Ann-Marie Beadle

Goodbye Grandad is the title of my final major project, an illustrated children’s book that measures 34 pages. After her grandfather’s unexpected death, six-year-old Abby struggles to understand death and cope with the turmoil/bereavement it brings. The narrative is a love letter dedicated to my grandfather, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away in April of 2022. By sharing my own thoughts, emotions, and struggles, I wanted to connect and educate young people about death and the harsh reality of it.  I knew from the beginning I wanted an illustration style that was somewhat rough and sketchy, I felt this perfectly embodied both the mood of the work and the innocence of childhood. My goal was to create an illustration that would appear as if it were drawn by a child. I wanted imperfect lines and a sense of spontaneity in the illustration.