Elise Hurst is a very successful Melbourne based illustrator, artist and author specialising in children's books and she has illustrated in excess of fifty books beginning during her time at Melbourne University studying archaeology and history.
She is particularly recognised for her surreal vintage images. Her extensive catalogue of artistic works including original works, art prints, cards, calendars and books etc are sold internationally and some can be viewed and purchased at https://elisehurst.com/ and on Amazon.com.
Elise has written a number of books including The Elephant’s Big Day Out, A Dream of Bunyips Dancing, Maximilian Jones, Imagine A City… The Night Garden which was shortlisted by the Children’s Book Council of Australia in 2008 and has also been animated and performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre and Adelaide's Secret World which was shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards in 2016.
In Elise’s words in the course of a past interview; “I have always been waiting for a magical adventure and I haven’t given up! But I never found the door to Narnia nor a magic carpet, so the magic in my stories has to be in the everyday world where anyone could find it. You will find a lot of night time adventures in my books, at that hour where we truly believe that everything is possible.”
Images courtesy of Elise Hurst