EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 13 © 2015 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

80 Join us aswemeet anartist whose love of escaping into imagined worlds has brought charm and magic to her captivating children's book illustration. The Studio: Brooke Boynton Hughes RIGHT: An elderly elf with a twig walking stick and acorn hat. FAR RIGHT: 'Rowboat'. Much of Brooke's work is created in pencil with washes of watercolour delicately applied to breathe additional life and vivacity into her creations. ABOVE: More magical whimsy: 'Star Prayer'. PR: Did you always draw? BBH: As a kid I drew all the time. I spent lots of time alone in my room, drawing, and whenever I was watching TV, I was also drawing. Art was always my favourite subject in school. PR: Were any other members of your family artistic? BBH: Mymom, dad, and brother are all artistic. I remember bothmy parents drawing when I was a kid. My dad used to make these really charming wooden animal toys and he painted quite a bit when he was younger. My mom is very creative. She used to design stained glass patterns and she’s often working on different creative projects. My brother went to film school and is an excellent writer. Now he works as a designer and does a lot with 3D printing. PR: Where did you train? BBH: I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from Colorado State University and my Master of Fine Arts degree in Figurative art with a concentration in drawing and printmaking from the New York Academy of Art. PR: What were your early influences? BBH: My mother and grandmother both read to me a lot, my dad sang