Judy Watson is an artist, writer and illustrator of picture books and junior fiction, living and working on Bunurong Land in a studio overlooking the Upper Sweetwater Creek.
Judy was born in 1966 and grew up in an outdoorsy veterinary family, passionate about animals, art and books. She worked as a veterinary nurse while studying literature and art history at the University of Melbourne before travelling overseas. There she worked in a London theatre and painted in a garret in Brixton. After returning to Australia in 1995 she worked in revegetation and Landcare, whilst developing a graphic design business and found her way into children’s book illustration.
illustration created using paint, pencil, hand-printed texture, monotype and digital colour.
Judy’s work often features animals, and people’s close relationship with them, along with a touch of the theatre. She takes an experimental approach to new book projects, allowing ideas to cross-pollinate with her fine art practice, and often incorporates mixed media techniques, using both digital and analogue elements in her finished work.
Illustration created using monotype, pencil, paint and digital colour
Judy’s illustration work has received awards including the Prime Minister’s Literary award in 2012 for her picture book Goodnight, Mice! with Frances Watts, a CBCA Eve Pownall Award short-listing for her non-fiction picture book Searching for Cicadas with Lesley Gibbes, and several CBCA notables. Leonard Doesn’t Dance was selected by the International Youth Library for inclusion in the White Ravens Catalogue 2020. Judy was awarded the inaugural Mary Wilson Fellowship by the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust and undertook her Fellowship in Adelaide in July, 2024.
Illustration created using dip pen and ink with digital colour.
Judy’s latest books as illustrator are Hazel’s Treehouse with author Zanni Louise (Walker Books, 2024), and Jo the NO with author Kyle Mewburn (Dirt Lane Press, 2025). She is currently writing a middle grade verse novel and illustrating her own picture book text.
Judy’s fine art practice typically incorporates mixed media techniques including printmaking and collage for her smaller pieces. But she also paints larger works in acrylics. These are often painted on found panels or upcycled surfaces. In 2023 she won best in show at the Derinya Art and Craft Exhibition for an acrylic on upcycled board titled Descent from the Mountain.
Judy also creates complex digital collages by combining hand-painted and hand-printed figures, plants, animals and textures in PhotoShop.
CBCA Notables promotional photos
Life on the Sweetwater Creek
Photos from childhood
If you’d like to read the occasional post about my illustrating adventures, subscribe to my blog to have blog posts delivered to your email. I’d be so happy to have you here.
Were you looking for a different Judy Watson?
Australia has several notable artists with the name Judy Watson. Probably the most well known is the Waanyi multi-media artist Judy Watson, whose work is held in many of our major public collections and overseas. You can read more about her here. I’m from an English/Scottish settler heritage and I’d like to here acknowledge that I live and work on Boon Wurrung / Bunurong Land and that these lands were never ceded.
Judy Watson 
Kudos Judy, Captain and I look forward to reading some of your books!
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I hope you enjoy them!
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Just wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Liebster Award! :) You can check out the rules here: http://gegallas.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/the-liebster-award-4th-and-5th-nominations/ Congratulations!! Best regards, G. E.
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Thanks GE :-) much obliged. My response to the questions will have to wait a little however, as I am up to my neck with picture book deadlines. If this causes a problem, you can pick somebody else if you like. Otherwise I’ll get to it as soon as I can. Cheers, Judy
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love your work, very inspiring.
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Thanks Kath. Your work is lovely. I think that scratchy bird is just beautiful. Good luck with the novel :-)
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Thank you appreciate you stopping by look forward to more great posts from you.
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I love your illustration work! I wish more Aussie titles would make it over to the U.S.but I do see that Extraordinary Ernie is in my library. Looking forward to reading it!
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Thank you! I hope you enjoy Ernie & Maud. I ordered a copy of Hildafolk on your recommendation last night. I love a good graphic novel. Have you read ‘Jane, the Fox & Me’ by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault?
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I haven’t read “Jane, the Fox Me” yet, but it’s on my list and I’m looking forward to it.
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Hi Judy…Saying a little hello from just up the road in Beaumaris and also a big thank you for sharing your creative process online. I hope you know how very helpful and encouraging it is to us wannabee’s who are tentatively dipping our toes in the scary ocean of professional illustration. Thanks Muchly LjM
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Hi Lisa Jayne. Sorry I’ve taken a while to get back to you. Thanks for visiting and commenting. Not sure why you should say wannabe when you are so successful already! I will have to catch up with you in person so you can teach me a thing or two. You are indeed not far away at all in Beaumaris. After I get back from Italy in April we should meet for a cup of tea.
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Hello- are you selling prints of your greyhound illustration “diamonds”? I have a few greyhounds and saw this illustration of yours recently. Many thanks- Ellen
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Hi Elaine, Thanks for your enquiry.
Are you referring to the illustration from Thunderstorm Dancing that has been going around on social media? It has the little girl with her arm around the whippet/greyhound (it turned out in-between size!) She is wearing red bathers. The dog is in a red bandana. If so, I can get high resolution archival quality digital prints made to order.
The version on the internet has been cropped down just to the dog and girl, but the original includes the sunset and the beach and horizon. Please feel free to email me to discuss what you have in mind. Cheers, Judy
My email address is judydotthumbprintatgmaildotcom. You just need to replace the dots and ats with .s and @s. :-)
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Hi, I came across your lovely illustration of Trullos and human doggos 🐕. Is it available for sale as a print? Thanks.
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Hi Martin, thanks for tour message. I can get it printed if you’d like to order a print. If you tell me what size you want I will give you a quote. Somewhere, in fact, the original will be on file if you are interested in that? Cheers, Judy (Judy dot thumbprint at gmail dot com)
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Your message. Not tour. 🙂
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I would like to subscribe. My email addy is donnamalone451@gmail.com
Hope you are well and happy! X Donna
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How utterly delightful to find the endpapers.
Late night, late October. Just in time!
Thanks!
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Thanks Nick! Lovely to have you aboard. :-)
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I was introduced to your work through Cicadas, which I purchased because our adult daughter was attracted to the illustrations. Grandchildren – 8 months old and 3 years old find the text and illustrations engaging. I loved your work so much that I had to search you up to find out more. My printing on fabric experience is limited and does nothing to help me to understand the process of how you have created these incredible illustrations.
They are very inspiring and as these 2 little people grow we will be referring to them for inspiration.
Thank you for your work which has enriched our lives.
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Hi Rach, How nice of you to leave such a wonderful comment! Thank you so much. That’s a lovely message to start the day. As to my technique, I was interviewed by Megan Daley about Searching for Cicadas a while back, so you might get a bit more information about the process by checking out the interview on this link. https://childrensbooksdaily.com/searching-for-cicadas-narrative-non-fiction/ (Or if the link doesn’t work in the comments section, just search for ‘Megan Daley Searching for Cicadas’ and it will come up.) In short, the illustration is all hand drawn or hand printed, but I combine it on the computer in PhotoShop, which is the only way I have yet found to produce that particular style of illustration. But I would love to print on fabric, so I’m sure there’s a lot you could teach me. Thank you again.
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I found your name on a couple of Phil Gomm’s Kick-About’s & was interested to know more. I have always wanted to illustrate the little verses that I write but my drawing stutters & stalls frequently! I’m hoping that viewing the work of others will inspire me!
I live in Northern Ireland where I was born, but lived & worked in southern England for many years. For many years I worked in Vauxhall (SW8) not far from Brixton. 🙋♂️
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Hi Ashley! Thanks for dropping by. Phil Gomm’s Kick-About is fantastic, isn’t it? It has brought a lot of pleasure to me, on the occasions I’ve had time to participate, but also just reading the posts and seeing what everyone else is getting up to.
My drawing stutters commonly, and stalls only occasionally. I don’t think I could live without drawing, so I recommend you just keep going and try not to judge yourself too much. That’s the enemy of creativity isn’t it? I’ll have to visit your page and check out your verses! I’m currently writing a verse novel, which will probably take me a long time to complete and will stutter like crazy.
See you over at Phil’s place! I’m hoping to participate this next round because I already have something suitable for the Rorschach Test challenge and it wouldn’t be too hard to make something extra.
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