Jonny Hannah enjoys nothing better than going to his studio to illustrate, paint and savour the odd Tunnocks Caramel Wafer with a fresh cup of coffee. It is fortuitous then, that Jonny’s work has been much in demand since his departure from Liverpool Art School and the Royal College of Art all those many years ago. Jonny’s work has graced the pages of Vogue, The New York Times and many a book jacket, as well as advertising and design work for clients such as the English National Opera and vintners Justerini & Brooks.

Amongst private collectors Jonny has also established a loyal following for his linocuts, screenprints, and paintings. Recently Jonny has started to paint the odd objets d’art, painting on guitars, suitcases, toy cars and coffee pots. It is under the moniker of the Cakes & Ale Press, a highly successful cottage industry, that Jonny has industriously published his limited edition affordable prints and artists books. His most recent book ‘Collected from by the Sea’ illustrates a collection of poetry by his wife Sharon. Of the name, ‘Cakes & Ale’ (taken from the title of a Sommerset Maugham novel), Jonny says that “it’s two items that should be on everyone’s shopping list, although I much prefer one to the other”.

A passionate music lover, and sharp dresser (correspondance shoes and bow-ties are de rigeur) Jonny’s work is inspired by whatever he’s listening to… which happens to mostly be Jazz. In 2005 Jonny’s children’s book ‘Hot Jazz Special’, was published by Walker Books and the Candlewick Press. A book of rhyming couplets, the story accompanies the young boy Henry at the Body & Soul Cafe were he encounters the performances of jazz legends such as Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and Duke Elington. The stunningly detailed and beautifully illustrated book took 2nd prize at the 2005 V&A Illustration Awards.

In addition to his work for print, Jonny has collaborated on various occasions with London based animation company ‘Sherbert’, winning a BAFTA in 2000 for best short animation for Charles Bukowski’s The Man with the Beautiful Eyes

Clients

Condé Nast Traveller
English National Opera
New York Times
Justerini & Brooks
Vogue
Atlantic Records
Simon & Schuster
Harper Collins
Penguin
Merrydown Cider
Walker Books
The Boston Globe
Amnesty International
GQ
Miramax Books
Glamour
Pan Macmillan
Camel
Miramax
John Murray
The Folio Society

Links