Meet the Illustrator: Jacquie Hughes

31 May 2017 Suzanne Hemming7 Comments

I love to write, but drawing? Nope, that I can not do! How I wish I could draw, or paint or sketch…. I’m a words person, and this book needed a pictures person! Enter stage left: Jacquie Hughes

SH: Jacquie where does your inspiration come from?

JH: Inspiration can come from so many places. I keep sketchbooks which I fill with drawings (from life and imagination), notes, collage, images torn from magazines and technique experiments. Most of these aren’t seen by anyone else but I use them as a starting point or resource for work. I love to read and sometimes a story or poem will inspire me.

SH: Can you tell me a bit about the draft stage, when you’re creating the characters?

JH: I love this stage of the work because it involves big sheets of paper and a lot of relaxed, almost unconscious drawing, which is reigned in a bit later when I find the strongest drawings. It’s quite a magical process bringing a character from my imagination and making them ‘real’ on paper. Bringing other people’s characters to life is a different but equally enjoyable process. I’m always a little bit nervous when I first show my sketches to a writer but I enjoy collaborating because another person’s input can push you out of your comfort zone. I also enjoy researching clothes and objects that are associated with characters.

SH: How do you use colour in your work?

JH: If I’m entirely honest I’m more confident with drawing than I am with colour but I’m constantly developing my sense of colour by looking at paintings and photography. If I see a colour combination that really works (regardless of the subject matter) I replicate it in swatches in my sketchbook, using gouache. Then I have a little store to dip into. Sometimes I work more intuitively than this though and sometimes a writer will have their own ideas about colours that they’d like you to use, which is great.

SH: Can you tell me a bit about the type of work you do?

JH: I work in traditional media. For this project [She’s Not Good for a Girl, She’s Just Good!] I’m using watercolours and colour pencils. I also like to use mixed media, combining paint with collage, printmaking techniques, charcoal, inks and colour pencils. There’s something about the mish-mash of textures and line really excites me. I recently tried a friend’s I-Pad Pro which was a revelation and I’m currently saving for my own so I may move into more digital work.

And the results of this are all the amazingly beautiful illustrations that you can see in She’s Not Good for a Girl, She’s Just Good!

Jacquie thanks for being a part of Thea Chops Books’ first ever book!

Company News

The only true failure can come if you quit.

11 March 2017 Suzanne Hemming2 Comments

When you opt for a career change, sometimes you go on a course or retrain. But when one day you decide to take a rhyming story you’ve written, and self publish, all of a sudden you find yourself wearing many hats.

For the last month or so, Jacquie has been working away at the illustrations, bringing the book to life beautifully. And I’ve been getting my head around everything else that goes into publishing a book and setting up a company. From finding an accountant, to finding out about ISBN numbers and barcodes. From working out a marketing plan, to working out how many books to print. I’m not just a writer any more: I’m a supplier; a retailer; a small business owner; a decision maker. And not that I hold too much sway with star signs, but as someone who is apparently classic Libra, decision making is not my strong suit. What if there’s a better one / another way / a tastier dish (food envy is the worst!).

But each time I sit down, I work through my list, and I have to tell myself, you’ve got this, you can do this. I don’t always tell myself this of course. Sometimes I freak out! Sometimes the self doubt creeps in and I wonder what on earth I’m doing. But just as when my daughter, recently turned four, struggles to do something, and I see her becoming frustrated or giving up, I tell her to keep trying. To keep going. Not to quit. Just ask for help and try again.

Advice I really should keep applying to myself. In life, you don’t know until you know. And if you don’t know something, if you don’t know how, there are always people who can help. You just have to ask. As the great Andrea Beaty says, through the words of Rosie Revere, Engineer, ‘the only true failure can come if you quit.’

Company News

And so, it begins!

31 January 2017 Suzanne Hemming

From small acorns, grow mighty oaks, said a wise person once. Most things in life begin small, look at babies! And so it is with Thea Chops Books. We’re small right now, and certainly our beginnings are even smaller! But it’s a start. It begins.

I’ve been writing rhyming children’s stories for fun since my daughter was tiny. I’ve always loved books: as a child I could hide away for hours with my head in a book. And I always loved making up stories too, and remember feeling so proud one day when a teacher selected one of my pieces to read out to the class. I do sometimes wonder why I didn’t go on to study English or creative writing, but it was not meant to be I guess. Until now!

So here we are: the company is set up, as is the website and all of my preferred social media channels. A fabulous illustrator is on board and is in the process of creating beautiful drawings to bring the story to life. And support for the book. and the concept of the company (to produce entertaining but empowering stories that show boys and girls as equals) has been nothing short of amazing. I started the year, somewhat reluctantly doing some crowdfunding to help pay for the publication of the book (I say reluctantly as I was convinced for weeks that no one would want to pledge or be interested – imposter syndrome eh?! We know all about that!). And honestly, I was blown away by the support I received from friends, family and many complete strangers! People everywhere are really on board with the idea that we should begin teaching our children about equality from a young age, that the words we use and the messages we send are so so powerful, and impact so much. Just look at the recent Women’s March: an historic day when millions of men, women and children across the globe marched to raise awareness for an equal world, and the need to protect legislation for human rights.

So here we are. I’m set up, and I’m doing this. I’m stepping so far out of my comfort zone that I want to step right back inside again! But too late! The cat is out of the bag and the beans are spilled!

And so, it begins!

Thank you for coming along on the ride.

Meet the Illustrator: Jacquie Hughes

The only true failure can come if you quit.

And so, it begins!

Suze x

theachopsbooks