Niña Nill, a children’s book illustrator based in Queensland, Australia. She says: I’m passionate about illustrating and writing stories for children that are colourful, magical, and whimsical. One of my earliest memories is of me copying my Mom’s drawing of a cat under a row of flowers and I have been drawing ever since.
What were your favourite illustrations/illustrator as a child? As a child, I didn’t have access to a lot of children’s books. So whenever I had a chance to read one, I was very absorbed with every word and illustration in the book. It was very inspiring! My favourite was a series of Filipino children’s books featuring a character named Pilandok who was very cheeky and smart. (Pilandok is a Philippine mouse-deer)
What are the challenges of working with a writer as opposed to creating both text and art? I think as long as you communicate your ideas and both sides are open to each other’s creative input working with an author will go smoothly. I like both! It was a great experience to both write and illustrate. Since it was my own story, I had more freedom on what narrative elements I could weave into the illustration. But I also love working with authors where we can both enrich each others ideas. There’s so many amazing writers I would love to work with but it would be a dream to work with my favourite author – Julia Donaldson!
Can you tell us something about the pieces that you are going to exhibit at the Richard Randall Art Studio? For my pieces, I will be painting the characters from my books showcasing their lives outside the book. Picture books only show a short moment so I think this will be a fun and imaginative way to get to know these characters.
Do come and see Niña’s work at the The StoryArt Exhibition, an annual event showcasing local artist-illustrators whose work includes creating beautiful books for children. The participants will have illustrations, models and other art on display. Books will be available for purchase.
