Illustrative Inspirations | Liz Anelli
Rekha Salin invites illustrator Liz Anelli to share her artistic journey, and the multiple routes she takes to map out her ideas...
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi, I’m Liz, an illustrator/author. My first picture book ‘The Scrapyard Monster’ was published back in 1988. Since then, I have dusted dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum in London, taught printmaking and illustration at universities, and made two children and 20 odd children’s books.
I went to live in Australia for ten years, which was great. But we missed our family so came back to England in 2022. When not drawing, I am on my allotment veggie plot or cycling around our hometown of Cambridge. As well as children’s books, I love making very big, illustrated maps.
You can find my work at lizanelli-illustration.com, and also Instagram and Facebook.
Which genre do you write/illustrate for?
I mostly illustrate and write picture books (both fiction and non-fiction) but have done covers and chapter headings for various grades. This month I am celebrating the ‘Book Birthday’ of ‘Sidney of Sydney’, written by Sue Whiting and published by Walker Books Australia.
Here are some of my recent book titles...
What inspires you to pick up or buy a book from the library/bookstore or buy online?
I cannot be without a book to read, and have been known to sneak off to bed at 8pm just so I can consume some chapters. Sometimes it is an author I am interested to read more of, or the subject matter, or reviews that I have heard on the radio. I also love non-fiction (both for kids and grown-up), and bore my husband reading ‘interesting facts’ out loud.
Are you inspired by books from multiple genre written/illustrated by the same author/illustrator?
Yes, I am in a SCBWI Critique group, and love reading the other members’ junior fiction, middle grade and YA. I am inspired by people’s writing technique and how they marshal their research. The author of my non-fiction picture books, Pamela Freeman, gifted me some of her adult fiction, and I find it fascinating reading novels by people I know.
What other inspirations do you bring into your work?
Yes. Most of being alive is inspirational. And it’s only natural for real life to seep into our work, especially sounds, smells, memories of our own childhood. The terrible 2019 Bushfire certainly inspired my picture book ‘Hand to Hand’. I will never forget the ash sticks falling into our NSW sea from fires over 50 miles away.
More recently, I have been motivated by the enormity of packing up and moving round the world, and have explored this subject in a picture book. I grew up in a lovely Essex village and was terrified of my parents announcing we might move house. They never did, but the fear stayed.
How do you bring inspiration from other illustrators into your works?
I scrutinise colour palettes, textures, character composition to learn from them. I admire other illustrators whose work is neat, but I couldn’t be that person. Some of my favourite books include 'Harvey', 'Not Now Bernard', and 'Solomon Crocodile'.
How do you keep your work fresh, original and unique, and avoid looking like your inspirations?
I go out drawing as often as possible. People in cafes, on trains. I like to turn them into animals as I sketch them. You know how some faces remind you of a goat or a duck? I play with media in my studio. To be honest, once I start making things up, I am not conscious of ‘thinking about it’. And I meet regularly online with my international illustrators’ critique panel. We call ourselves 'The Nitpickers' and are quite tough on each other – but after taking it all in, I always (mostly) realise that their advise was sound (maybe the next day...).
Does your bookshelf have all the books that you love or inspired you?
No way! I have about 100, which is nowhere near enough, but have run out of space. I volunteer at my local library and have a good snoop at what’s new whilst shelving the Kids Section books. If our house blew up, I would definitely save my collection of Tove Jansson’s ‘Finn Family Moomintroll’ books. She was a genius at putting her inner child into her work. She understood relationships, especially between characters who were quite different in personality. I re-read ‘Moominland Midwinter’ whenever I get a bad cold. Another treasure is my battered, much-read set of Arthur Ransome books. I’ve never sailed in my life, but love everything by that great storyteller.
Which are the main books that have inspired your work yet are not on your bookshelf?
I grew up with Dick Bruna’s ‘Miffy’ books. It doesn’t really matter to me that I no longer own these books as their colours and shapes are so strong they live in my soul.
I'd like to have a copy of Richard Scarry's 'What Do People Do All Day?' That is the very best in being nosy about life, with aerial perspectives that fit as much in a scene as possible.
I'd also add 'Little Nemo' by Winsor McCay, which reassures me that there are no boundaries to imagination, and it doesn't need explaining.
I suppose I should also get my own copy of Sidney Smith's ‘Town is by the Sea’ – I have borrowed it from the library 3 times so far...
There’s a real gem coming soon from Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. She is in my critique group, so I have had the privilege of seeing this book grow.
Are there any books that you really wish you had worked on?
I wish I had written and illustrated Dr Seuss’ 'Green Eggs and Ham'. It is the best early
childhood book ever. Also, just about anything by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Their rhyme, rhythm and characters are perfect.
My non-fiction picture books have been well-liked and won a few awards, but I hanker to have made ‘Shackleton’s Journey’, or any of those big Flying Eye Books.