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Visual literacy how illustrations in picture books help tell the story

Picture book illustrators Kirrili Lonergan, Liz Anelli, Gwynne Jones, Nicola Bolton discuss their work with children’s author, Katrina McKelvey. Learn how the text and illustrations are interlinked in picture books and how these illustrations compliment and extend the story.

A demonstration on reading to children – using the pictures, follows.

Part of Write Here! Festival. $2 entry.

Books available for purchase and signing.

Bookings essential

Gwynne Jones

A Newcastle local artist, Gwynneth’s illustrations portrays joy and suspense, with ideas from her own childhood memories and now. She has an ability to develop concepts into drawings of interest and perspective that add their own story to text. Gwynneth draws both animals and people, she majored in Plant and Wildlife illustration in her BAVA, and still does life drawing.

Her latest book Finding Granny was published in 2018 with author Kate Simpson, and other publications include The Chalk Rainbow (Deborah Kelly) The Sugar and Spice Collection, and Don't Think About Purple Elephants (Suzanne Merritt) was shortlisted in the Australian Speech Pathology Award in 2016 and placed on the Premiers Reading Challenge in NSW in 2017.

Liz Anelli - When she lived in England, illustrator Liz Anelli had a job dusting dinosaurs at London’s Natural History Museum. Now she has over 20 children’s and junior fiction titles published with numerous short-listings and awards. Liz likes weaving collage, paint and printmaking with found objects into her detail-packed pages. In between picture books Liz explores the Newcastle suburbs by bicycle and creates quirky illustrated maps.

Liz is a Board Director of Australia Society of Authors, Ambassador for Books in Homes and reviews picture books for CBCA Reading Time. Her latest picture books are Dry to Dry written by Pamela Freeman and The Biscuit Maker written by Sue Lawson both published by Walker Books.

Nicola Bolton is an illustrator, painter and author based near Maitland, NSW. She studied Graphic Design and Fine Arts and her work has been selected in numerous art prizes in Australia.

Nicola’s first children’s book, 'You Can't Catch Me’, which she wrote, illustrated and self-published, was selected as a Notable - Early Childhood in the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and is also on the list of the 2018 - 2020 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Her latest book, ‘You Can’t Find Me’ was released in March 2020. It is another story about the two dogs and their new friends the ten little frogs.

Kirrili Lonergan is a picture book illustrator, art therapist and book lover residing in Newcastle, NSW. She has a passion for visual storytelling and self expression through art. She loves sharing her skills with children and relates warmly to their needs through her former years working as a paediatric nurse. She is the illustrator for the Lessons of a LAC picture book series and the co-creator of the Lessons of a LAC anxiety management package. She was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Awards in 2018 for Ollie's Treasure. Kirrili is currently working on two new titles due to be released in 2021.

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Katrina McKelvey is a children’s author, former primary school teacher, wife, and mother to two tweenagers and a cocker spaniel. She’s written many children's picture books and educational readers including No Baths Week, Up To Something, Isla’s Family Tree (April, 2020), and Chasing Rainbows (August, 2020). She’s highly involved in CBCA, SCBWI, literary conferences and festivals, and loves visiting schools. She’s left-handed, loves tea and rollercoasters, and is addicted to mint chocolate. While in lockdown in Disney World a few years ago, she survived Hurricane Gene (Category 5) by eating awful brownies. Come for a visit: www.katrinamckelvey.com

For the safety and well-being of all participants, safe-distancing and social gathering measures will be practiced and contact details for traceability will be kept. All attendees are reminded to follow health advice and safe physical distancing by keeping 1.5m apart, maintaining personal hygiene by regularly washing hands, and not attending if they feel unwell. Council reserves the right to cancel the event if deemed in violation with safe COVID practices.