The Kelpies Prize for Illustration

The Kelpies Prize for Illustration 2026: Shortlist announced!

Congratulations to the five talented illustrators who make up this year’s shortlist. Entrants to the Kelpies Prize for Illustration were asked to submit five illustrations for a children’s book about “Bonnie Days and Coorie Nights”.

You can find out more about the shortlisters and view their work below, or download the press release.

The Shortlist

Flora Luckman

The judges enjoyed spending a day in the life of a lighthouse keeper and her dog from the bonniest of mornings to the cooriest of evenings. They thought that Flora managed to capture a lovely sense of mood and that the pleasing complexity of the gouache combined with engaging details created a style that felt highly appropriate for young readers. They also enjoyed the movement of the characters in the simple yet effective underwater swimming scene.

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Flora Luckman grew up on the south coast of Wales, a stone’s throw from the sea, and has lived in Edinburgh for the past five years, where she completed a degree in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art. Her illustrations have always stayed true to her love of the outdoors, featuring the sea more often than not. She loves to work with a wide range of media to achieve rich textures and colours, flipping between pen and ink, paint, print and paper cut collage.

Aneta Lukianska

The judges were captivated by the beautiful landscapes and emotional warmth in Aneta’s work that celebrates the magnificence of the Scottish countryside. Aneta says that since moving to Scotland she has become more sensitive to the natural world around her: the shifting light across the landscape, the sounds and colours of different times of day, and how vibrant the nights can feel. The judges felt her work communicated all this effectively, whilst also celebrating what we all know to be true: that even a rainy day in Scotland can be a stunningly beautiful one.

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Aneta Lukianska was born in the port city of Gdynia in Poland and moved to the UK as a teenager. She worked as a doctor in London for several years before a desire for a more creative path led her to study Illustration at Falmouth University. Two years ago, she made Scotland her permanent base, drawn by its inspiring landscapes and rich culture. She works in mixed media, combining paints, inks, crayons, and pastels to create a variety of textures. Aneta is especially inspired by her pets; horses, her dog, and cats, and loves capturing the emotions and relationships between animals and people.

Anna Mac

Anna’s woodland scenes showcase her bold and confident use of colour and form, both of which impressed the judges who felt they wanted to linger with each piece. Simple mark-making combined with cut paper effects make for exciting textures and very appealing, child-friendly work. The judges also felt that the pieces demonstrate a lovely use of composition, creating a strong sense of balance throughout the collection.

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Anna Mac is a writer and illustrator from the Scottish Highlands. She has a background in fine art and printmaking and has spent several years designing products sold in shops and galleries across the UK and abroad. Her approach combines printmaking techniques, mark-making and collage, as well as work with ink and lino. Her passion for picture books drives much of her creativity and she finds inspiration from nature, music, her interest in characters and her love for vintage and found objects. Anna lives in Perthshire with her husband, teenage twins, and their floofy dog, who sometimes answers to the name Fergus.

Susan Mitchell

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.

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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 moved onto illustrating 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 across Scotland. 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.

Jenni Sheward

The judges saw an engaging confidence and an appealing sense of joy in Jenni’s pieces. Their work transports us around five beautiful and varied scenes of Scotland and gives us glimpses into the fun that their diverse cast of characters are having there. The judges were particularly fond of the magical illustrations of the illuminated Kelpies statues and Edinburgh Christmas market, that capture the wonder and joy these iconic places evoke in people of all ages.

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Jenni Sheward grew up in Ayr and has enjoyed drawing since early childhood. Even when it wasn’t the scheduled activity she could be found doodling on her school jotters! She completed a course in Illustration at the University of Dundee, where she incorporated her love of Scottish history, folklore and mythology into her projects. This included a Bestiary of Scottish Mythology Creatures and a series of illustrations about the Scottish-made ship RRS Discovery. Through her work she hopes to inspire others to engage with their imagination and fill their world with creativity and joy.

History of the Kelpies Prize for Illustration