Rosemary Woods — Illustrator

Biography

Rosemary Woods grew up in Northern Ireland and moved to London, England, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in illustration from Central St. Martins. She is an experienced illustrator with a diverse portfolio and has been commissioned to create paintings for book covers, poetry books and children’s books for most of the leading publishing houses and magazines. She also has created illustrations for packaging ranging from wine labels and CD covers to product packaging for leading brands.

She started drawing at an early age in the back of her classroom during math classes because she usually couldn't do her sums! Her inspiration comes from being surrounded by beautiful landscapes and animals where she grew up in Northern Ireland. She lived by the sea and could see a lighthouse from her house. This became influential when she was illustrating The Lighthouse that Ran Away by Roger McGough. At night from her studio in Ireland she can see four lighthouses glowing in the dark, guiding the twinkling fishing boats.

"I remember my childhood extremely vividly as I have a twin brother to help jog my memory - he remembers the start of a particular incident and then I remember the rest. We used to have lots of adventures growing up in an old house which was also the local bank - bit like one out of the Wild West. One day our little dog Sandy dug up a pile of old disused coins in the garden. To us it was like finding buried treasure. It kept myself and my twin brother in sweets and pocket money for years!"

She currently lives in London, England, where she works from a gothic-style building which has a resident ghost, but keeps Coco her chocolate labrador close by her feet for protection!

rosiewoods.com

Awards

One Well

2008 - Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, Santa Monica Public Library, Winner
2008 - Sigurd F Olson Nature Writing Award for Children’s Literature, Winner
2008 - Notable Books for a Global Society, International Reading Association, Winner
2008 - Information Book Award, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada, Winner
2008 - Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, Short-listed
2007 - Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine, Short-listed
2007 - International Book Award, The Society of School Librarians International, Winner
2007 - Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, CBC, Winner