Kate Slater is an illustrator working in mixed media collage. Her children’s books include the Britannica First Big Book of Why (What on Earth Books and Britannica), A Peek at Beaks (Millbrook Press) and The Birthday Crown (Royal Collection Trust). Alongside her work for children’s books and magazines, Kate has also created several large scale installations and window displays for clients including the National Trust and Ingestre Orangery.

Kate studied illustration at Kingston University (2005-2008) and grew up on a beautiful farm in Staffordshire. She is still most at home walking through muddy fields, sketchbook in hand, followed by her Labrador, or covering the walls of her home with murals of trees and birds. She hopes her love of all things wild and free comes across in her finished work.

Woodpecker and Sandpiper: These pieces are final artwork for the book ‘A Peek at Beaks’ written by Sara Levine and published by Milbrook Press. This book was a dream commission for Kate, and is still some of her personal favourite artwork she’s produced.

The other 4 pieces: These were inspired by the first year after Kate bought her first home. Memories like the wren on her chamomile lawn, invented things, like the thrushes to celebrate having her sister to stay for the first time and visiting the William Morris-filled Wightwick Manor together and imagined-dream-things, like the very unlikely prospect of a kingfisher on her tiny garden pond, or the possibility of a barn owl flying over her studio. These pieces all represent safety.

Kate’s collages are made using ‘recycled’ paper from magazines and old envelopes etc, and also painted paper.

She designs all her gift and homeware with a commitment to being ethical and sustainable - her greetings cards and wrapping paper are printed on 100% recycled paper in the UK and her tea towels are made in Cornwall from organic cotton.

In the studio Kate strives to use as little plastic as possible, and recycles the vast majority of her waste - in 2022 she even started worm composting, which means most of her paper and cardboard waste ends up in her garden!