Keep a lookout for Bridget Acreman at the Words on Waves family fun day – she’ll be the one dressed-up as a shark and she’ll be telling a lovable story about a not-so-scary family of sharks.
“I love sharks and wanted to show another side to these amazing creatures that wasn’t so scary,” Acreman said.
So, the illustrator from Woy Woy put together a simple, cute rhyming story called The Wizard Shark – a tale about two young sharks who visit the wizard shark (grandpa) and all the fun things they get up to.
“I illustrated everything digitally in photoshop and had so much fun personifying the shark characters and using a number of texture brushes to create a fun and organic feel,” she said.
“And the story itself is designed to be a quick and fun read that everyone can enjoy.”
This is Acreman’s first children’s book – a product of the COVID lockdown era.
“As an illustrator who has always wanted to write and illustrate my own books, COVID gave me the push to write, illustrate and then self-publish The Wizard Shark when I had a lot of spare time in lockdown,” she said.
“Getting traditionally published is difficult so I wanted to just bite the bullet and do it myself.
“I also really wanted to work on a book from start to finish and teach myself the main fundamentals of the design and set-up process.
“I learnt so much about book design … I worked on it for almost a year on top of my full-time job.
“When I finally got the printed proof from the printer I was so excited to see all my hard work in its physical book form.
“Self-publishing is really hard work as you have to do all the marketing yourself, but it’s also very rewarding.”
Acreman said there has been much good feedback about The Wizard Shark and people are loving it.
“From this project I have gotten a number of other children’s book jobs and have loved being able to illustrate and bring other people’s amazing stories to life through beautifully coloured illustrations,” she said.
“Children’s illustrations are my happy place and I’m so excited to continue growing and expanding my skill set and continue creating awesome books.”
Acreman and her book The Wizard Shark will be one of the highlights of the Words on Waves family fun day to be held on Sunday, June 4, at the Everglades Country Club, 9 Dunban Rd, Woy Woy.
The full program and venues for the Words on Waves Writers Festival, from Wednesday, May 31, to Monday, June 5, is available online at https://wordsonthewaves.com.au/.
Sue Murray