Sometimes you have a dream and it stays with you when you wake. Mine was of a Giant Pea. I sometimes think I do spend too much time with my ducks and geese and when they fill your dreams too, we’ll maybe therapy is needed. Mine is illustrating, so I decided to draw this Pea.

As the stages of this illustration unfolded I realized I was actually being drawn into a story and however strange it might be, I was enjoying not only that this could be my first book, actually breaking the block I had in starting, but experimenting with my pencils more. I had invested in a variety of sets, including famous Caran’dache and also this was A3 size, much larger for me. Time to get serious.

So here are the first two illustrations of a likely ten at least of this size. The story without giving it away is about loss, searching and friendship. The book is also in remembrance of Penquin, my lovely Pekin duck who used to nag Heff. She passed a few months ago and I miss her so much. We have more ducks and Heff has a new girl, Toffee, who is just like Penquin. She even has her squeaky quack. Heff isn’t well, chronic arthritis, so he spends his time in the coop with Toffee whilst she sits on eggs, hoping for a hatch. I hope so too.