Elaine Telles-Treacy

My passion is to illustrate for children; to inspire them to be creative through what they see, so allowing their mind’s eye to take them into a story and see worlds beyond words.  Children’s books are a child’s first introduction into the world of art and imagination.

I produce artwork using different media carefully selected to suit the subject matter. Most pieces have been executed in a combination of gouache and watercolour but have expanded into printing. The experience of etching my sketches onto a lino tile and seeing how each line takes on a life and character of its own is very satisfying. There is a feeling of uninhibited crispness in the strokes created with the etching tool. The resulting relief print has a bold folk art style that suits many fables and traditional stories. Silk screen printing, with the layering of colours, also produces a very striking effect, giving character and dimension to my original drawings.

My Kenyan upbringing and Indian ancestry are reflected in many of my illustrations which are based on stories with cultural roots and African animals. As a child I was surrounded by African wildlife which inspired my interest in sketching and has continued with me throughout my adult life. I enjoy illustrating pictures for children’s authors as well as my own narratives and have produced a few one off books for my family.

I treat each piece of art work individually and strive to produce pictures that will reach out to inspire children and adults alike. There is nothing as powerful as the visual image; it speaks to all cultures, all generations and through all ages and overcomes all language barriers.