The Tree: An Environmental Fable

“If Neal Layton were a bird, he’d be part of that genus that includes John Burningham and Quentin Blake, because it is with similar delight and abandon that he warbles and flits about his own branches. It’s blue dawn as we glide toward the cozy conifer at the centre of Layton’s lovely new book, The Tree.” * New York Times *

Neal spent much of his childhood playing in the dirt, making homemade catapults, and drawing pictures. He studied BA Graphic Design at Newcastle and MA Illustration at Central Saint Martins. His studio is a room in his house where he can make a mess. The walls are covered with pictures, drawings, scribbles, badges, photos, posters, packaging, and anything else that he finds inspiring. He uses all sorts of different media to make his illustrations: pencils, paint, pens, ink, pieces of collage, biros, photocopiers, cameras, a computer, bits of stick, old toothbrushes, dough, hair, leaves, anything that comes to hand… He likes his illustrations to appear as fresh and spontaneous as possible. He lives in Portsmouth with his family.