Dawn Cooper Illustration

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Insect Emporium #NIW2016

Posted on: June 21st, 2016 by Dawn

 
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It’s National Insect Week 2016, which gives me the perfect opportunity (excuse) to share some bits and pieces from my upcoming book with Egmont. Insect Emporium publishes in September 2016, and is bursting with insects of all shapes, sizes and origins, each with their own stories and curious behaviours. (Pictured above is a crop from my original artwork for the cover. The final approved version can be found here.)

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This Mediterranean fruit fly is one of the many colourful creatures I had the pleasure of illustrating for this book. Below is a crop from the pull-out print which accompanies the book.

‘Insects are nature’s great survivors, found almost everywhere on our planet. They creep through undergrowth, lurk in cracks, dart underwater and soar through the sky. From the aerobatics of a dragonfly to the mighty construction of a termites’ nest, this book explores their secrets. Prepare to discover a spellbinding world within the Insect Emporium.’
– Susie Brooks

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Egmont have just released a beautiful little animated teaser trailer for the book, in which some of the insects come to life! You can take a look at it here.

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F(L)IGHT exhibition

Posted on: June 12th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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It is rare that I get the opportunity to indulge in a bit of personal work, so I wanted to share this piece I’ve just created for F(L)IGHT, an exhibition launching at Hamilton House next week.

The exhibition brings together a whopping number of artists, promoting peace through a series of works in support of War Child and Veterans for Peace. The artists involved were only given two specifications; that each piece should be no bigger than A4, and must feature a white dove in some way.

This isn’t the first of Paul Roberts‘ ambitious group shows I’ve been involved in, and I can’t wait to see the result. The exhibition is up from 14 June to 27 June, with a private showing on Thursday 17 June and you can find out more about it here.
 

Flower magazine

Posted on: April 19th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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Today I received my contributor’s copy of Flower magazine, a beautiful publication based in Birmingham, Alabama.

The commission was as joyful to work on as the pictures suggest! The illustrations accompany an article about how to tailor your garden to excite each of our five senses; sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.

Here is a little peak at the spreads.

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I especially enjoyed making the little spot illustrations, which made me want to get out to the allotment (and buy a cat and a pink watering can)!
 

Puffin Classics

Posted on: March 11th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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I recently had the pleasure and privilege of designing the cover for the new Puffin Classics edition of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, which was an absolute dream! I worked with the wonderful Anna Morrison, who tweeted the lovely picture above. You can see more from the stunning new series here.

I have also been avidly listening to Radio 4’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic, Jane Eyre, which I heartily recommend to any fans (or might-be-fans).
 

Nineteen

Posted on: February 15th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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I loved spotting my print, ‘The Forager’ on Nineteen’s beautiful website this week! Take a look at their lovely wares, here or take a trip to Clevedon to see them for yourself!

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Shakespeare on Love

Posted on: February 10th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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If love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, you should head over to the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust’s website, and make a romantic declaration to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Shakespeare on Love.

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I had the pleasure of working on this lovely pop-up consertina book with Walker Books and SBT last year, and am delighted to announce that the follow up book, Shakespeare on Flowers will be available in April! Watch this space.
 

The Artworks homepage, and The Moth Snowstorm

Posted on: February 9th, 2016 by Dawn

 
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Hello! Since it’s been a flipping (excuse the Pancake Day pun) long time since I last updated my blog, I thought I’d share some news!

I was thrilled and delighted this week when my agent asked me to provide an image of my Moth Snowstorm cover for their homepage, which you can see by visiting their beautiful website here.

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The Moth Snowstorm is a beautiful book by Michael McCarthy, a lover of nature and writer for The Independent. The cover illustration, commissioned by John Murray publishing, was one of my favourite projects of the last year, and an absolute joy to work on. I had a terrific time at the launch, meeting many fascinating characters in the field of conservation, writing and environmental artwork.

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A friend of mine even snapped a copy in their local Waterstones! What fame!

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Michael’s book was cited by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas as her favourite book of 2015 in Resurgence magazine, and you can find a copy in most good book shops!

 

Happy new (reading) year!

Posted on: January 12th, 2015 by Dawn

 
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Happy New Year!

2014 was a terrific year in many ways, and I can’t wait to get stuck in to 2015. One of my new year’s resolutions, as always, is to read more books, and I feel even more compelled to do so after working with the lovely people at Penguin Books on their Penguinspiration initiative.

If you haven’t stumbled across it, you can fill out a short survey here, where you’ll choose whether to read 12 books, 30 books, 50 books or a whopping 80 books in 2015, and you’ll get a few recommendations before signing up for the challenge. Penguin Books will be sending out periodic emails to point out some titles you might like, and share with you some tips to help you complete your goal.

I’ve had a tremendous amount of fun designing these graphics, and have pledged to read a meager 12 books this year (last year I managed one book…but in my defence, it was a busy year and a very big book).

Happy reading!
 

New website from The Artworks

Posted on: December 15th, 2014 by Dawn

 

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The Artworks has just unveiled their sumptuous new website, which not only looks the business, but is jam-packed with really beautiful illustration work.

This also means that I have a new profile, which I’m absolutely thrilled with! There are a few new bits of work on there, so do take a look here.

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Season’s greetings!

Posted on: December 14th, 2014 by Dawn

 

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I recently designed this colourful festive wreath card for the lovely folks at Art Liaison, a leading illustration agency based in Japan, who will be sending it out to their clients this month.

I’ve also popped a few cards in the post, so keep an eye on your pigeon holes…!