I just love these simple yet utterly charming drawings by Dublin, Ireland-based artist, illustrator, and author Chris Judge. For his series "A Daily Cloud," Judge adds simple line drawings to photographs of clouds to create sweet and funny characters, like these two adorable dogs talking, a disgruntled "King Kat," this silly squiggly legged jellyfish-like creature, and the cutest winter bird.
Judge started creating A Daily Cloud in July 2020, at first just for fun and to bring some happiness into the world during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also began selling prints to raise money to give back to charities such as Aoibheann's Pink Tie that had supported his family when his daughter was undergoing treatment for leukemia during the first year of the pandemic.
Earlier this year he also published a book featuring his wonderful cloud drawings. Cloud Babies, written with New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer (who wrote the Artemis Fowl series), is based on his family's experience navigating childhood leukemia. The publisher, Candlewick, describes the book:
Six-year-old Erin's favorite game is spotting animals in the clouds with her mom and dad—everything from fluffy foxes and polar bears to little rabbits. Even when Erin falls very ill and has to spend a long time in the hospital, she still manages to find joy in spying "cloud babies" through the window with her new hospital friends. When the doctor tells Erin she can go home, she is so excited! But being back at school is not at all what she expected—so much has changed, and Erin must reconcile the safe realm she's just left with a world outside that has become unfamiliar. With Mom and Dad's love and wisdom, however, and with the help of her teacher and friends, Erin comes to see that by sharing her experience she can find happiness again in just being herself. Sensitively told and vibrantly brought to life, Cloud Babies brings recognition and comfort to children facing illness or hardship, as well as guidance to those who wish to offer support but may not know where to start.
Chris Judge's website includes this bio:
Since 2011 Chris has written and illustrated over 35 children's books, many of which are in collaboration with authors like Roddy Doyle, David O'Doherty and Eoin Colfer. His first book, The Lonely Beast won the Specsavers Irish Children's Book of the Year 2011 in the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards.
Chris also creates large-scale artworks, most notably three large mosaics in collaboration with Triskill Design for Stanhope Street School in Dublin, Scoil Bhride in Kildare and Mountrath CS.
To see more of Judge's work, check out his author/illustrator Instagram page, website, or A Daily Cloud.
