PSC photo by Christine Cava Preston

The first picture book I remember reading as a child, was about a black bird that had a birds-eye view of a birthday party. I don’t remember the title or who wrote and illustrated it, but what I do remember is how happy it made me feel… and my love for books was born.

I'm Peter Simpson Cook, indie author and illustrator. I recently released my first children's book, little alphabet animals in December of 2020 in hardback, paperback and eBook. I’m a California based artist, designer and writer with a studio in the Los Angeles area. Since 1986, my career has included art director, illustrator and graphic designer in the entertainment and corporate industries. Born in 1954, I consider myself a mid-century modern design influenced creative. My artist parents immigrated to America from England in the early 1950s.

Quail Books

The first picture book I remember reading as a child, was about a black bird that had a birds-eye view of a birthday party. I don’t remember the title or who wrote and illustrated it, but what I do remember is how completely happy it made me feel. I loved that book because of the colors and the style of illustrations. Every time I went to the library, I would check it out over and over again. That’s when my love for books was born. Creating books for Quail Books and prints for Zoe’s Zoe Animal Art Prints has been a fun new creative experience for me and combines all of my talents as an artist. My love for fine art and graphic design have merged in the creation of these publications for children. I have always been a fan of the American Modernist artist Charley Harper, whose illustrations have inspired me to create these animal prints and illustrations. My goal is to bring joy to children who love animals, and my hope is that these books and prints will foster in the hearts of a new generation, love, curiosity and care for the world’s animals - with the intention of making all the of earth’s species safe from extinction. It is my intention to create an awareness of aesthetics for children at the earliest stages of development by providing high quality books and graphic art design.

Modern Boy

When I was a student and a working artist I would make personal one-of-a-kind handmade books to celebrate birthdays and special occasions for the people I cared about. That is how my passion for Modern Boy and PSC Publishing began by creating gift books, cards, art prints and other merchandise.

Modern Boy began as a doodle on a scrap of paper. It was 1994 and I had found a cafe seat in Manhattan’s Bloomingdales on 59th street in New York. I had given up the boredom of watching my friends shop and I wanted to feel a connection to the city in that moment. I needed to just stop and be with myself, so I began sketching on whatever paper I found in my pocket. As I watched people walking by through a wet window, suddenly Modern Boy appeared before me and other drawings about global warming and recycling. Since then, Modern Boy has become a singular character for me that lives uniquely, thinks about things differently and cares about others compassionately. It is my wish that Modern Boy Books will guide others to stop, look around, consider the moment and feel a connection with themselves.

Zoe’s Zoo Animal Art Prints

When my niece gave birth to her first child, her husband commissioned me to create wall art for their new nursery. Zoe was just learning to say "duck," so her Dad suggested animals be the subject of the collection. It quickly grew to seven graphic fine art giclée prints and spelling Zoe's name with these alphabet animals became the conceptual birth of ZOE'S ZOO.

Creating the prints for ZOE'S ZOO has been different because I am the client... I can create what I want without pleasing a committee or going through vast rounds of revisions. That freedom is a gift. I can now call on all my experience and combine all my talents as an artist and create what I am passionate about graphically for the ZOE'S ZOO animals. I believe that babies become aware of beauty and learn symmetry by looking into their mother's and father's faces. Wall art in nurseries should continue that learning curve. When I create an animal, I do research collecting a wide variety of photos of each animal. I then imagine a story to engage us to the animal. Each animal design is broken down into simple shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, etc... it's like I'm creating a logo. Digitally, I simplify, simplify, simplify... and finally it's the eyes that create the character.

To see the animal prints visit: zoeszooprints.com

PSC Artist Studio

I have lived in the Los Angeles area since 1986 as an art director, illustrator, graphic designer, fine artist and portrait painter. Some of my clients have included Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Feature Animation, Disneyland, The Disney Store, Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, Harvard Business Review, Center Theatre Group, The Tony Awards, The WB/CW Television Network, W Hotel Westwood, MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas, Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles, UCI School of Law, among others.

I draw from my experiences growing up in the Mountain West to create watercolors, portraits, oil and acrylic works rife with depictions of zen landscapes, architectural beauty and portraits, lending artistic insight to life in the West. As a Southern California based artist, my canvases and portraits center on light and shadow with themes of hands holding leaves, blowing paper and architectural stillness; my watercolors explore passionate landscapes and abstract themes from the natural world. My studio is in West Hollywood.

To view my work visit: pscartist.com

Copyright © 2020 by Peter Simpson Cook. All rights reserved.