Childhood Stories
Megan Rowbottom
A series of children’s book illustrations that revisit childhood memories and imagination to build a portfolio.
May & Sadie: Search for Fairies
A 32-page book dummy that follows the ups and downs of May and Sadie’s friendship as they begin to make contact with fairy friends.
May & Sadie: Search for Fairies, 2026, watercolour, coloured pencil, and pastel.
May and Sadie love to craft and explore their garden together. One autumn day, they make fairy houses to lure fairies into their backyard. They start receiving anonymous letters from fairy friends that create a jealous rift between the two. After spending some time apart, they realize they are better together. In the end, they repair their relationship with each other and continue their search for fairies.
Portfolio Development
Each illustration explores separate characters and concepts as a way to practice worldbuilding and generate new story ideas.
Midsommar Meeting, 2026, watercolour, ink, and coloured pencil.
Inspired by Swedish Midsommar traditions, this double-page spread follows a young girl who learns about the event from the critters in her backyard. Pictured is them using her dress as a Maypole.
Midnight Unicorns, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
In the middle of the night, Nora heard a twinkling sound coming from the woods behind her house. With the help of Spot, the pair snuck out and happened upon a magical herd navigating the forest.
Berry Harvest, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
The Rodents of the Wood begin their annual berry harvest, collecting flowers, blackberries, and strawberries for the community.
Isla the Human & Shella the Mermaid, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Inspired by my own childhood on Vancouver Island, I wanted to explore a mermaid story that felt “real” to me. So Isla meets her mermaid friend, Shella, beneath a lake. Shella’s scales mirror a Rainbow Trout, and her underwater friends resemble Otters, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, and Crayfish.
The Collector, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
For the ILUS-401 Anthology, I created an illustration inspired by the Kikimora, from Slavic mythology. My interpretation is a miniature house sprite who survives off of fabric scraps and bread crumbs she finds while on midnight expeditions. She resides in the backs of cupboards or holes in the wall. She crafts her clothing by mischievously unravelling yarn from humans’ knitting projects when they aren’t looking.
This illustration depicts the moment when she gifts her small mouse friend, Bjorn, a sweater she knitted for him.
My interpretation is inspired by Morvern Graham. @morvern.studios on Instagram.
The Hunters, 2026, watercolour, coloured pencil, pastel, and Procreate.
A spot illustration of some brave travellers, working to navigate a bewildering landscape.
Biographical Book Spreads
Maud Lewis, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
As a tribute to Maud Lewis, this book spread shows her home, her studio, and the magic of her folk paintings, dancing around the room.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, 2026, watercolour, ink, and coloured pencil.
Canadian Ice Dance icons, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s Moulin Rouge free dance from the 2018 Olympics.
Mozzarella, A Cinderella Story Concept.
Mozzarella & the Bocconcini Ball, 2026, watercolour and coloured pencil.
When Mozzarella arrived at the ball, she was so distracted by the lights, the music, and the cheese, that she almost forgot all about her proposition for Prince Mouseray Jack.
Book Covers and Spot Illustrations
Town Musicians of Bremen, 2026, Procreate.
A book cover based on the Brothers’ Grimm fairytale.
Little Red Cap, 2026, Procreate.
A book cover based on the Brothers’ Grimm fairytale.
Little Red Cap Spot Illustrations, 2026, Procreate.
A series of black and white spot illustrations, intended for the interior of a middle-grade novel. My illustrations were an exploration in how to depict more suspense and darkness than my usual style.
