A seed of an idea.
That’s where it almost always begins.

A little about me, Spelling mistakes and all.

I love getting lost in a story, watching the ideas develop and being curious where they will lead. I feel like everything I have learnt up until now has helped shape and create a deeper craft. From Spending hours upon hours illustrating when I was little, to learning technical art stuff while studying my visual merchandising diploma, to falling into sales reluctantly because it came with the dream merchandising job. Over time I stepped into a management role, analysing what worked and what didn’t, and surprisingly loved every aspect..

I recently found out I am autistic which has been a massive weight lifted and a new one added but with clarity, while I navigate all this ‘over thinking’. I already knew I was dyslexic but now have the paperwork to prove it “lol”.

It explains everything!.

From my awkward quirks, to crazy detailed ideas when I read a manuscript. I feel it’s a superpower and it’s just starting to bloom.

If you have stumbled across this page wondering if I’m the right fit, you can be assured, you’ll be getting a highly devoted illustrator who loves joining the dots, who has oodles of ideas, loves creating detailed worlds then enjoys refining them all into a beautifully crafted picture book.

    • A debut picture book with Hunter Valley author Chantel Volker (Pegasus Publishers, UK), due June 2026

    • A picture book with Mosie Johnson, in development with Fulton Books (US), expected June 2026

    • An ongoing series with Jennifer Marshall for early readers and their grown-ups. First book due June 2026

    • Illustrated endpapers for a limited edition of Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Published by Hipkiss Publishing House , Out Now.

    • A contracted picture book with EK Books and author Jess Galatola, due 2028

  • Before picture books, I completed a Certificate III in Design Fundamentals, followed by a Diploma of Visual Merchandising, and spent years at Harvey Norman in junior to senior merchandising roles (including 2IC). I was the person thinking about layout, flow, and how people moved through a space.

    That background became part of my illustration work. When I’m planning a spread, I’m thinking about composition, balance, light, and where a reader’s eye will go first.

  • I love being around people who care about kidlit and craft as much as I do. Workshops, critique groups, and mentoring keep me learning and help me see my work from fresh angles.

    A few things that have shaped me:

    • Being mentored by publisher Margrete Lamond unlocked so much for me. She helped me put words to my intuitive storytelling, connect it to my design training, and shape both my illustrations and my early writing craft.

    • CYA Conference 2024, including boot camp with Clare Halifax

    • Facilitating and participating in critique groups (SCBWI and local writing communities)

    • Starting a picture book writers group through the Hunter Writers Centre to support aspiring writers and illustrators.

  • I’m autistic and dyslexic, which shapes what I notice and how I build character worlds. I feel the emotions in a story deeply, and I love adding subtle visual details that help bring them to life.

    When I receive a manuscript, I usually see the world instantly. Then I read it over and over until I know the key scenes and emotional thread by heart. As ideas start forming, I make notes and thumbnails, then begin shaping and refining elements as the story takes form on the page.

    I also remember what it felt like when reading was slow and hard. Creating memorable stories that support children, spark imagination, and gently remind them that anything is possible means the world to me. That’s my why.

  • Music lights me up just as much as illustrating and writing, and the three feel intertwined for me. When I hear music, I can instantly see a animation scene in my mind, and I could easily translate that into an illustration.

    I grew up in a house full of music. My dad managed my brother’s band and was deeply involved behind the scenes, organising gigs, keeping everything moving, and even mixing tracks from home. My brother was basically born with a guitar in his hands. My mum was the glue, holding our family together and making space for all of that creativity. I danced for years, dabbled in piano and singing.

    I am now singing again, and have brought a violin to strengthen my musical ear, with the long-term goal of creating my own music to sit alongside my illustrations.

    Longer term, I’d love to perform my own stories in a way that blends music, illustration, and storytelling, inspired by Emma Memma and Justine Clarke. I’m naturally shy, but as my skills grow and Sienna gets older, I can see this becoming part of my creative path, even in spaces like Play School.