The Kelpies Prize for Illustration

The Kelpies Prize for Illustration 2026: Winner announced!

Massive congratulations to Susan Mitchell, the winner of the Kelpies Prize for Illustration 2026!

As well as receiving a £500 cash prize, Susan will now embark on 9 months of mentoring with the Floris Books design team. We’re excited to see her talent and ideas develop during this process! Entrants to the Kelpies Prize for Illustration were asked to submit five illustrations for a children’s book about “Bonnie Days and Coorie Nights”.

Keep scrolling to see Susan’s winning entry below, or download the press release.

Kelpies Prize for  lllustration 2026 Winner: Susan Mitchell

Susan Mitchell

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Susan Mitchell studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art and started to focus on illustration when she moved to Montreal. She began illustrating Christmas cards for a Montreal company to allow her to work from home when her son was born and then went on to illustrate several children’s books. Since moving back to Scotland, she developed her own range of greeting cards and other products which are stocked in independent gift shops. She also loves to teach. She runs various workshops and classes for adults and children in and around Edinburgh. Her work is inspired by nature, and she loves to work with watercolour and painted paper collage.

The judges were charmed by Susan’s story of a wee hedgehog who sets off on a journey to discover the world outside his urban garden. They appreciated the tactile textures achieved through digital collage, the characterful creatures, and the pleasing palette that they felt was evocative of the Scottish landscape. The same warmth and appeal are also seen in the two delightful stand-alone images of forest creatures in the midst of creating delicious dishes in their homely kitchens.

History of the Kelpies Prize for Illustration