Pitch Presentation

I am an illustrator

Though I’ve often told myself I’m not.

I tell stories through pictures

And get distracted a lot.

By fantastical creatures

Faraway lands

Worlds I’ve created

with my own hands

If I could I’d crawl right in

And as the Queen I’d roam

But I’ll open the gates

For the visitors to walk

Into my little home

Over Summer I was kindly invited

To exhibit my work at Newby Hall

A prestigious venue who contacted me

For fairies aimed at the small

But I found it difficult

To fill the Grantham Room

In such a short amount of time

When you have so much space

Quantity is an impending doom.

I work better with longer projects

Where I can research and get stuck in

For this, I rushed and had no focus

Churning out the same old thing!

My dissertation investigated

Performing spells in art

But the work I made didn’t tell stories

It was about the baking, not the tart.

I felt dissatisfied from the lack of narrative

It was too wrapped up in play

By the end of the module I just couldn’t wait

to have something different to say

So I’ve been choosing briefs that allow me to

Explore stories again

But open them up for children to see

Let the worlds interact with them.

The fairy tale trail was a month-long hunt

for 10 tiny characters I made

Hidden around the City of Ripon

And for prizes everyone played

Although it was local and wouldn’t

get my name much further than there

This project was personal and relevant

A community activity to share.

I gained experience in collaborating

And in working with a team

I created whilst others planned

This project was a dream!

Building my portfolio

And practising my skills

Making things I’ve never made

Scenes with all the frills

I value the charm

Of objects made by hand

As though they belong

To a miniature land.

I was thrilled last year when my dolls were published

In Art Doll Quarterly magazine

So when I saw that they were hosting more open calls

I jumped at the chance to submit a scene

My parents are toy collectors

Which I’m sure rubbed off on me.

I begin with a drawing

But then dolls is all you’ll see!

My main ambition is to

Write children’s books

Considering each page

And how it all looks

My stories are for children who imagine

And wonder

Atmospheres, world building

Fairytale or thunder?

I intend to write my story

About an old toy shop

In which I’ll build every wall

And make every prop

Kristin Baybars alone in a shop

For years and years

The oblivious passers-by,

The witch-calling sneers

Kristin and I,

We share common ground

There’s magic to be uncovered

And memories to be found.