thanks for visiting! A little bit about me… I’m a children’s book lover, draw-er and reader based in Melbourne, who also creates work for card companies, picture books, original paintings, prints and all types of different client projects. I love watercolours, but getting more and more into combining digital work and tinker with oils, pencils and other bits and bobs I can get my mitts on.

I worked in publishing sales for many years and finally began my dream of working on the creative side of picture books after having kids. I’m a member of Style File, SCBWI and Illustrators Australia’s.

Recently I joined the wonderful Australian agency Jacinta DiMase, who can handle book enquiries directly.

Recent awards include:

CBCA Notable Picture Book of the Year for Merry Everything (written by Tania McCartney and published by Windy Hollow) 2018
Excellence Award Winner – theme illustration at the Frankfurt Bookfair / Illusalon awards 2017
CBCA lNotable Picture Book of the Year for Smile Cry (written by Tania McCartney and published by EK Books) 2017
Crystal Kite Winner for Australia/NZ – SCBWI 2017
MATS Home Decor Video Winner 2016
Semi Finalist in the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search 2016
Highly commended in the Illustrator Australia Awards 2015
Finalist in the Etsy Design Awards 2014
Scholarship winner for Big Hearted Business Conference 2014
Finalist in the Kids Book Review Illustration Competition 2014, Runner up in 2015
Luerzer’s Archive “200 Best Illustrators of the World 13/14”