Why did you create this work?

‘Andrew’ is a ‘fridge pet’; a magnet set for children to learn about looking after a pet before committing to one. It aims to support the prevention of giving pets up for adoption by ensuring children are adequately prepared for the daily and ever changing responsibilities a pet can bring, and that parents can see this responsibility taken up in a no-risk manner. It is also a fun alternative if a real-life pet isn’t an option!

How were your illustrations used?

I wanted the project to engage both the child and the caregiver, by being interactive. The caregiver would set challenges for the child (e.g. occasionally placing the poop magnet near the anteater for the child to then notice and cover with the bin!). The illustrations are humorous yet essential, in the hope that conversations on the topic of animal welfare are triggered in a light-hearted and imaginative manner.

What materials and techniques did you use?

Every magnet was designed with a combination of gouache, coloured pencils and collage, which I then added further definition to on Procreate. I wanted the illustrations to be texture rich in order for the set to stand out amongst the digital market, so the mark-making is purposefully haphazard and the outlines askew.