Inside the world of Kate Greenaway winner Freya Blackwood

Australian illustrator Freya Blackwood won the UK's most prestigious prize for a children's illustrator today for her book Harry & Hopper. Take a look at some of her pictures for the book, which tells the story of a little boy coming to terms with the death of his dog
  
  


Harry & Hopper: Harry & Hopper by Margaret Wild with illustrations by Freya Blackwood
Freya Blackwood won the CILIP Kate Greenaway medal for illustration this afternoon for her work on children's picture book Harry & Hopper. The award is the UK's top prize for a children's illustrator, and has gone in the past to Quentin Blake and Raymond Briggs
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper
The book tells the story of a little boy, Harry, and his love for his dog Hopper. ‘When the puppy came to live with Harry and Dad, he was as jumpy as a grasshopper. So that’s what Harry called him. Hopper’
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper
Blackwood 'excels in her use of muted colour, perspective, and exterior and interior space', said judges
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
'Hearing that Harry & Hopper had been shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway was hard to comprehend, but the news that it had won was outright mind-blowing,' said Blackwood. 'I grew up with many of the books that have won this award and see their illustrators as idols'
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Hopper was inspired by Blackwood's own childhood memories of her pet whippet, who met a sudden end, like Hopper does. Blackwood initially read the manuscript, written by Margaret Wild, through tears. 'When young, I had a beautiful grey whippet named Fulani who met a dreadfully sad end. So I found the story very easy to relate to, as it is for anyone who has a pet they love,' she said
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
'Often when redrawing a page, the result is never quite the same, so in order to use my rough, messy drawings for the final artwork, I had them printed onto watercolour paper using the kind of large-scale plan printer that architects use. This way the pencil lines remained bold and I could paint as freely as I wanted,' said Blackwood
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Illustration from Harry & Hopper by Freya Blackwood
'A sensitive issue for young children is beautifully handled, with Harry’s emotions and memories of Hopper expressed visually to great effect,' said judges
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Harry & Hopper: Harry & Hopper by Margaret Wild with illustrations by Freya Blackwood
Blackwood wins £5,000, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway medal
Illustration: © 2009 Freya Blackwood Photograph: guardian.co.uk
 

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