All Posts · Animal tales · Childrens Book Illustrating · Writing and Illustrating

Children’s illustration

A good year ago, I was lucky to get a lovely commission to illustrate a children’s book about a hen. I worked closely with the author to get the hen right as I felt she shoukd appeal to both of us. So often in traditional publishing the author is far removed from the artist, often… Continue reading Children’s illustration

All Posts · Animal tales · Childrens Book Illustrating · Making and crafting · The Factory · Writing and Illustrating

Teaching joy

I have a studio full of toy,  children’s books, crayons and coloured pencils. They bring me joy and ease my anxieties in life. My studio is a reflection of what goes on in my head…stories of pirates, of naughty geese and silly ducks.  Over my career in accountancy I have trained many employees on software,… Continue reading Teaching joy

All Posts · Animal tales · Childrens Book Illustrating · My Company Projects · Writing and Illustrating

I have to begin…

Just this week a writing group in a town just a short drive from me, started. Being so rural, any social group can be a lifeline from feeling buried, but with all my building work going on right now, sometimes I have to miss quite a few..but I still keep up on social media and… Continue reading I have to begin…

All Posts · Animal tales · My Company Projects · Writing and Illustrating

The Giant Pea

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.… Continue reading The Giant Pea

Childrens Book Illustrating · Making and crafting · Thistle Cottage Studio · Writing and Illustrating

1001 Reflections

Every year, just south of us in Crocq, an exhibition for art is run, featuring both professional or amateur painters, ceramics, sculptures. The exhibition is themed and your given space of upto 2 x 2.5×1.75 metres to display work and sell prints etc. It’s quite a big deal in such a rural area and thus… Continue reading 1001 Reflections

All Posts · Chickens · Childrens Book Illustrating · Making and crafting · Writing and Illustrating

Commission Children’s Book

As you know I started illustrating last year and its been a fun year creating characters like Pipi Pintade and Naughty Goose. I always loved children’s books,classics like Winnie The Pooh, Peter Pan, The Wizard Of Oz, Dragon In Danger, The Mouse and his Child to name a few,and pop-up books. The French have bookshops… Continue reading Commission Children’s Book

All Posts · Animal tales · French Life · Writing and Illustrating

Pygmalion

Pygmalian fell in love with a sculpture and Aphrodite granted his wish of companionship and made this sculpture human. The famous Eliza Doolittle, of GB Shaws famous play, changed too, from Cockney street girl to refined Fair Lady. Changes manifest in many ways and forgive me for this strangulation of mythology to fit my prose,… Continue reading Pygmalion