Dog-Eared Creatives? What’s it all about?
Dog-Eared Creatives are a collective of children’s book illustrators based in Norfolk and Suffolk. Founders James Mayhew and Pam Smy have set up Dog-Eared so that illustrators can get together, share ideas, develop industry links and learn from each other. We will be running member social events, talks from publishers and agents, portfolio surgeries, workshops and mentoring.
This is James
James has been creating books for children for over 30 years. He loves experimenting with different techniques and finding just the right approach for each new project. His many titles include the classic best-selling Katie series, Ella Bella Ballerina, and Once Upon A Tune. James is also the illustrator of the Mrs Noah books by Jackie Morris, Ian Eagleton’s Nen and the Lonely Fisherman, and the Gaspard the Fox books, by Zeb Soanes.
Much in demand as an educator and mentor, for many years James taught illustration on the UK’s first Masters programme in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art (Anglia Ruskin University). He has taught on courses and run masterclasses for the Arvon Foundation, Moniack Mhor, the House of Illustration, National Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland, Pop-Up Enterprises, Picture Hooks, and many other organisations internationally.
Alongside his work in publishing, James works with a variety of musicians and symphony orchestras, presenting concerts that incorporate music and art created live on stage, illustrating classics like William Tell, Peer Gynt and Scheherazade. He presents the BBC online series Drawn to Music, for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
He lives with his husband, Toto, and Diva the dog, in Suffolk - where the big skies and gentle light are perfect for artists.
This is Pam
Pam is an illustrator and author with a life-long passion for children’s book illustration.
She has illustrated picturebooks, educational books, non-fiction, young readers and folktale collections, but now mainly specialises in illustrating for the 9+ age group. She has illustrated for authors such a Julia Donaldson, Linda Newbery, John Agard, Penelope Lively and Lucy Strange. As an author/illustrator she was shortlisted for the Greenaway Prize in 2018.
She has had over 20 years of working with students and emerging illustrators, and has run illustrator workshops and courses.
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