Drawing inspiration from acclaimed artist

Have you ever fancied making your own picturebook, but don’t know where to begin?
Illustrator Ashling LindsayIllustrator Ashling Lindsay
Illustrator Ashling Lindsay

Well, help is at hand thanks to Belfast artist Ashling Lindsay who will be offering free online classes and tutorials in the craft.

Ashling, who was recently named winner of the Illustration category at the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2020, is one of 88 artists to have so far received funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s £500,000 Artists Emergency Programme, which is using National Lottery funds to support artists to continue their work and connect with communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Since graduating from the Belfast School of Art in 2013, Ashling’s beautiful illustrations have gathered much attention thanks to their distinctive style.

One of Ashling's eye-catching illustrations One of Ashling's eye-catching illustrations
One of Ashling's eye-catching illustrations

Her picturebooks have been published in more than 10 languages and in 2019 she was presented with an ACES award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

In April the latest in the hugely successful Little People, Big Dreams series was published, a biography of World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing, featuring Ashling’s eye-catching illustrations.

Unfortunately many other projects Ashling had planned for this year have currently been placed on hold.

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She said: “Last year I received an ACES award from the Arts Council and I’ve been using that to develop my own picturebook texts in Irish and English. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that the publication of those is now delayed but on the positive side, it has given me the time to think about how my experiences and skills may be able to help others.”

Thanks to the Arts Council and the National Lottery players Ashling is planning to develop a series of online videos showing the art process behind her work, painting, drawing, and printmaking.

She explained: ‘‘The point of this project is to skill share, show some of the process, and engage with the community through free digital content that is easily accessible for people remotely.”

Damian Smyth, head of Literature, Arts Council of Northern Ireland added: ‘‘Artists have been among the hardest hit groups, with projects delayed, venues closed and events cancelled for the foreseeable future. All of this is having a major impact on our cultural and creative lives.

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‘‘Over the next few months, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Ashling’s project develops, encouraging others who maybe have an idea they wish to develop or perhaps want to reconnect with their creative side to, quite literally, get back to the drawing board.”

*Ashling’s tutorials will be available on www.ashlinglindsay.co.uk.

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