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Illustrator
A warm welcome to the world of Scarlett Inc. My name is Julia (Jules for short) and I am an illustrator & writer. I illustrate principally for children, but have done a huge variety of commissioned work for adults and children. I have had lots of illustration work published and am now working hard on writing stories too.
For t-shirt designs, you can find my email address on the contact me page.
Examples of my printed work appears in the following publications:
BBC Playdays magazine
BBC Worldwide Publishing ‘Learning is Fun’ magazine
Tigerprint for Marks & Spencer greeting card design
Redwood Publishing magazine 2 double page spreads
Kids Alive! Salvation Army magazine
Guiding, Girl Guides magazine dps on Topic of the Month
Readers, I.W. designs for melamine plates (Woolworths)
Hammond & Gower greetings cards
Wight Insight magazine front cover
In To Biz promotional postcards
Premier Magazines Inflight publication with children’s section
Netguides/Isle of Wight Radio website (1998)
Prontaprint gift cards
Chamber of Commerce (Isle of Wight) magazine
Textiles designs Co.Id. design and web design for Roobydo.co.uk
Books Ideas, as dummies or manuscripts with illustrations:
(Picture Books, all 12 dps, full colour)
- Fidget - a baby owl who can’t decide what he wants for dinner, leaving Mum exasperated.
- Vincent and the Vampires - a vegetarian vampire bat who leaves home and takes residence in a castle with werewolves, ghosts and a real vampire.
- Royal Fleas - the corgies have fleas but the Queen’s secretary won’t believe it.
- The Last Kakapo - an explorer rescues the last bird and takes him to a special paradise.
- My Grandfather’s Gift - based on the true story about my Granddad who was booked on the Titanic but came down with a dose of the measles, which saved his life, his sister’s lives and my life!
- Guffy’s Great Escape - a kamikaze hamster who really really wants to get out of his cage!
- Crow - a philosophical look at the life cycle of a crow.
- Dugald, the Really Fat Cat - a cat forced to diet on lettuce. Yeuk.
- Dugald and the Great Exhibition - a groovy cat that reunites two lost loves - Venus de Milo and Michelangelo’s David.
- Flossie Bonce and the Christmas Parsnip - daft fairy Flossie Bonce and best friend Evie spend Xmas eve delivering parcels to stockings; but Flossie has misunderstood and gives the children parsnips instead of parcels.
Longer Stories
(Early Readers)
Dogstar – 64pp b & w illustrations, an old dog goes missing, his young friend builds a rocket to find him. The neighbour says he’s gone to the Dogstar, where aged dogs go to have their old worn out pieces renewed.
(5 – 8 year olds)
Bluebell’s New School – 2,500 words: a reluctant witch wants to go to ‘normal’ school. The first story sees her first day at Footleton Primary School and how she battles with her conscience when she has to use her magical skills to save a small boy when he gets stuck on the clock tower roof.
(8 – 11 year olds)
The Golden Stone – 12,000 words: when Alfie finds a golden orb in his fridge that no one else can see, he knows something odd is happening. Then a scruffy boy appears and tells him he has to do something before the world gets ruined by one Orville Dreggs.
(Young Adult)
Satellite Heart – 57,000 words: What if your parents weren’t who you thought they were? Fifteen year old Lottie discovers some unpleasant truths about her Mum and Dad.
(Adult)
From the Far Side of the Universe – 66,000 words: a story about a young lad with Asperger’s Syndrome, his sister, their Mum and the power their Father can wield, even from the grave.
How I Got Here...
Having started off at Epsom School of Art studying fashion design, I soon discovered I rather liked drawing. It is in my genes; my Dad, brother and Uncle were all successful artists, however, it became apparent that fashion was not my thing (the flares and gold lamé boots gave it away) and I decided to study Graphics. Some four years later I emerged unscathed from the Exeter Faculty of the University of Plymouth with an HND in Graphic Design and a BA hons Degree in Illustration.
To cut a long story short, I lived in London and set up my business illustrating full time, absconded to the Isle of Wight where odd things happened (I married and had 2 children) and started to write stories for adults and children.
What I’m Like....
When I was six, I painted my teddy with very gloopy glue, much like Scarlett has done with her teddy. He didn’t like it very much.
I like to rescue small creatures from being trodden on and own a very daft dog called Wally. In between thinking up stories to entertain my niece and prizing bits of cardboard out of Wally’s mouth, I spend time at my desk drawing and illustrating anything I can get my hands on.
I wrote my first book when I was nine; it was about a mad kangaroo. I get my story ideas when I’m out walking in the woods. It’s like a bumble bee in my brain, buzzing around; eventually I open a little window and let it out.
This year, I have been living with Flossie Bonce and getting the illustrations just right, (see picture books) final editing another story and getting a buzzy feeling in my head about a third novel.
My philosophy on life is that All Spiders Should Live Outside and my best piece of advice is Never to Paint your Teddy with Glue.
You can follow my blog on www.julesmarriner.blogspot.com