In November 2018 my latest book will be released.

What’s it about?… well it’s huge. As an artist, it is my proudest exhibition to date. 

I have poured so much into this book. Adam’s story is so expansive, emotional and triumphant. I wanted to create a visual experience that kids would love and parents would love sharing. Art has the ability to go beyond describing something… it can ask us questions… and we can each have our own personal answer.

There were two major goals that I really wanted to hit for this book.

Firstly, I wanted all of us to feel. This book isn’t for those that feel invisible now. The story is too big to be just for them. We have all felt invisible at some point in time. Whoever we are. So this book is about us all and for us all.

Secondly, I wanted the art to feel approachable, imperfect, fragile and delicate. It’s my artist statement. I could have aimed for realism but I wanted kids to see imperfections… to feel that imperfect is ok. I could have aimed for smooth lines… but there is something human about a wobbly line, about a slight gesture of colour that doesn’t quite belong, a shape that feels hurried. I am inspired by children’s freedom when they create art. I hope when people read this book they can feel a freedom in themselves.

There is so much in this book. For those that love picture books…. I highly recommend enjoying this book from cover to cover. I don’t want to spoil it…. but I have used every opening… this book is a 21 course degustation menu :-)

In the near future I’ll release an essay on this body of art, my intentions and thoughts behind the pictures. But for now I’ll leave it with this… I wanted this book to feel fragile and delicate. I wanted kids to see imperfections, to see colours that might not be naturalistic. Art is about interpretation and if a picture book is 51% made by the reader, I wanted the visuals to not only show a moment of the story…. but to make a moment for the reader. I have reached deep to try to create a feeling in the heart of the reader… because that is where our books are made.

But for those that have read Invisible Jerry and not felt this… don’t worry… it won’t go off :-) the degustation menu is there still…
always freshly cooked,
always warm,
always ready when you are…
because that’s what a picture book can be…

a comforting home cooked meal…

a place to feel seen.