@imogenfoxell.bsky.social
Artist, author, lexicographer, solo parent Oxford, UK (she/her) www.imogenfoxell.com
Happy Birthday to Lantana!
It is our eleventh year and we couldn't be more excited! 🎉
Thank you for all of your support and here's to many more years of inclusive books that celebrate ALL children! 🥳
On what is a really difficult day, here are some resources for our trans friends and allies.
Solidarity 💜
goodlawproject.org/resource/sup...
Sketch of a red and green narrowboat with a perkily angled chimney on the canal under yellow willow branches
Sketch of toddler re-enacting a scene from Janet and Allan Ahlberg's "Worm book" where a worm is lured into a trap by a mirror. The toddler recreates this by climbing up a chair on to his bedside table, fiddling with the mirror and jumping into a "hole" on his bed
Sketch of the handgel incident - toddler likes to play with an (unused) urine sample bottle at bedtime - we can't find it, so I hurriedly offer him a nearly-empty handgel bottle. But then he pours it near his eye and a bit in his mouth. I wash out his eye and give him water and milk and worry all night - but he is totally fine!
Sketch of my toddler and friends' kids hanging out in a playground
February sketchbook: narrowboat, mirror trap, handgel incident, playground with friends
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of our second theatre trip - a big success (Hey Little Bird at the Pegasus theatre) - toddler pays attention and there are hats and disco lights, an owl, balloons and a carnival!
Sketches of a day with a toddler: he actually borrows books in the library but only because he's intrigued by the machine, he plays a lot of "posting screw through hole in a cupboard", we look at the boiler, we examine my neighbour's CD player, we do a disco in the dark, I find him in the cot with his pyjamas wrapped round he so both he sleeces are on one arm (then he does a massive poo)
Sketches of baby terrapins
Sketches of "chaos child" - toddler exploring my room - taking things off my shelves, climbing things, rolling around with bubble wrap
February sketchbook: theatre trip, a typical day of examining pipework, baby terrapins, chaos child
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of a freezing cold day with toddler and my mum - visit the market, watch people make flatbread in café, bake (toddler only interested in chocolate drops), find missing toys and bits of old dust, cuddle up and watch Duggee, fill freezer with soup and curry
Sketches of things that are used as (pretend) wires in this house: keys, string, bungee cord, tape measure, sewing thread, duplo chargin cable
Sketch of a selection of toy tools
Sketch of me walking along Iffley Road in the dark (half moon), when I look up startled at a tree full of squawking green parakeets!
Winter sketchbook: a mummy and granny day, things that are used as wires, tools, a tree full of parakeets!
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketch of St Barnabas church tower, rooftops and wintery tree and sky
Sketch of toddler's Ashmolean highlights: security robe, radiator, status base, automatic doors, lights on floor, lockers, bridges, stairs
Sketches of fish from our local fish shop/aquarium - various weird and wonderful fish and a terrapin, sketched while toddler was busy fetching imaginary disco lights for the fish
Sketch of our excellent marble run, which I was playing with while toddler was asleep
January sketchbook: St Barnabas Jericho, highlights of the Ashmolean Museum, the fish shop, marble run!
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of when I had a sore finger on new year's day and all the doctors and pharmacies were closed and it was raining. But thankfully out local aquarium (the goldfish bowl) was open and toddler was coping well with partially giving up breastfeeding (thanks to chocolate bribes) and we went to my neighbour's party and were the two youngest people there
Sketch of me getting my sore finger dealt with - go to phramacy, doctor (who prescribes antibiotics) and back to pharmacy, all with toddler in tow - amusing moment when I provide my own medical supplies to doctor for him to rewrap my finger. And after all that we're only ten minutes late for our trip to play on the seesaw in the park
Sketch of me heading out on a cold night (to pick up toddler) with a crescent moon and single star (Venus presumably) in the dark blue sky
Sketch of a day with the toddler - we go to story museum where all he wants to do is cuddle owls in the dark, we watch David Attenborough (well, I do), we take down Christmas decorations (toddler says "Chripmen it finished now"), we build a duplo chocolate machine (toddler's idea), I give toddler a haircut, and he genuinely helps me with the washing up!
January sketchbook: the saga of my sore finger, East Oxford by moonlight, the last day of "Chripmen"
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketch of a Christmas tree
Sketch of the London eye against a pink sky and some buses near Waterloo Bridge - caption "sneaky trip to the theatre!"
Sketch of the toddler dragging me through a network of little fountains at King's Cross
Sketch of me sitting on the bed sketching in a purple sweater with excitingly messy hair. Caption: 12 years daily sketching (except 28th November 2019)
More sketchbook diaries from Christmas: tree, sneaky trip to the theatre (minus toddler), playing in fountains at King's cross, and self portrait
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of Thanksgiving dinner - friends carving turkey, multiple pies, teacups and a curly dog (caption: made it despite getting stuck in Birmingham New Street for an hour)
Sketches of a disastrous morning: child furious about everything (in my arms going "NO NO NO", I manage to get some toast in him while he looks at my phone; and then we're cycling and he tips over in his trailer - he's fine but I obviously feel dreadful; also I discover that the fruitbown has become a hideous mouldy soup
Sketch of toddler playing BY himself! With his TOYS! He's sitting in his toybox with his hair in a fetching ponytail (hairstyling by nursery)
Sketches of busy day with toddler - he's performing the dance of the sugarplum fairy at a concert; he builds himself a house in a clump of reeds and won't come out and then it turns out the reeds have scratched him and left a rash all over his face; cycle through Oxford to Christmas party where toddler eats crisps, I have some actual conversations and sausage rolls and we meet lesbian Santa - and cycle home in the dark
December sketchbook (posting slightly out of order!) - thanksgiving, the Bicycle Incident, playing by himself!, Christmas concert/party
19.03.2025 20:55 — 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Sketch of the toddler's first play - the Elves and the Shoemaker. Toddler liked the lighting rig and the bit where they blew bubbles - I liked the bit where the dog made a spreadsheet
Sketch of sick toddler cuddled up on the sofa in a big red blanket watching telly
Sketches of travelling for Christmas while sick - I was feverish all night (chattering with cold and then burning up); I cuddle sick boy; mum takes toddler out while I do hurried packing (I'm crawling towards my suitcase saying GNNN); we just about survive bus, train, tube, bus and I collapse on my parents' sofa
Sketches of my baby nephew - most of them looking nothing like him!
Sketchbook diaries from December: a play, a sick toddler, a sick me, and my baby nephew
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches from a live nativity event with my toddler: he's more interested than tinsel than live animals; he has a go at crafts and decorating biscuits; I enjoy a tiny child's attempt to pronounce "Quirinius" and a small king called Chloe; I feel unsure about this early introduction to Christianity, but I also tear up during Away in a Manger; all the Christmas fun pales into insignificance for toddler compared to a stick he found outside
Sketch of double decker blue white and gold carousel with horses, carriages and reindeer. A record of the best outing ever - when the toddler was off sick from nursery but feeling better, so I took him to ride the carousel at the Christmas market.
Sketchbook of my exhausting (and, as it turned out, only) day of Christmas shopping - I forced toddler to nursery, cycled to town, realised I'd left my phone at home, couldn't cope and turned round, went trouser and underwear shopping, ate a pie and a Ben's cookie, did actually quite a lot of Christmas shopping, tried to sketch and realised I'd left my pencil case at home, collapsed at home on the sofa before rushing off to collect toddler!
Sketch of my former choir in Christmassy attire singing "What ay shall I give him? Give my heart"
Happy Christmas from the December diaries! Live nativity, merry-go-round, Christmas shopping (in fact my only Christmas shopping because we got ill), choir concert
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Specifically "careful not to fall cat" apparently
07.03.2025 09:15 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Photo of toddler (face obscured) dressed as an orange cat and holding the book "All the cats" by Nicola Kent
@nicolakent.bsky.social happy world book day!
06.03.2025 21:06 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 1
Sketch of all the meals I cooked one lunchtime (in pots and neatly packed up in freezer boxes): leek and potato soup, tomato sauce, cheesy pasta sauce
Sketches of toddler peacefully playing and watching tv (with caption: this boy hasn't napped today!)
Sketches of toddler in a bad mood: crying because my bicycle light isn't flashing; all he wants to do is lie on the floor and rewire duplo house with a bungee cord; eats a reluctant potato waffle in from of Duggee on TV and leaves masticated fishfingers all over the floor; refuses a bath; demands medicine and then he's fine
Sketch of my genius plan - teach the toddler to wash up - what could go wrong? Sketch of toddler and me at the sink - he's saying "more soap on it", I'm saying "very good - try not to break that one"
November sketchbook: lots of cooking, no nap day, bad mood, genius plan
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketch of a beech tree with a few remaining autumn leaves
Sketch of me manically hacking ice from the freezer with a fish slice while I'm supposed to be working
Sketch of toddler's first time at a traditional birthday party - he learns to navigate the bouncy castle, and has his first experiences of party rings and putting hula hoops on his fingers
Sketch of SNOW! Toddler is very excited about snow outside the window ("it 'nowing it 'nowing) but very upset about going outside in it. I then cycle to work, admiring pretty Oxford but getting my socks soaked, because I wore unsuitable boots. Luckily I did have the wisdom to bring spare dry socks to the office.
November sketchbook: tree, freezer, bouncy castle, snow!!
#kidlit #kidlitart #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Finally filled in www.gov.uk/government/c... on the last available day. I didn't answer every question, but I put something along these lines to most of the questions in the first section: "Copyright should be expanded to rule out AI uses, unless the creative opts in and is properly compensated."
25.02.2025 12:31 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A sketch of a toddler walking through some leaves, mostly obscured by various scribblings and messy prints of autumn leaves. Caption: this was meant to be an atmospheric drawing of S. wandering through yellow leaves, but it was hijacked
Sketch of the river (purple and green), a slightly threatening sky (purple and yellow) and the riverbank with sparse trees and a dogwalker in the distance
Text: "S. doesn't feel like waking up, then at 9.30 perks up and starts chatting about sewer pipes - so I take him to nursrey where he doesn't nap so he falls asleep on the sofa..." Then a sketch of toddler adorably passed out on the sofa. Then more text: "...and just when I was drawing this he woke up and rolled off. Managed to get some supper in him and put him to bed!"
November sketchbook: autumn leaves, a peaceful riverside scene, and disaster sleep day
21.02.2025 23:07 — 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Sketches of a trip to Science Oxford, where toddler enoys shooting scarfs up pipes, amazing waterplay, and liivng out his dreams of being an electrician; we bring chalk to the playground which all the children play with except my toddler; toddler doesn't enjoy first firework encounter (he's on my shoulders going "go back in house go back in house) but he does want to talk about them in his cot
sketches of toddler in a yellow raincoat and orange cat ears playing with sticks in the park (and looking very sweet)
Sketches in which I try and think of good things in the wake of the US election: the toddler, fixing my bike stand (go me), emergency crisps, buing a new torch from new hardware shop, fixing Vietnamese full stops, kitchen disco
Sketches of a day in November: morning with granny; rearranging leaves in Botanical Gardens; toddler has long nap while I literally wrestle the printer to get it to reliquish chewed paper; toddler very sad after nap but cheers up after two chocolate owls; we see the moon coming out from behind a cloud; owl-themed bedtime - both cuddling toy owls and reading Owl Babies
Sketchbook diaries from November: Science Oxford and fireworks; cat ears in the park; trying to think of good things in the wake of the US election (obviously the world has gone from bad to awful since then); printer wrestling and chocolate owls
#kidlit #parentingComics #parenting #soloMumByChoice
Sketches of toddler's nighttime diversionary tactics: turning off lights so he can 'bang into things in the dark', counting stars, pretending to cut my fingernails and hide the imaginary clippings around the room, continuing to pretend to be at Reading festival, and apparently his toy Mummy Owl needs to bang into things too
Sketch of dark trees with few remaining autumn leaves in various colours, a flock of birds, a lamppost
Sketch of the best "toys" at my parents' houes: CD player, toy cake, book about money, toy merry go-round, trumpet, radio, sink, doorbell, toilet flush
Sketches of cursed Halloween - I have a cold again and no sense of taste but apparently not covid; I can find no pumpkins but carve a butternut squash (to look like a cat); I forgot to bring buggy to nursery pickup, but carry toddler home on my shoulders (he's dressed as an orange ginger cat)
Sketchbook diaries from October: diversionary tactics, trees, top toys, cursed Halloween
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of the suspected scabies incident - I've got an itchy back (toddler is fine); doctor asks if toddler has been biting me and then suggest scabies (yuk!); I am distracted from work by reading about sealing everything in plastic bags; I cover toddler in cream while he's distracted by telly - it's surprisingly fine; I wash EVERYTHING on hygiene pluys setting and seal it in plastic bags
Sketch (one of many) of sick toddler asleep on my bed
Sketch of toddler happily wading through piles of autumn leaves (caption: "in a somewhat trying week of stomach bug/cold/scabies, a lovely autumn moment")
Sketches of a troublesome evening: 7.20 exhausted toddler falls asleep on my breast; 7.30 I make TERRIBLE mistkae of trying to move him from bed to cot; 8.20 he is wide awake and wants to play "Reading festival" (where I sing "loud music" and we dance under a duvet tent; 9.47 I eventually stroke him to sleep
October sketchbook: illness season strikes in earnest,with suspected scabies and a sick toddler (content warning for sketches of my itchy back)
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
A sketch of me wheeling happy toddler in pram during a massive rainstorm, while drainpipes pour water into the gutter - all coloured in with blue watercolour paint (partly applied by the toddler)
Sketches of games with toddler: drumming on bedknob, throwing stones in fountain, kicking cafe window, painting (but only orange), little home in playground including imaginary toilet, hoovering with a chair
Sketches of domesticity and its results: cooking sweet potato curry and chips - all refused (he was sad because he really wanted the "odange chips" but then didn't like them); vast amounts of laundry and then we hide under my duvet cover and pretend it's a tent at Reading festival
Sketch of an autumn trip to Cutteslowe park, including playground, walking on railway lines, eating fishfingers, finding conkers, feeding swans
Autumn sketchbooks - drainpipe day, today's games, much domesticity, and a trip to the park
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketches of "my terrible life" - toddler has forgotten how to sleep (I am depicted kneeling next to him with sore nipples sobbing "PLEASE go to sleep") - relatedly we both have colds and he has a tooth coming; also, my work dictionary software is broken and attempts to fix it make it worse; and while drawing this I allowed toddler to play with baby monitor and he unplugged it, so now I can't see him
Sketch of me and toddler finding conkers and shouting "Aha" when we find one. We're next to the river (where there is a duck and approaching yellow kayak) under a chestnut tree which also contains several swings
Sketches of "the story of last night" - I tuck toddler into bed at 8; 8.10 he's screaming so I put him down to rampage while I wash up (i.e. eat crisps); 8.40 I come and snuggle with him and he is being frustratingly adorable and non-sleepy with his owl toy and trying to steal my glasses; 9.15 he demands to read a book and starts "reading" the writing (apparently it goes "one two one two one two"); 9.30 I feed to to sleep
Sketches of a day with toddler: rain threatens; toddler appreciates the wiring at the story museum and eat substandard hash browns; we wake up to a storm and make cheese scones and duplo merry-go-rounds; swing at the playground, blow bubbles; toddler loses my keys then finds them; I am mean about bedtime and toddler eventually goes to sleep without feeding
September sketchbook: this was the month the toddler forgot how to sleep (and discovered conkers)
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice
Sketches of a silly night - I have a cold, the washing machine is full of poo, I'm meant to be packing, toddler won't go to sleep (wants to find buttons on duvet, discuss ferry boat, goes to sleep, wakes up again and needs feeding to sleep)
Sketch of delighted toddler in waterproof suit wielding a hosepipe
10 sketches of my friend's cat, Majel, in increasingly improbable poses
Sketch of kitchen scales, bowl of apples, and many things that need washing up
September sketchbook: a stupid evening, toddler with hosepipe, my friend's cat, still life with apples
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketch of yellow- and green-roofed market stalls, a woman in a yellow summer dress wandering past holding a drink
Sketch of blackberry and apple crumble being prepared - apples in bowl and stewing, crumble topping in another bowl, blackberries in a tub
Sketch of Cowley Road carnival fairground - children on bouncy castle, spinning swing tower, terrifying spinny thing...
Sketches of toddler's ongoing fascination with pipes: connecting the hoover, staring at the U bend, pumping up the bike tire (which then goes flat on the way to nursery pick up and I only just get there in time)
End of summer sketchbook: Gloucester Green market, apples and blackberries, Cowley Road carnival, pipes
#kidlit #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMumByChoice #smbc
Sketch of travel home from holiday (done between Eastleigh and Winchester at 21.53) - leave amid much chaos; 30 minutes car nap is all we get; ferry is notable for funnels, "funny man" (magician), pom bears on the deck, posh fish and chip restaurant; finally get on train but toddler not keen on sleeping (crawling around going "mind the gap"); but then he sleeps until we get home about midnight!
Sketches of toddler's holiday highlights: pom bears, making stone rainbows, washing line "hosepipes", sand waterfalls, car phone cable, big plate of chips, Bruno the dog, velcro house, paddling, windmill, Briquebec castle garden, Rowan making funny noises, "find more grass seeds", real screwdriver, sugary breakfast cereals, funnels, merry-go-round. My holiday highlights: mostly tea and company
More holiday sketches from August: the voyage home and the toddler's holiday highlights
#kidlit #kidlitArt #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #normandy #normandie
Black and white sketches of travel with toddler: I am so nervous; eat lots of crisps on train; explain Reading festival (toddler is thrilled at the concept of loud music); eat fish and chips and admire beer taps; get stuck in a playground; panic about buses; run around ferry port and getreprimanded for abandoning our pram; utter failure to get toddler to sleep in pram; finally on board overnight ferry - can't assemble travel cot despite toddler's enthusiastic help; he's still awake at 10.30 singing "dum dum dum" in cot
Sketch of 3 adults and 3 small kids playing in tide pools at the beach - toddler's first paddle!
Black and white sketch of man asleep on sofa and dog curled up asleep on the floor
Sketch of man and child assembling a climbing frame in a large garden next to an old stone barn with ivy growing on it; dog inspects flowers nearby
August holiday to Normandy: overnight ferry, first paddle, sleepy dog, building a climbing frame
#kidlit #kidlitArt #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #normandy #normandie
Five hand-painted animal Russian dolls: bear, fox, cat, owl, bee
Five hand-painted animal Russian dolls seen from the back: bear, fox, cat, owl, bee
Finished animal Russian dolls for the toddler's second birthday
#kidlit #russianDolls #matryoska #matryoshkadoll
Five blank Russian dolls with pencilled designs of animals on them
Russian dolls with white paint on them - you can see they're going to be a bear, fox, cat, owl, bee
Russian dolls with more paint on them - brown bear, orange fox, blue tabby cat, owl still not coloured, yellow bee
Unfinished animal Russian dolls with more colour and detail on them
Animal Russian dolls for toddler's second birthday - work in progress...
#russianDolls #babushkaDolls #kidlit
Sketches of toddler's second birthday celebrations - owl-shaped chocolate cake, extraordinary number of presents (mostly owls), most of the family, pretty much all the potato-y/breadcrumb-y snacks you can think of (hash browns, waffles, crisps, fishfingers), slightly too much transport, an entire model village (Bekonscot) which the toddler is ignoring in favour of a broken drainpipe
Sketches of toddler's favourite toy - the cardboard tube, which functions as a hoover, a trombone, a ball run, and an egg making device (roll the toy eggs down it to make them crack in a bowl at the bottom)
Sketches of toddler's real (pronounced "riddle") birthday - watching Twirlywoos, to nursery with a caterpillar cake, to the pub for pizza and chips - but more importantly to the the big extractor fan and play with the hosepipe
Sketch of toddler playing with cat-shaped watering can near garden tap. He's saying "you making lake"
Sketchbook diaries from August: in which the toddler turns two!!
#kidlit #kidlitArt #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent
Aw thank you 🥰
09.01.2025 23:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
