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Using the power of the Imagination to encourage creativity and learning in children of all abilities, whilst nurturing their resilience, happiness and well-being. |
You can view our narrated books, or see the many ways to play with Animix drawing cards on 
Books
Books
Cards
About Imagine Ocean
Hello, I'm Gig. Since graduating with BA Hons at Kingston School of Art, my background in Graphic Design and Illustration spans over 30 years. I have always been a firm believer in the power of imagination. In recent years I have become very interested in the role of creativity in learning, and as a therapeutic tool. In 2016 I completed a Foundation Art Therapy course which firmly supported my understanding of the role of creativity in nurturing healthy development in children.
About Imagine Ocean
Founded in 2011, Imagine Ocean develops products that focus on stretching children's imagination, encourage independent thinking and build confidence. In addition to Imagine Ocean's Animix range of creative products, I also write, illustrate and produce books to nurture children's well-being.
Animix products to enhance creativity and learning in KS1-KS2 (5-11yrs)
Inspired by my daughters when they were young, I designed Animix, a hugely versatile creative tool. Products include a range of Drawing cards, interactive Story books and Workshops, to give children a creative springboard to spark their imagination.
There is so much evidence these days that nurturing children's creative minds through art exploration ignites a desire to learn across other subjects too. Animix products work in line with the KS1& KS2 School curriculum, embracing Art, Science and Numeracy, as well as Literacy through creative story writing.
Animix develops problem solving skills, provides an outlet for expression and learning within the safety (and personal space) of the creative process.
Storywriting for well-being in children
The vehicle of Story is a natural way to give time to children's feelings. Through my story books, I introduce themes and metaphors that children can empathise with. The narratives are sensitively written to provide a source of enjoyment, familiarity and comfort, whilst providing an outlet for interaction, discussion and expression.
Illustration
As a graphic designer, I craft each book with a fresh approach and explore many styles of illustration through different mediums to find the right one for each narrative. I also illustrate other people's stories so if you have a story that you'd like to bring to life then please contact me.
Learning through Imagination
For full details please visit the main Animix website
Creativity is vitally important in children's development and has been proven to encourage and enhance their learning across other subjects too.
Targeted at children 5-11yrs (KS1-KS2) Animix is a fun, creative activity that explores children's imagination, encourages independent thinking and builds confidence.
Hugely versatile and suitable for children of all abilities, Animix filters into other areas of learning (Art, Science, Numeracy, Literacy and Drama) through cross-curricular activity.
How to Play?
- Using traditional drawing methods, simply choose two or more Animix® Drawing cards (at random for a surprise or select animals you like) and simply combine the animals into one creature.
- Name your creature by mixing the names in a creative or funny way.
- Write a story and bring your creature to life. The facts on the Drawing cards will give interesting ideas and spark the imagination!
- Take the activity into a different medium or into a new style/artist.
- Please see 'Many Ways to Play' at imagineocean.uk/animix/ways-to-play/
Products include Drawing cards, Story books and Workshops
- Animix® Drawing Cards. (110mm x 80mm) each card features an animal and an interesting and useful fact about their habitat, characteristics, lifestyle, diet etc. Numeracy cards also feature some cross-curricular mental arithmetic and comparisons between animals' sizes, weights and lifespans. Literacy cards can be used to play word games, and for creative storywriting, featuring descriptive words which expand children's vocabulary and reinforce spellings.
- Animix® Story Books feature characters that have been created using Animix Drawing cards. They show children how their characters can come to life in a story. The books feature interactive pages at the back which children can use to create their own creatures and write their own stories.
- Animix® Workshops can be arranged in schools to explore creativity; to tie in with a particular theme eg. rainforest; to follow an artist that is being studied; to explore different mediums or simply to enhance knowledge and experience in art, science, numeracy, literacy and drama.
- Animix® Competitions in schools. Themes are very versatile to fit in with a particular topic. Prizes can include either Animix products or a Personalised printed story book that is created to feature winning entries.
Illustration
Bringing a story to life is about forming a special relationship between the words and the images.
As a graphic designer for many years, I place great emphasis on exploring different styles of illustration in order to find the right match for each narrative. I treat each book individually, as a blank canvas and I experiment with new mediums and techniques. Sometimes I create the illustrations traditionally by hand, other times I use Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, and quite often I try to find new ways of mixing them all together.
Do you need an illustrator?
I am available for commissions. If you have a story to tell, I can illustrate your story, create your characters, artwork and print your book.
Please contact me for further details and a no-obligation project quotation.
Animix drawing cards and poetry tales
Animix tales - illustrated by hand using marker pens
Illustration work - hand drawn in marker pen
Illustration work - hand drawn in marker pen
Illustrations for Animix interactive drawing cards, created in Adobe Illustrator
Illustration work - hand drawn in marker pen
Character development - drawn in Adobe Illustrator
Sloth from 'It's a Storm!' - created in Adobe Illustrator
Chimps from 'The Creative Circle' - hand painted in acrylics plus Adobe Illustrator
Squirrel character from 'Thank you Trees' created from leaves and in Adobe Illustrator
Badgers from 'The Creative Circle' created in acrylics and in Adobe Illustrator
Characters from 'It's a Storm!' created in Adobe Illustrator
Peacock from 'The Creative Circle' created in acrylics and Illustrator
Drawing for poetry book, created in Adobe Illustrator
Squirrels from 'Thank you trees' created as a mix of photography, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Illustration from 'Thank you trees' created using photography, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Marker pen hand drawn illustration for Animix books
Hand drawn marker pen illustration from 'The Red List'
Created by hand and in Illustrator for 'I spy my cat' (coming soon)
Hand drawn marker pen illustration from 'The Lost Egg'
Front cover illustration created using collage, photography and Adobe Illustrator
Animal Illustrations for Drawing cards created using Adobe Illustrator
Animal Illustrations for Drawing cards created using Adobe Illustrator
Starlings illustration from 'The Creative Circle' created in ink, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Seahorses - hand painted in watercolour inks and gold acrylic
Turtles - hand painted illustration in watercolour inks and gold acrylic
Koi - hand painted in watercolour inks and gold acrylic
Hand painted illustration in watercolour inks and gold acrylic
Hand painted illustration in watercolour ink
Hand painted illustration in watercolour ink and gold acrylics
Lavender - hand painted in watercolours
Linework illustration
Watercolour illustration
Flowers - hand painted in watercolours
Flowers hand painted in watercolours and inks
Flowers - hand painted in acrylics with linework created on computer
Reviews
"It's a Storm!"
"What a superb story for use in schools and in the counselling room. I have worked with Primary Schools to support the return to school after lockdown and this story supports children in understanding ways in which we all cope with difficulties in our own way. This book has recently been used across KS1 and KS2 in PSHE and Recovery Lessons to support the development of resilience and children's ability to process feelings and emotions.
I can recommend this story to any parent, educationalist, children's counsellor, well-being/mental health workers and anybody who wants to support children."
"The Competition really brought out the creativity in some children. It inspired them to draw and investigate different aspects of animals and then combine these with another animal. It was wonderful to see their weird and wacky ideas!"
"It was fantastic to see how enthusiastic the children were about their designs. They all wanted to share their ideas with each other."
What the children say…
"It was so much fun, I wonder why I hadn't thought of doing it before. I love thinking up brand new animals…they are like my pets."
"It was really fun and I loved the way we got to freestyle and draw whatever we wanted to."
"It was fun because we got to put different animals together to make more animals."
"I liked it because it was a way for us to use your imagination. I love animals and it was really fun to make our own!"
"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Gig. She made the day so engaging for the children and it really brought out their imaginations. Some of the children that often struggle to be creative were able to open up their minds and come up with the most wonderfully creative ideas. We are already planning other ways of inviting her into school!"
"I can't recommend Animix enough! What a great way to get children to engage with their creative skills. Simple and fun, Animix presents a platform for imaginative drawing that is fresh and compelling. The concept is hugely versatile, with an ever-growing range of new exciting categories making it both educational and stimulating."
"My Year 3 class really enjoyed the Animix workshop. Very quickly they grasped the idea of mixing the animals together in their drawings, and I was impressed with the diversity and energy of their creative output. They enjoyed a ‘show and tell' session and I could see that they were proud of their work.
Usually in class we write stories and then draw pictures to illustrate them, but we were able to use the children's ‘characters' from the Workshop to develop into some creative writing on another day. There was an improved level of descriptive language used in their writing due to the unique creatures they were able to create, and I also noticed an increased level of engagement by all the learners.
Animix is such a simple idea and yet the versatility of it as a teaching tool in the classroom, is huge. I am quite sure it would work well across KS1 and KS2 settings. It really challenges the children to use their imagination and to be original, and of course it's fun because anything goes!"
"A beautifully simple concept that provides endless possibilities for creativity. To find something that is both educational and fun is a rareity and makes for a genuinely innovative product."
"The project gave the children the opportunity to stretch their imagination when creating their own characters, and it was easy to make links between the project and the national curriculum. The children love the book that Gig created for them!"
Contact
Having spent many years working as a commercial graphic artist, I now use my skills to design products which focus on children's social and mental health, through creativity and the boundless power of the imagination.
My Products, Workshops and Competitions are targeted towards KS1-KS2 Primary setting (ages 5yrs-11yrs).
I write and illustrate children’s books which are available free as narrated books on YouTube, and for sale through this website <Shop>. I am also available for illustration work.
Please do contact me should you require further details.