Simon loves being an illustrator because it allows him to learn about, engage with, and reflect on the world around him.

He works with ink, watercolour, and sometimes Photoshop. His illustrations are sketchy and loose – just like real life.

He is drawn to projects that explore the tensions in life, bringing empathy to heavy subject matter, while also celebrating the world we live in and the people we share it with.

For publishers, he illustrates the energy and emotion that take a story beyond words. He has illustrated two picture books with a third on the way, and numerous magazine articles and story anthologies. After an award mentorship provided by the ASA/CAL, his first picture book was published by Ford St in 2019. His latest is Never Forget (Clare Hallifax / Omnibus Scholastic, 2020). He is currently working with Scholastic on the development of another picture book, and has upcoming projects with two other Australian publishers.

For museums, libraries and other public spaces, he uses larger than life wall drawings, projections and installations to immerse viewers in a world of wonder. Sometimes this helps communicate something about the space or context, and other times it just makes people smile. His latest public work is an interactive mural he illustrated for Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks Museum in collaboration with Local Projects, and it forms part of their recently rejuvenated permanent exhibition.

For everyone else (designers, agencies, institutions, government bodies, brands, and businesses), his artwork has been be used to tell a story of the client’s identity, help with branding, provide online content, or to illustrate important documents and presentations. In all of these cases, his down to earth illustration style adds a warmth and empathy to the communication.

He teaches workshops in sketching with ink, and tutors individual students (young & old) in drawing, Photoshop, and sometimes hand-drawn animation too.

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When he’s not doing any of that, he is usually preparing artworks for exhibitions (he works in ink, watercolour, and oil paint) or as private commissions (portraits, house portraits, and other things) that embrace the messy energy of a life worth living. Freed from the need to communicate concepts or narratives, his exhibitions, animations and personal projects afford the space to develop the formal and technical aspects of his work, and find fresh directions.

Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2006, he has staged a great number of solo and group exhibitions, and screened animations in a number of film festivals. He has been the recipient of a number of grants and awards from The City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, Copyright Agency, the Australian Society of Authors, Illustrators Australia, and NAVA, among others.

He lives in Melbourne with his wife, their cat, their bicycles, and an eclectic taste in music.

—November 2021

Clients include: