AUGUST | FOR THE LOVE OF CHARITY

August 1, 2023

Happy August all!

I hope you have been eating plenty of strawberries and enjoying the summer where-ever you are in the world! I have surely been getting through a lot of strawberries myself and of course soaking in the sun as much as I can. Don't worry, I made sure I had suncream on! Always remember to put suncream on before you leave the house, as this will save your life - from my own experience.

Let's start this blog journey off with a little bit of charity work I do every year. Saying that, it is my second year taking part for a charity cause and I hope to continue for many more years to come.

Last year, I got asked by the Epilepsy Action Charity to take part in their yearly National Doodle Day auction by submitting two original one of a kind drawing/paintings. I jumped at the chance and said yes to raising awareness and doing something just to raise a little bit more funds for the charity. Not only does this auction include illustrators like me, but there are authors and celebrities who pick up their pens, pencils and paints to create something unique!

I may not know anyone with this condition, but having said that, it is a very common disease that affects over 50 million people worldwide.

Original paintings (2022) by Farah Shah

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WHAT IS EPILEPSY?

Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain, causing repeated seizures. It can affect anyone from all backgrounds and all ages. Seizures come in a whole wide range of different types - where people can have a one-off episode, or seizures that last for a limited time. But most of the time, unfortunately Epilepsy is a life-long condition.

TREATMENT

Seizures can be controlled by different treatment options such as medicine, surgery, therapy and even diets. But most of the time, people don't have access to these treatments and this is where the charity steps in. By raising funds through "National Doodle Day" auction, you are helping someone who has this awful disease.

If you want to find out more about Epilepsy or how you can make a difference, then take a further look at the Epilepsy Action website HERE.

It is not too late to create a drawing and get involved this year.

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Original paintings (2023) by Farah Shah

Above are my two original one of a kind paintings I have created for this years auction. The inspiration for these two illustrations are based on my current obsessions for the past couple of months - Strawberries and Frogs! The auction starts on September 15th 2023 for three days, but I will remind you throughout the whole of August via my social sites and in Septembers Newsletter! :)

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Thank you so much for reading and being here for my first ever blog post! It means a lot to me!

Wishing you a lovely August and I hope it is full of Sun and joy before the air slowly shifts into early autumn...

Speak soon!

Farah x

JULY | MEET THE ARTIST

July 1, 2023

Happy July all!

Hello! Welcome to a prelude blog post about myself - Farah Shah.

For those who don't know me, I am a pakistani children's illustrator and I am currently based South, UK.

Originally born and bred in West Yorkshire, I moved down South to seek new and exciting opportunties.

For as long as I can remember, I have had a pencil in my hand and drawn the day away. I am reminded by this by some photos taken of me during my early childhood years. (I will need to dig these out to show you, one day) I graduated back in 2012 with a first-class honors degree in Graphics Design, Illustration and Digital Media. During this time, I didn't really know where my career would take me, that is until 2016.

I moved to Cambridge and attended a Master's degree course in Children's Book Illustration in 2016. This two year course has been a stepping stone in persuing a career towards children illustration, which is where I am at in 2023. Without this, I wouldn't be lucky enough to do my dream job today - drinking coffee and paint cute pictures all day!

"A day in the life" (2021) by Farah Shah

Above is a bit more insight about myself and my daily routine. When I am not creating, I am very lucky enough to travel around the UK to some of my favourite places, like my home town to see my cat or by the coast for a bit of sea air!

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Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me a bit more!

I hope the rest of July is full of inspiration and joy, just as we start the Summer holidays here in the UK.

See you next month!

Farah x