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A Grand Place - Grenada Illustrated

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This Year I began work on hopefully the first of many Children’s book called ‘A Grand Place’.

‘‘While Zora waits for Grandma to return, she explores what it means to have a home away from home. This nostalgic love letter to Grenada is a joyful celebration of Caribbean culture and all the forms it has taken over generations. Join Zora on her journey through this heart-warming tale of love, family and home.’’ Formy Books

Written by Leighan Renaud, we worked together to create this charming tale about our homeland Grenada.

Published by Formy Book on October 14th 2021 . Available for purchase here .

My research into this book was luckily all first-hand as I happened to be currently living on the Island. I had returned to be with my family during ‘the unprecendented times’ , I never realised it would lead to a children’s book. I was very lucky in that respect, and lucky that my first children’s book would be very personal to my own childhood.

I came to learn the concept of ‘Own Voice Stories’ and even had the chance to talk about how it affected my perspective of children’s publishing. It is not always enough just to see yourself represented but to have that representation in the creatives themselves. It shows that anyone can have access to different oppurtunities.

We never know where our creative journey will take us, but knowing it is not a limited choice and it can be what you make it is very uplifting.

my re-imagination of the Grand Etang Forest Reserve.

I would be hardpressed to pick a favourite illustration in this book as each featured an element of home that was dear to me. I made a point to plant as many easter eggs as I could to be found by watchful eyes. A single image can tell a story in many layers, and I wanted readers both familiar and new to landscape of Grenada to revisit the book and always find something new, just like they would in person.

I am grateful to have had the chance to share this story, as lately my art has been heavily inspired by Grenada. I was given a chance to re-live my own childhood as I gathered my references and I came to realise that what I always love about Grenada has never faded. During this time, I also became an avid hiker and my parents now joke that I know more about the island than they do. So I think I can qualify as a tour guide now! (Perhaps my next workshop should include a hike?)

I will end this with a few illustrations from the book , but I do hope you will pick up a copy of Grand Place to see them all!

The Lane - Behind the Book

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I decided one day to walk to school, it's not that far and I would be saving money. However when I started to walk, the wanderer in me started to look around. Coldharbour Lane, a single street that goes straight to my home to school, had a lot to inspire in me. 

So began the beginning of this book, another ode to South London. There is a charm I find always fascinating. The shop fronts, the rows of Victorian houses, the arches with trains rolling by. All coated in leaves as the late Autumn turned to Winter.

I started by creating watercolors of my favorite shops.

I couldn't resist doing some of my favorite line drawings as well

Then one day I had a monoprint workshop and thought this is it! The language I wanted. I could be controlled with my line as much as want but the unpredictability of monoprint would find some way to messed it up, or better yet, Improve it. 

I decided to it was the prefect medium to draw something I saw everyday (for 3 weeks in fact) and always give it new life with every new print.

It was nerve wrecking excitement with every reveal, and I carried on till I had enough images to edit into a book.  The final outcome which I loved because I truly made something that felt completely hand made. I will definitely keep exploring it in my practice.