Child's Play

I live and work in my countryside home near Bologna in Italy. I'm a graduate in Modern History, and before becoming a professional illustrator I used to work as an archaeologist, both in university and archaeological sites.

I started illustrating for Advertising, where I used to do project work as well as graphic design. My aim has always been to work in publishing and I moved into that area at the very first opportunity. I've been illustrating books for children for more than fifteen years and my work is published in Italy, the UK, USA and New Zealand. I've published with Ladybird Books, Franklin Watts, BBC, Macmillan, Usborne, Harcourt, Oxford University Press and many others. My favourite media are acrylic and watercolour, but every new project gives me the opportunity for further experimentation.

When I'm not illustrating, I enjoy doing refurbishing projects for children's rooms on famous Italian cruise ships. Already, five big cruise ships have my paintings travelling around the world! I have two children and a lot of animals, including a dog, three cats, four ducks and two rabbits - maybe that's why I like painting funny animals of all sorts so much.

I think I'm a good cook; cooking and painting are not that different, I use the same sort of technique: mixing flavours instead of colours and enjoying the result. As my children are growing fast, I sometimes do workshops in primary schools; children of this age are so fresh and full of enthusiasm that they give me a lot of new ideas.

I love swimming, travelling, walking in the mountains, literature, cinema, music and chocolate…I think I've got everything I dreamt about when I was young. It's almost worrying!

See books by Barbara