Freya Blackwood facts for kids

Freya Blackwood (born in 1975) is a talented Australian illustrator and special effects artist. She is well-known for her amazing work on the special effects for The Lord of the Rings movies between 2001 and 2003. In 2010, she won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for her beautiful illustrations in British children's books.

Early Life and Beginnings

Freya Blackwood was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, while her parents were traveling in the United Kingdom. She spent her childhood growing up in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Before becoming a full-time illustrator, Freya lived in New Zealand. There, she worked on The Lord of the Rings films, specifically helping to create the special effects for the hobbits' feet! She also earned a Bachelor of Design degree from the University of Technology, Sydney, and made two short films while working in the Sydney film industry.

Working in Movies

Freya worked in the film industry from 2001 to 2008. Her most famous work was as a special effects artist for all three The Lord of the Rings movies: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. She also produced a film called Blackspot in 2008 and even appeared as an extra in a short film called Zombie Movie in 2005.

Illustrating Children's Books

Freya Blackwood is a very busy and successful children's book illustrator. By June 2010, she had illustrated eleven books, with some published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. By June 2013, libraries around the world held more than fifteen books she had illustrated. She has worked with many different authors, including Libby Gleeson and Margaret Wild.

Writing and Illustrating Her Own Stories

Freya also writes her own books! She wrote and illustrated Ivy Loves to Give, which was published in 2010. This 24-page picture book, made with watercolors and pencils, is about a young toddler. The story shows the funny, well-meaning mistakes a little child makes while learning where things belong.

Winning the Kate Greenaway Medal

In 2010, Freya Blackwood won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal. This award is given by professional librarians in the UK for the best-illustrated children's book published there each year. She won it for her illustrations in the picture book Harry & Hopper, which was written by Margaret Wild.

The story of Harry & Hopper is about a boy and his puppy who are best friends. They are always together until the puppy sadly dies while the boy is at school. Freya's illustrations for Hopper were inspired by a dog she had when she was a child. Her beautiful artwork, created using laser print with watercolour, gouache, and charcoal, adds a touching and thoughtful feeling to the story.