Meet Ann, aka Woolly Walnut

"Hi! I'm Ann, aka "Woolly Walnut", originally from Dublin but now living in Cork.

From a young age I've always been interested in illustration, and spent more time studying the pictures in my schoolbooks than the texts, dreaming of my own images in print!

A Nursing career overtook the option of pursuing Art College but I continued to illustrate for friends and colleagues.

An opportunity arose when I was asked to illustrate a series of children's books about Irish legends, rewritten by the author Michael Scott. As is the risk of all ventures, another author pipped him to the post with the same concept.  However, the experience gave me the confidence to venture into illustrating for Mentor 

Publications.  This led to my illustrating over a dozen school text books. As my own children were young at the time I received plenty of inspiration to keep the drawings up to date. One of my briefs was to illustrate a grumpy teenager which wasn't at all difficult as I had one of those at home at the time!

My artistic leaning has crept into my day job as a Theatre Nurse. Over the years I've used my art to explain medical procedures through humour. It has been particularly helpful for children facing anaesthesia and helps to take away some of their fears. I'd like to think my illustrations have also livened up the odd heavy medical lecture!

I've illustrated for all different types of personal events from birth to retirement making it very personal to the individual. Injecting(no pun intended!) humour and quirkiness into my drawings is important to me while still retaining a warmth for the subject. The best part of handing over a completed commission is to see the delight in someone's face and the occasional tear to the eye! 

My most recent venture is into Greeting cards. After spending many years drawing my own cards for friends and family I feel it's time to see these in print. 

So I hope you enjoy navigating my site and perhaps finding something just a little bit different."