Where I was Meant to Be: Q&A with Gwyn Perkins

Where I was Meant to Be: Q&A with Gwyn Perkins

Congratulations on your new book A Trip to the Beach. You’ve been at the show and in the bush and now you’re taking a trip to the beach. What is it about the beach that you wanted to celebrate?

Thank you.
It was a special day when Iggy was able to learn how to paddle a kayak and catch a wave.

Where do your ideas for stories and illustrations come from?

I like explaining simple things, using body language to show the relationship and personalities of the characters to help with the storytelling.

Do you have a studio at home where you create your illustrations?

Yes, I do. It’s a quiet room containing a drawing desk, a computer and some comfortable chairs. It’s on the sheltered side of the house where the nearby back door is usually open, so I can keep an eye on the garden and listen to the birds.

You had a long career in advertising before becoming a picture book author and illustrator, what was it that inspired this change?

Animating hand drawn TV commercials was a very creative time and collaborating with clever writers and art directors taught me lots, but gradually I needed to see what I could do with my own ideas, so when it became obvious I would need to learn computer animation to remain in the business, I shut my small studio.

It was no easy transition, but after some years my drawings got better and my confidence improved. I discovered that writing and illustrating funny things for kids that adults laughed at was where I was meant to be.

Can you please share with us some of the children’s books that made an impact on you?

Some good ones I read to my kids:

Tomi Ungerer’s The Beast of Monsieur Racine.

Oscar and Hoo. Written by Theo, Illustrated by Michael Dudok De Wit

Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans Marciano

Read our review | Purchase a copy of A Trip to the Beach by Gwyn Perkins

Born in Melbourne in 1942, Gwyn Perkins began his artistic career when he won a newspaper drawing prize of one guinea and a box of paints (mistakenly awarded to Miss Gwyn Perkins). In 2018, Gwyn’s first picture book in his Iggy and Grandad series, A Walk in the Bush, won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year Award.

Gwyn spent many years as a successful animator in the advertising industry before moving to an island north of Sydney to enjoy a slower pace. He spends his days drawing, sailing and doing odd jobs for his friends and family. Gwyn has two adult sons and lives with his wife and teenage daughter.

 

 

Reviews

Sandcastles, Seaweed and Simple Pleasures: Review of A Trip to the Beach by Gwyn Perkins

Review

29 October 2019

Sandcastles, Seaweed and Simple Pleasures: Review of A Trip to the Beach by Gwyn Perkins

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            Publisher details

            A Trip to the Beach
            Author
            Gwyn Perkins
            Publisher
            Affirm Press
            Genre
            Children’s Picture Book
            Released
            29 October, 2019
            ISBN
            9781925870473

            Synopsis

            Today’s the day – Iggy’s going to catch a wave without any help! Or at least that’s what Grandad thinks. Iggy isn’t quite so sure.What follows is an unforgettable beach adventure that involves the best sandcastle ever built, fish and chips for lunch, lots of boats and a few perfect waves.Here is a story about the unique beauty of the Australian coast, the universal magic of the ocean and the importance of finding your own way. The last adventure in the award-winning Iggy and Grandad series.
            Gwyn Perkins
            About the author

            Gwyn Perkins

            Born in Melbourne in 1942, Gwyn Perkins began his artistic career when he won a newspaper drawing prize of one guinea and a box of paints (mistakenly awarded to Miss Gwyn Perkins). He spent many years as a successful animator in the advertising industry before moving to an island north of Sydney to enjoy a slower pace. He spends his days drawing, sailing and doing odd jobs for his friends and family. Gwyn has two adult sons and lives with his wife and teenage daughter.

            Books by Gwyn Perkins

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