Oh, Hi there.

I was always very average when it came to most things. Sports-average, maths-average, playing hide and seek-average!! But drawing seemed to be the one thing I was pretty good at.

My family was very encouraging of my creativity, allowing me to express myself in any way I needed, be that cutting holes in my jeans or painting my room wild colours.

So it was no surprise that I left school at 16 to study art full-time. I’ve been painting and drawing my way through life ever since.

Let me Tell you where it all began.

A smiling young woman with long wavy hair standing in front of a wall with graffiti that says "Don't Forget to be AMAZING," next to a red heart shape.

I graduated with an MA in Illustration from Camberwell UAL in 2016 and, in that same year, welcomed my first baby! Balancing early motherhood with creating artwork in my chilly basement studio during nap times meant my illustration career started at a rather gentle pace.

My breakthrough came with my first illustrated picture book, A Hug for You, which was honoured as the An Post Irish Book of the Year in 2021. Since then, I’ve been passionately creating books for children published by Penguin, Scholastic, Oxford University Press, Tate Publishing, and Andersen Press.

A woman with wavy hair kneeling and holding a young boy in the air, touching noses, with a white background.
Book cover titled "A Hug for You" by David King, illustrated by Rhiannon Archard. It features a young boy in a wheelchair reaching toward a glowing yellow heart in a starry night sky, surrounded by colorful flowers.

Breaking through

Children's book cover titled 'Indigo Inspire' by Rhiannon Archard, depicting a woman and a girl surrounded by colorful plants, flowers, stars, and a tiger, with a hand painting a star.
Page with hand-drawn sketches of a girl in different poses, musical notes, geometric shapes, and a speech bubble. The sketches depict a happy girl, a girl with glasses, and a girl singing or talking.

Finding the words

Collection of colorful illustrations and sketches of a mother and daughter dancing and celebrating in the kitchen.

Writing is a quiet passion of mine; I have numerous notebooks with stories and characters looking for a home. My debut book as an author, Indigo Irvine, was released this year by Tate Publishing. This achievement has given me a mega confidence boost in my writing and inspired me to write more.

Two girls inside a cozy room, one with blonde hair reading a book on a red armchair, and the other with pink hair knitting on the floor, illuminated by a small table with candles and decorations.

Ideas often come to me while I’m travelling—on a bus, train, or in a car. There’s something about watching the world rush by while I remain still that seems to spark my imagination. Historical places and objects fascinate me; I can spend hours exploring a good antique shop.

Community and inclusivity are really important to me. I want to make books that are entertaining, fun, and foster a lifelong love of reading. I also want to make books that children can identify with and learn from. A mixture of both would be ideal!

I am represented by Georgia Tourney at The Bright Agency. If you have a project you think I might be suited for, you can get in touch with her here.

Proud moments and things to shout about!

  • My Illustration ‘Nana Found a Regit’ was shortlisted for - World Illustration Awards 2023 (children’s publishing category)

  • One of the books I illustrated was completed start to finish in 6 weeks! (It wasn’t easy, please don’t make me do that again)

  • The Pope has a copy of ‘A Hug For You.” I have photographic evidence of this!

  • My first illustrated book, A Hug For You was the winner of The Irish Book Awards 2021 (children’s book category)

  • Sir Adam the brave was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2022 (children’s book category)