you were walking through somewhere. And from this I can make my own landscape from my imagination, which is totally unique from what someone else would do with the same materials.
This was my first book – before now I have created fine art and furniture – and putting together each scene was very much about finding the right elements, and combining the animals, trees, and landscapes until I’d created a new universe. For The Wonder Garden I focused on five habitats: the Amazon, the Black Forest, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Himalayas. And to do this I had to find all the elements that fit within those environments.
This book was incredibly special to work on because until now I had created my own fantasy environments, and I realised the licence I had there was to do what I wanted with each scene. I thought making this book would be a lot simpler than it turned out to be – but it was an incredibly involving, wonderful process. I had to really look deeply into each of the individual elements to give the right story. Finding the creatures was really challenging, and I had some help with that. We would go through books and books and books, and without the author
Jenny Broom and my design assistant, Jo, working with me through that phase, it would have taken me three or four years to complete the research! But with that help and support we worked towards creating something that looks natural from antique engravings.
My favourite spread was the Great Barrier Reef, with the octopus. I found the desert hard to do, artistically, as I had less decorative elements to work with, but what I love about the book is that it feels rich and full, and without the desert it would be quite empty, and missing a quiet space. It would be too busy. The desert works to balance the other, fuller environments. Finishing with the Himalayas makes you feel like you’ve reached the top of the world at the end.
Making a book was such a different project to anything else I have done before. It was a much more collaborative experience, and I wanted the end result to talk to young people by being brighter and clearer than my other work. Working within the constraints of making a non-fiction book made the artwork more direct and real. It was a wonderful experience.
The Wonder Garden is published by Wide Eyed Editions, 978-1-8478-0647-5, £20.00 hbk
THE WONDER GARDEN
Wander through five habitats to discover 80 amazing animals.
By celebrated fine artist and designer Kristjana S Williams, written by best-selling author Jenny Broom
Open the gates of The Wonder Garden to explore five of Earth’s most extraordinary habitats, each filled with incredible creatures and epic scenery. Trek through the Amazon Rainforest, travel to the Chihuahuan Desert, dive in the Great Barrier Reef, delve deep into the Black Forest and stand on the roof of the world – the Himalayan Mountains – to see nature at its wildest. Breathtaking, engraved illustrations bring to life Earth’s spectacular Wonder Garden.
September 15 £20 • 978-1-84780-647-5
Wide Eyed Editions is an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group UK. We are creators of non-fiction for children and
families and believe that books should encourage curiosity about the world we live in, inspiring readers to set out on their own journey of discovery. Our stellar cast of illustrators and authors bring a new sense of wonder to classic themes in simple, quality formats that look and feel like beautiful objects.
See more at
www.wideeyededitions.com
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