Old Billy: A Warrington Tail

29 Jul

“Stef is a delightful artist to work with- professional, enthusiastic, passionate and she communicated brilliantly and delivered above and beyond the brief. She had a clear vision for the Old Billy project but equally very accommodating to suggestions and advice from the Archivist as the project evolved. She has a lovely manner and delivered a CPD to teachers about her illustrative role within the project and also led a book launch art session for families. Her artwork was superb- charming and expressive and encompassed the historical elements perfectly- I’d love to have an opportunity to work with Stef again.”

Katy Melville, Culture Warrington Education Officer

“Stef is considerate and skilled as a illustrator. She actively seeks opportunities to increase diverse representation of people in the work and responds sensitively to the text provided. Stef also considers how audiences and readers experience her work by asking questions about what visually needs to be explained. I love working with Stef for her passion, care and thoughtfulness.”

Flick Goodman, author of ‘Old Billy’

Warrington Museum & Art Gallery: Education & Archives collaboration

local museum collaboration • children’s illustration • character design • book development & design • education resource

If you asked me to describe my dream job, this would be it. I love history and local heritage, and I believe illustration is in a unique position to bring the stories of the past to life for all ages. The team at the Warrington Museum approached me in February 2023 to work with local author Flick Goodman to design and illustrate her engaging ballad about Old Billy, the oldest living horse on record who was born in my home town of Warrington.

The challenge was to identify how the illustration could augment the story by providing visuals to add texture and depth to the narrative, rather than just reflect it word for word. This included collaborating with the museum team and the author to decide the action and characters that exist outside of the text in the socio-historical context, as well as considering the overall design of the book to create rhythm and flow, such as the colour scheme, use of the seasons to demonstrate the passing of time, and the ‘page turn’ experience of the reader.

The book was intended as an educational resource for children in Key Stage 1 to support the ‘local history’ curriculum, so the audiences to consider were children aged between 6-8 and their teachers. It was important to include illustrations that would support some of the more challenging vocabulary in the story, plus a glossary to support teachers with their lesson plans.

The final book was published in October 2023, and I was asked to co-deliver a launch event for children and families, and a CPD event with KS1 teachers from across the town. Leading activities and discussions with the target audience was a great way to close the chapter of this project, so to speak!

Copies of ‘Old Billy: A Warrington Tail’ are available to buy from the Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, and you can preview the book in the slideshow below.