The catch of the day

Emily Carew Woodard’s illustrations are informed by the gothic fairy tale. Woodard attributes the enchanting and often macabre content of her work to growing up in a 17th century cottage in Cornwall, where her childhood imagination was fueled by wildlife, the woods and ghosts. Her anthropomorphic creatures and carnival-esque scenes are inspired by her love of Victoriana and directly influenced by the golden age illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Sir John Tennial. Fittingly she was asked to illustrate the front cover of the Vintage Classic edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, published by Random House (2013). And, further to this, she has also completed commissions for Harper Collins, The Times, The Guardian and also The National Trust. Her art was also included in London Street Art 2 by Alex MacNaughton (2007) and she has exhibited in many group shows including alongside Rachel Whiteread CBE and Sir Peter Blake.