Hello!

I’m an illustrator, mostly working in mixed media collage. My favourite things to draw are always birds, trees and bears - but I also love drawing insects and really anything to do with the natural world! - but I’ve illustrated everything from astronauts to the inside of a vacuum cleaner, and am constantly covering the walls of my home with painted murals.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

My children’s books include What on Earth Books First Big Book of How (What on Earth Books), Britannica First Big Book of Why (What on Earth Books and Britannica), A Peek at Beaks (Millbrook Press), The Last Bear (Harper Collins Kids), A is for Ant, D is for Dog, E is for Elephant, G is for Giraffe, R is for Rabbit and V is for Vulture (DK), Make Your Own Birds of Prey and Make your Own Flying Machines (Arcturus Publishing), The Birthday Crown (Royal Collection Trust), The Little Red Hen (Barefoot Books), ABC London (Frances Lincoln) and Magpie’s Treasure (Andersen Press).

Installations

Alongside work for publishing, editorial and advertising, I’ve also created several large scale installations and window displays, the most exciting of which was exhibited in a chapel on the National Trust's Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland (and even led to me appearing on Blue Peter!). You can see the enormous Farnes Flock, made up of 400 life-sized birds, here.

Shop

I also design gift and homeware with a commitment to being ethical and sustainable, available from my own online shop and in independent shops across the UK. If you’re interested in stocking my products, please see my wholesale page. You can read more about my commitment to environmentally friendly production here.

Therapeutic Art & Ward Enhancement

I’ve been working as an artist at St George’s Mental Health Hospital in Stafford since 2022, running weekly art groups with inpatients on the wards and creating a variety of work for ‘Ward Enhancement’, from murals combining patients’ artwork to stained glass-effect vinyl window coverings.

More about Kate

I studied illustration at Kingston University (2005-2008). I grew up on a beautiful farm in deepest Staffordshire and, after living in London for a few years, I returned to my green, muddy roots and now work from my studio at home in Lichfield in Staffordshire, in a room piled high with paper, with my labrador Percy curled up at my feet.

Apart from illustrating, I’m usually found ambling across fields with Percy, running, reading, singing in Lichfield Gospel Choir and the Wayside Serenaders and practicing yoga.

In 2019, as part of London Marathon fundraising for Refuge, I organised a big collaborative artwork between lots of amazing female artists for International Women’s Day. You can read more about the Refuge Tree here.