Kay Nixon facts for kids

Kathleen Irene Blundell, known as Kay Nixon (born August 13, 1894 – died 1988), was a talented English artist. She loved drawing animals and nature. Kay Nixon illustrated many books, including some famous stories by Enid Blyton. She also wrote and drew pictures for her own series of children's books.

About Kay Nixon

Early Life and Art Training

Kay Nixon grew up in London. She was the youngest of nine children. From a young age, she was very interested in wildlife. She studied art at the Camden School of Art. In 1911, she earned her teacher's certificate. After that, she trained in book illustration at the Birmingham School of Art.

Working as an Illustrator

For 15 years, Kay Nixon worked as an artist for different companies. She often worked with another artist, Dorothy Newsome-Glenn. They drew pictures for magazines and books. During the First World War, they even worked at a company called Armstrong Siddeley. After the war, they illustrated stories by Enid Blyton and a special edition of Alice in Wonderland. Kay Nixon also showed her paintings of birds and nature in art shows in Birmingham and Coventry.

Life and Art in India

In 1928, the Oxford University Press asked Kay Nixon and Dorothy Newsome-Glenn to visit India. Kay Nixon ended up staying in India for 26 years! There, she created many amazing illustrations. She drew posters of animals and birds for the Indian State Railways. She also worked for the Bombay Natural History Society. She even painted portraits of horses and a large picture of wild ducks. Kay Nixon became an artist for the Times of India newspaper and the Bombay Weekly. While in India, she met and married Victor Blundell.

Return to England and Her Own Books

Kay Nixon and her husband returned to England. They lived in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and later in Burwash, East Sussex. She continued to illustrate books for other authors. She also started writing and illustrating her own children's books. These stories were often about her own pets, like her Siamese cat and her Dachshund puppy.

Kay Nixon used many different art materials. She made sketches, and also worked with oil paints, gouache (a type of watercolor), charcoal, and watercolors. She won several awards for her artwork. She was also chosen to be a member of the Society of Women Artists.

Books Illustrated by Kay Nixon

Kay Nixon created the pictures for these books:

• Nature Stories (1922)
• The Sunny Stories series by Enid Blyton (1924-27)
• Bird Studies in India by Mary R.N. Holmer (1926)
• Sentinels of the Wild by M Batten (1938)
• Whispers of the Wilderness by M Batten (1960)
• Animal Mothers and Babies by Foran (1960)
• Bird Families by Maurice Burton (1962)

Books Written and Illustrated by Kay Nixon

Kay Nixon wrote and drew the pictures for these books:

• Pusti (1955)
• Pindi Poo (1957)
• Poo and Pushti (1959)
• The Bush Tail Family (1963)
• Animal Legends (1966)
• Strange Animal Friendships (1967)
• Animals and Birds in Folklore (1969)