An Post Book of The Year Awards Nominated

26th October 2023

From Malin Head to Mizen Head, by Joanna Donnelly

Illustrated by Louise Naughton

I’m really excited to let you know that a book I have illustrated has been nominated for the An Post Book of The Year Awards 2023. From Malin Head to Mizen Head by Joanna Donnelly, published by Gill Books is shortlisted for Bookstation Lifestyle Book of The Year.

Book cover: Graham Thew Design

A journey around Ireland’s headlands

If you live in Ireland you might recognise the author Joanna Donnelly. She is a meteorologist and weather forecaster at Met Éireann and RTÉ. In this book Joanna goes on a journey around Ireland’s Sea Area Forecast. She visits the places that are a familiar part of the daily broadcast, explaining the history, language and science associated with it transporting the reader on a trip around Ireland’s most remote headlands which I was commissioned to illustrate throughout the book.

Illustrating Ireland’s headlands

I was commissioned to illustrate sixteen maps of Ireland’s wildest and most remote headlands for the book. A bit of a dream job for a sea obsessive like me. Each illustration was crafted using Procreate on Apple iPad. The project involved a huge amount of research into the flora, fauna, landmarks and attractions of each headland and a lot of studying of Google maps!

The An Post Irish Book Awards

To have the book recognised and shortlisted by the An Post Irish Book Awards is a huge recognition of the labour of love that went into the project. The awards are an annual celebration of Irish writing, with the best of the year’s books nominated across a range of categories. The shortlists are compiled by an industry panel of leading booksellers, librarians, literary critics, reviewers, editors and bloggers.  The aim is to select the books which represent the best of Irish publishing in a given year including titles which have raised the profile of books, both in terms of publicity coverage and performance.

Thanks for your support and for reading all about this project.

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In Memory Of The Future - An Exhibition

17th October 2023

Illustrators Ireland Celebrate the work of Tomi Ungerer.

Hello everyone! I am delighted to share more about a group exhibition that I recently embarked upon – a trip into an enchanting world of illustration, inspired by the legendary Tomi Ungerer. 

‘In Memory of The Future’ took place in the dlr Lexlcon in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin, Ireland from the 3rd August to 30th September 2023. Initiated by Illustrators Ireland, this unique exhibition brought together 50 talented illustrators, each inspired by their favourite Tomi Ungerer work. The result was a vibrant exhibition that not only paid homage to Ungerer's legacy but also showcased the diverse talents of the illustrators involved as they exhibited their interpretations of Ungerer’s work and responses to his influence.

So who was Tomi Ungerer?

Tomi Ungerer (1931-2019) was an internationally recognised, and much loved illustrator and author known for his distinctive and often provocative style. Born in Strasbourg, France, Ungerer gained international fame for his children's books, which include classics like "The Three Robbers," and "Moon Man.” His illustrations were characterised by their bold lines, expressive characters, and clever sense of humour, captivating readers of all ages. Ungerer also created satirical illustrations for adult audiences and used his art to address political and cultural issues. His diverse body of work continues to inspire and captivate readers around the world, including us folk at Illustrators Ireland!

My illustration for “In Memory of The Future”

The illustration that I created for the exhibition was inspired by Tomi’s book ‘Rufus: The Bat Who Loved Colours’. If you haven’t read it, I really recommend you do. It’s a beautiful picture book story for children (and adults alike). In the story, Rufus the bat is filled with wonder at seeing the world in colour for the first time. His wide-eyed enthusiasm for all things colourful is so heartwarming. It reminded me to feel gratitude for the gift of sight and the natural world. The piece that I’ve created celebrates nature and is inspired by Tomi’s simple yet vividly colourful depictions of flora and fauna in this book. I thought maybe we all need to look at the world around us with fresh eyes like Rufus, prioritising it and caring for it a bit more.

Thank you for stepping into my world of illustrations and for taking the time to read a bit more about our exhibition.

If you have any further questions or thoughts, please don't hesitate to reach out. I can’t wait to share more with you again soon.

Love,
Louise

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