Woooohhh! Things are really rockin'... 

In The Beginning... 

I was born in Brunswick, Victoria, just up the road from the Carlton Football ground. I  loved drawing from a very early age. My brother Leigh and I spent most evenings drawing on huge sheets of paper on the kitchen table. I also loved comics, especially The Phantom and a long forgotten western hero called Kid Colt. The drawings in both were brilliant! I would copy them over and over, which is really how I learnt to draw.

I had my first part-time job when I was 14, delivering bread and milk (I was allowed to take home as much bread as I could carry on my bike, and free bread and milk helped mum out a lot). After that, I worked as a petrol jockey on weekends (my brother and his mates would pull into the servo trying to get free petrol for his old FJ Holden!).

But as fate would have it, my older brother Leigh was a good drummer and taught me how to play (just to stop me using mums pots and pans as a drumkit-very noisy). After school each day, I'd play along with songs by  Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, The Beatles and the great Bob Dylan.  I went on to spend most of my teenage years pretending to be a drummer in various rock bands, trying my hardest to sing like John Lennon.

I started studying art in year ten and went on to study mural design and painting at C.I.T. (now Monash, Caulfield Campus). I skipped classes two days a week to work as a cleaner to pay my way (somehow I still managed to pass though). I remember a few of us in the painting group were invited to lunch by the late great Fred Williams (at his house/studio). It was just amazing to see the paintings and prints he was working on, to see how he worked and to have a chat. He was a really nice guy and a great influence on me as a young painter.

Off to Work ...

After art school, I did National Service for two years, serving with Survey Corps and then Training Command (a slouch hat on my strange looking head wasn't a good look!). After the army, I did  a Diploma of Education, but by now, the band was doing some good gigs, so my choice was to work for a living, or live the rock'n'roll dream. Not a hard choice. What a life! For one gig, we were flown to King Island and you could see the giant waves in Bass Straight not far below us. The pilot let our crazy guitarist take the controls for a while-what a buzz! 

In the mid seventies, I thought I should get a 'real' job, and landed a position as designer and illustrator for The Education Magazine and Pursuit Magazine ( still playing drums though, in the bands Centerfold and Piranha. You can never get drumming out of your blood once it's in there!). I also started writing songs for the band and still write today. 

In 1981 started freelance illustration for various other publishers including Penguin, Rigby, Brooks Waterloo and Reed Publishing in Australia, and Shortland in North America.  My friend Ann James gave me my first picturebook to illustrate at the time, called Drenched. A great little story about a little boy caught in the rain after school. From that moment on I was hooked on picturebooks! 

At about the same time, I became involved with various wildlife conservation groups like the Australian Conservation Foundation and The Wildlife Protection Council of Victoria. I did a lot of illustration work for these groups and others, which led me into writing my own stories concerning conservation and protecting native species. It has now become a lifelong long passion. Prayer for the Animals  (Lothian) was the first book, and I worked for the first time with the brilliant editor Helen Chamberlin, who has been my editor ever since.   

In 1982 I held my first solo exhibition of paintings and drawings,at the Artists Proof Gallery in Richmond. I love painting and still paint and exhibit every couple of years (see the painting link at the top of this page). I still get the same buzz as I did as a little kid at school, opening the paint pot and just getting stuck into it!

My absolute passion though, is writing and illustrating children’s books. This also takes me all over Australia doing presentations and workshops in schools and at literature festivals (this fits in nicely with my eternal quest to find the best coffee shop in Australia!).

What A Year...

2010 has been a great year in many ways, including four awards for my picture books. Journey of the Sea Turtle won the 2010 Whitley Award for Children's Literature, My Mother's Eyes-The Story of a Boy Soldier won both the CBCA Book of the Year Awards (Notable Picture Book) and the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Notable Book, Eva Pownall Award. To top it off, Angel of Kokoda is in the short list for an international award, but I don't want to jinx it just yet. It's nice to get a pat on the back sometimes though, isn't it!

My Mother's Eyes-The Story of a Boy Soldier has now sold over 9,000 copies, and Hachette are doing a second print run, which is great news! 

I have also been crowned Grand Dragon of Dromkeen for a year. A great tradition started by Graeme Base and the people at the Dromkeen Centre for Picture Book Art in Victoria. It's a great honour, and I shall serve my subjects well (they have no idea how much drawing they will be doing in the coming months!).

I have also been doing some work for a charitable group called CLAN (Children's Literature Australia Network). Our aim is to publish books and to get them to disadvantaged children/schools when and wherever we can. It's a huge project and we are just getting started, but there are some wonderful people I'm working with, so wish us luck! 

I have also been working on two big picture book projects this year(see New and Recent Picturebooks below). The first one, The Little Wooden Horse, Children of the First Fleet,  is a Windy Hollow Book. Part One is now finished and will be out in November. It was a big project (over 6,000 words) and needed a lot of research, eventually being cut into two books. The paintings were a huge challenge, and I still have to start work on part two. 

The second major project for the year is almost finished as well. It's called Gracie and Ben's Art Adventure, and tells the tale of one magical night in an art gallery! It's a Hachette Australia Book and will be out early in the new year.

    My current band, Chucka-Tanti is taking a break for a while, and my blues band The Dodgy Chairs (featuring guitarist Ken Spencer) will be recording over Christmas. You can click on  www.myspace.com/chuckatanti  for a sample (though my link to it is a bit dodgy). Also see the new Australian feature length movie Now and Then, for a brief peek at illustrations from my picture book with Tim O'Brien, The Penguin Shore.

Take a Moment...

I know it's a busy life we all lead, but if possible, try to put some time aside to do a little for the environment. This in turn helps our wild creatures. Remember, the smallest things are the most important and together, we can change things.

I want to thank all the schools and festivals that have kindly invited me along to do workshops and presentations this year. In particular, Victoria Vaughan and the teachers and students of Mount Eliza North Primary School, for their wonderful enthusiasm and support over the last few years.

Good luck to all the budding writers and illustrators out there, and especially to all the people who read our books. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to write, illustrate and enjoy children's books.

New and Recent Picture Books

A Day to Remember, my new picturebook with author Jackie French, will be out in March, 2012 (Harper Collins).

Recent Picturebooks written and Illustrated by Mark

Hachette Australia   Ben and Gracie's Art Adventure is just off to the printer (November 2010).   Join Gracie and Ben on a magical adventure as they discover the world of the early settlers, through the paintings of the famous Australian artist Frederick McCubbin. His paintings have been faithfully Interpreted by arguably his greatest fan, me.   Teachers notes are available from the publisher.

Prayer for the Animals,  Lothian/Hachette We need to preserve and protect the natural environment if we have any regard for the wonderful wildlife that inhabit this planet. This book celebrates just some of those wild and beautiful creatures, and we know that time is running out for many of them. It's not only the time to pray, but the time to act!    Teachers notes are available from the author.

The past twelve months have been a lot of fun doing workshops at very different places, from Ipswich Children's Lit. Festival, the CYA Conference and the The Somerset Lit. Festival in Queensland, to the Dromkeen Centre for Picture Book Art in Victoria. The Author in Residence at  Mount Eliza North Primary School kept me busy, especially the mentorship program. There will also be workshops at Fremantle Children's Literature Centre in W.A., and I recently did workshops at Cube at Frankston Arts Centre, the Mornington Peninsula Writers' Festival and the Hastings Literary Festival, not to mention all the great schools I visited! A very busy, rewarding and enjoyable year, which seems to have flown by!

In the 50-60 min. workshops we discuss my picture books and how different writers and illustrators approach their own picture books. There are creative writing and drawing exercises, then we work together exploring line, shape and texture to create illustrations. The students work along with me as we discuss and draw characters from my books, including endangered Species and their habitat. The focus is to encourage students to have confidence in developing their own style.

Secondary school workshops feature the award winning picture book, Angel of Kokoda, and includes motivation, research techniques, including the use of maps, photos, journals, documents, the internet and copyright issues (but they still have to draw with me!)

Workshop Feeedback from Schools

Marks workshops are most enjoyable, addressing environmental issues in a fascinating manner as well as encouraging the students to look more deeply at their local surroundings. Anne van den Blink, teacher,  Parktone Primary School, Victoria

The session with Mark was fantastic. His approach to the students and his presentation were excellent. He tapped into their interests to really engage them. Tony Patterson, teacher, Newman College, W.A.

The children were really engaged with Marks wonderful picture book workshops. We can’t wait to see him again next term. Victoria Vaughan, teacher, Mount Eliza North Primary School, Victoria

It was interesting, funny, cool and Mark is a talented and exciting author/illustrator. Great stories.

Year 6/7 students, Booragoon Primary School

Mark was a fascinating speaker who really kept the kids engaged. A very successful presentation and enriching day. Keep up the good work!  Parents group, Newman College, W.A.

Students, teachers and parents left Mark’s sessions with a thorough understanding of and respect for the processes involved in the making of a picture book. To complete the sessions, Mark’s step by step instructions resulted in all students creating some amazing work. Jenny Doust, Education Officer, Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre

Phone Simon at 'Booked Out' on (03) 9824 0177 for workshop bookings.

10 Most Asked Questions by Students:

1. Who is your favourite author? Tim Pegler, close second is Leo Tolstoy.

2. What is your favourite picture book? Fiona The Pig, by Leigh Hobbs.

3. How much money do you earn? Not enough.

4. What is your favourite band? The Small Faces, The Beatles, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones and Greenday (plus many, many more, including John Lee Hooker and Bob Dylan).

5. What is your favourite song?  Tin Soldier, by the Small Faces.

6. Do you have a pet? We have two dogs. Kouta, a Sydney Silky Terrier and Toby (I'm not sure what he is) and my sons dog Melvin is also staying with us at the moment, and they all actually get along okay. We have a pond with seven fish and the odd frog drops by now and then, and trees full of Rainbow Lorikeets, Eastern Rosellas and Honey-eaters!

7. What are your hobbies? My Hobbies are playing drums, singing in my band and writing songs. I love Ausi rules football and follow the mighty Saints. I also love walking on the beach and finding old pieces of driftwood and things.

8. How did you become an Illustrator? Very good luck! I had a folio of very strange surrealistic drawings and applied for an illustrator job on the student Magazines in Melbourne. Walla! I got the job. 

9. What is the best thing about your job? Going for a walk on the beach or playing drums whenever I want to.

10. What's the worst thing about your job? Going for a walk on the beach or playing drums whenever I want to, which means I don't get much work done!

Workshop Bookings: Email Mark at marklwilson@optusnet.com.au or phone Simon at 'Booked Out' on (03) 9824 0177.