ILLUSTRATION FEATURE Advent Catchup
The Advent competition arose following some discussion on creating printed holiday season cards or calendars for SCBWI. The practicalities for this proved awkward, so as an alternative I think it was Anne Marie and me that settled on trying an Advent challenge to run digitally.
It launched in 2013 with a great response and traditionally garners lots of positive responses on social media. For the first couple of years it ran in Words & Pictures and on the Showcase Gallery site, and then was transferred to our SCBWI Facebook group where it has grown in popularity. Our writer members often run a micro-tweeting event to comment on and compliment the images.
The Advent regularly receives around 60 to 70 entries every year competing for the 25 spots. Following a redesign of Words & Pictures we took a rest in 2017 and ran the "Quadvent" where I gathered the best entries from previous years to run on Facebook. Members of the illustration committee vote on the top image which then receives the first spot on December 1st. The second placed image is reserved to appear on 25th, the third place appears on the 2nd, fourth place on 3rd, fifth on 4th December and so on.
So, how have our previous winners been getting on? We contacted our previous first place winners for an update.
2013 winner - Heather Kilgour
The cloud of the pandemic has had one silver lining: it has brought into focus what I want to achieve and a plan for how to do it when everything returns to normal.
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| Heather Kilgour heatherkilgour.com @heatherkilgourillustration |
2014 winner - John Shelley
The Advent has been a fascinating coverage of our members every year. In 2014 I was very busy with commissioned books written by others, but in recent times I've been working more on developing my own self-written projects, which I've found present a different set of challenges! Visits to trade fairs like Bologna have definitely helped to focus, though not, of course, this year.
It's been a tough year for creatives, however our online network is strong! Since the beginning of the pandemic I've been working at home - sending SCBWI members strength and support during these difficult times, I'm really looking forward to meeting up when it's all over!
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| John Shelley www.johnshelley.com @studionib |
2015 winner - Jacqueline East
As an artist I feel so blessed to be able to create worlds that come from the heart, filled with love, warmth and quirkiness. I hope all you creatives out there have found solace in your work these last few months and know that with it, you touch other's hearts.
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| Jacqueline East www.jacquelineeast.com @jacquelineseast |
2016 winner - Demelsa Haughton
Since taking part in the Advent Illustration Competition I have gone on to illustrate five children's books. I'm also lucky enough to let my imagination run wild while illustrating jigsaw puzzles for Ravensburger. Dream job!
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| Demelsa Haughton www.demelsahaughtonillustration.co.uk @demelsahaughton |
2017 - Quadvent interlude.
2018 winner - Francis Martin
Since doing this little Christmas scene for the Advent calendar, I have illustrated a story for the amazing Candy Gourlay which was featured in the Sunday Times, accepted onto the Picture Hooks mentoring scheme which gave me the opportunity to work with Chris Mould, and then to exhibit the results at the National Gallery of Scotland!!!! I am illustrating a picture book for the celebrated Scottish writer Chae Strathie, it will be out next year on Little Door Books.
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| Francis Martin thephantomscribbler.com @theephantomscribbler |
2019 winner - Imogen Foxell
I was very honoured to be one of the winners in the Advent competition last year. In my head, this is an environmental picture - a celebration of Christmas that connects with the natural world rather than despoiling it. This last year has been all about poetry illustration for me - a poster celebrating the winners of the Foyle Young Poets competition, live illustration videos of poems in different languages for the Stephen Spender Trust, and a bit of Shakespeare too. I've also been making gradual progress on a personal picture book project with environmental themes.
Much love to all SCBWI people in this difficult year - looking forward to seeing you when it's allowed again!
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| Imogen Foxell www.imogenfoxell.com @imogenfoxell |
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Paul Morton runs HotFrog Graphics and is a long-standing volunteer with SCBWI's illustration team. His book Bugbelly: Babysitting Trouble was released by Five Quills earlier this year. Instagram Twitter
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