El

I graduated from The Royal Collage of Art in 2020 after ten years of Fine Art Practice. I am also a part time dog trainer, so my understanding of the funny side of animals has migrated into my Illustration work. I first started working in conservation illustration after winning a Gorden Pickard Research Drawing Bursary in 2019; where I was able to study the residents of the undergrowth around Milford Haven Power Plant. Collaborating with Em has enabled me to use humour to illustrate Em’s narrative of how we can understand and look after these wonderful creatures that have lived on our earth for longer than us. You can find out more about her practice here www.eleanorwemyss.com and @eleanorwemyss.

Em

I have always loved picture books, like many my favourite as a child was Eric Carle’s Hungry Caterpillar. At school I went onto study pictures in books and trained as an art historian to Masters level at the Courtauld Institute. I then worked as a specialist and later head of department in Early English Drawings and Watercolours. The early days included working with the heavenly Winnie the Pooh illustrations by EH Shepherd.

It has been a complete pleasure working with El and thinking how children might relate through humour to the lives and sadly also current plight of the animals and nature that share our precious world. I hope you and your children enjoy reading them as much as we have enjoyed creating them.