Me and Norman is the collaborative efforts of Me, Steph Simpson and my imaginary friend, Norman Nanimal.

Norman sits at my side and helps me make creative decisions - I’m the sensible one and he’s responsible for the chaos and a little silliness.  With Norman, I am fearless and able to stare a blank page straight in the eye and conquer it!

I am very focused on the process and place that I climb into when illustrating – a world that I am unable to leave once the image starts to take form, where I am not so easily distracted like usual. Illustration is about storytelling, and making images is a kind of game I play to amuse myself. Above all else, I see myself as a storyteller and this extends into many spheres of my life.

If it helps to know: I have a B.Tech in Fine Art, specialising in printmaking (NMU 2010), an Honours in Visual Arts, specialising in illustration (SU 2014 cum laude) and I just completed my Masters in Visual Arts (UNISA 2024). I lecture Illustration at a creative college in Cape Town and freelance as an illustrator.

See my latest projects on Instagram:
@me_and_norman_gold for collages with gold leaf, poetry and nudes in the landscape.
@me_and_norman_colour for colour illustrations in gouache and Procreate.