John's Dragon

Here's an inspirational art story. John Brown sells The Big Issue in Bath. (For my foreign readers, The Big Issue is a current affairs magazine sold on the streets by people who are homeless or "vulnerably housed". It helps them get back on their feet. Its slogan is "a hand up, not a hand out" CLICK.) John was selling The Big Issue outside Waterstones when a woman asked him to move aside so she could photograph a display of children's books in the shop window. He remarked that he would love to illustrate children's books. The woman turned out to be an author looking for an illustrator! One thing led to another (title link). The picture above is the dragon John painted for the Waterstones window display promoting Inheritance, a book by Christopher Paolini.