Sally Howell is a Melbourne based illustrator. Her lifelong love of drawing began one Christmas morning at 7 years old when she discovered her first box set of 72 Derwent Coloured Pencils underneath the Christmas tree.  Oh such glee !

 

Her passion for Australian wildlife grew with her love of drawing. Alongside many years spent living in the bush, Sally's obvious talent for illustration emerged in collaboration with her coloured pencils to create this collection of whimsical, iconic and sweet Aussie characters. 

 

"I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my drawing. I work slowly and methodically to create the illustrations, building up the pencil detail layer upon layer to bring my creatures to life. The process of watching an illustration develop and come to life on the paper where once there was just a white page, never ceases to amaze me!. It makes my heart skip a beat. The dishes can always wait !

 

I try to capture the essence or personality of the animals whether they be happy, enchanted, serene or grumpy, and show a sensitivity and social side to their nature. As much as I enjoy realism, I like my work to be appealing on an "Oh isn't that cute" level.  Above all, to show just how marvellous and completely unique our native wildlife is.

 

I am a self taught illustrator with no formal 'art' education.  I haven't made up my mind yet if this is a good or bad thing. I leave it to the viewer to decide for themselves. I enjoy and admire all forms of art, and marvel at a sense of feeling a magic spell works through me when I'm totally engrossed in my work. 

 

So to all lovers of art, animals, native flora and fauna, whether young or old, I do hope you enjoy them. 

 

Thank you

 

Sally