blog ramblings
black and white #5
black and white #4
Cars and trains and boats and planes... I've been a Mr Toad (poop poop) for as long as I can remember. Not just... read more
Picking Pickle
We're back! What better way to welcome the spring. May I present Picking Pickle, a new picture book to be published by Pavilion... read more
black and white #4
Scenes, settings and stories... oh and hats! I also found out, while inventing the Fancy-Coat-Lady's fancy coat, that in the 1950's the advances... read more
black and white #3
Animals! And the journey of anthropomorphism: from a real-life natural pet, McClusky, through to Dixie and Percy with their three-piece suits and driving... read more
black and white #2
Today: drawing children, then and now. I love the vitality of contemporary life, but when it comes to classics - oh those scratchy... read more
black and white #1
This week I'll be sharing some of things I love to draw. Illustrating fiction in black and white is the greatest happiness. Because dress... read more
happy first day of spring!
After this wretched winter, too. Nothing says spring like a hare on a bike ride - and even if you can't see inside... read more
Mango & Bambang Superstar Tapir
Out now in paperback - in sunset-orange foil and it is SHINY! [video width="720" height="720" m4v="http://claras.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_3606.m4v"][/video] Although people who know me... read more
McClusky’s birthday
From Dotty Detective The Birthday Surprise: We don't know when McClusky's birthday is, because he's a rescue dog, so each year he has THREE birthday... read more
Dotty Detective The Birthday Surprise
Put on your party hats – Dot and the gang are back with a brand new story! Dot is hugely excited about her birthday (although... read more
a year of Mary Plain
In 2017 Mary Plain returned in style! You can read more about her journey – and mine – here. Four books were published (looking... read more
to my Grenfell art therapy heroes…
Instead of banging on about what I did this year, I’m looking back to what we did. This was without doubt the absolute highlight,... read more
Mary Plain #7
Happy Publication Day, Mary! So this day has arrived at last. Mostly Mary and All Mary have put on their best rosettes and stepped... read more
Mary Plain #6
cake continuity error When you make a mistake of this magnitude, there are two ways to go... (more…) read more
Mary Plain #5
the bear pits in Berne I've pored over pictures and collected old postcards... (more…) read more
Mary Plain #4
Mary's picture writing Mary has many ways to unequivocally get her message across, but none quite so charming as her picture writing. Sometimes it's easy... read more
Mary Plain #3
welcome to Mary's world... Mary comes from the bear pits in Berne Zoo. (more…) read more
Mary Plain #2
tiny bears! Here is Mary in action, and in every imaginable mood. A busy bear. You might be surprised to know that each individual image... read more
Mary Plain #1
bringing Mary to life on the page With just a week to go until publication by Egmont UK of Mostly Mary and All Mary,... read more
Dotty Detective and The Midnight Mystery
published today! Decorated with shiny silver dots, like little moons! In this third book in the Dotty Detective series, best pals Dot and Beans... read more
Mary Plain
an unusual first class bear This has been a VERY difficult secret to keep under my hat, or should I say behind my large... read more
Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble
out today! Gosh I haven't been busy with this blog for the longest time... like a Reliant Robin sitting on the drive under it's... read more
Dotty Detective day four
doodling! Are you a compulsive doodler? I don’t mean the kind of informal drawing that artists sometimes call doodles. That’s lightweight. I mean the... read more
Dotty Detective day three
introducing Beans and McClusky Meet Dot’s best pal Beans and TOP DOG McClusky, fellow members of the Join The Dots Detectives. This is the contents... read more