Bluelou grew up in Norther Ireland during the troubles and saw Orange men rioting in white gloves.. She remembers visiting a grandparent in Derry who still used a outdoor toilet and only had heating from a peat fire.
She did her first Judge Death drawing from her Brothers 2000AD at the age of 10 and surprised the art dep of her secondary school by painting Ronald Ragan with a Micky Mouse hat on fighting Gorbachev wearing a dog collor.
She was told by her secondary school careers officer at 15 to go work in a factory…he laughed when she told him she was going to art collage.
Despite the dreadful catholic education and Dyslexia Bluelou left school at 16 and did her A level art in one year at 17.
She got into art Collage on her portfolio and came out with a 2:1 BA
Bluelou worked in multi media, such as performance, painting and digital art for many years always going back to the cartoon/illustration medium..
She won a place on a British council political cartoon exchange to south Africa where she was mentored by Steve Bell and SA’s Zapero..
As she was national published while there she was asked back to opening in Johannesburg and was interviewed by R4 and SA TV.
She was part of the showcase along side Ben Jennings in Guardian Aug 2010 doing holiday cover for Steve Bell and Martin Rawson.
She worked in rotation in the Morning Star with Martin Rawson for two years.
She was the first woman to enter the political cartoon awards 2012.
And was the first woman to appear in ‘Best of political cartooning 2014 anthology.
She was in the top 5 of the vote for for cartoon of that year..allegedly..(Coff came second but discounted as Morning Star Block Voting..by the most sexist man alive Dr Tim Bension of the political cartoon soc see vid of 2017 awards)
Employed at the tribune magazean for two years, contributed to the TES, New statesman and The Canary ..
Her house is a mess..