Jeannie Baker
As a child
I grew up in England, the eldest of six children. The eldest of my brothers, Alan, also writes and illustrates children’s picture books. He is quite famous. As a child, I’d often be found in a corner, drawing, painting or making something. We used to treasure the paper the butcher would wrap our family's meat up in. We’d press all the folds and wrinkles out of it, and use it for drawing on.
As an adult
I was thrilled to be accepted to art college and went on to study art for five years. They were wonderful years, with lots of freedom and time to explore myself, and the world around me. It was in these years that I started to evolve my collage work, which I’m still evolving today. I love working on children’s picture books. I love the freedom of being able to follow my passions, and the challenge of trying to make something worthwhile, that other people will hopefully enjoy too.
As an artist
I wrote and illustrated my first children’s picture book when I was at art college. It was later published as Grandfather. I’ve since made my home in Sydney, Australia. The Australian environment has had an enormous impact on my work, and since Where the Forest Meets the Sea all my projects have had an environmental focus. I work very slowly! My projects now often take three or four years to complete, but they are also designed as travelling exhibitions of artwork, and several projects have also been short animated films which I have directed. I try to design my projects for young children but also try to incorporate ideas that children might only understand as they grow older or become adult.