Collage Animals

I took a wonderful online course in collage recently run by Mati Rose. It was over five weeks and each week was themed. These are my pieces from the week called "Creatures". I absolutely love working with paint and collage and would happily do it all day long.

Chalkboard Reminders of Exhibitions in London

I did these recently as a reminder to myself of all the exhibitions I'd like to see in London this summer.

New Work from Make Art that Sells Course

Some of my new work completed as part of the Make Art That Sells Course (Part B) ran by my US agent Lilla Rogers. 

Top piece was for Scrapbooking Week. I knew almost nothing about scrapbooking (as not so big here in the UK as in the USA) but I really enjoyed the project as it allowed for the creation of lots of icons and images but without feeling the pressure when laying it out for it to need to work as a repeat. It also gave me the opportunity to really look at my partner's collection of vintage cameras....shocking how things can be in our home and I realise I've never properly looked at them before.

Party Paper on a Folk theme - I really loved working on this. Usually I draw lots of my elements separately and them scan and assemble inside my computer but for this I challenged myself to draw the whole of the plate in one go.

Christmas Card for Stationery Week. The turquoise angel decoration came out every Christmas when I was small and a few years ago my Mum gave her to me.

Drawing and Photographing Typewriters

Olivetti Museum Windows

I did these four thank you cards just before we went on holiday as a personal/speculative project. The top one is Dennis's Dad's typewriter which sits in their conservatory in Northumberland and his Dad still uses regularly.

When we got to Piazza San Marco in Venice Dennis teased me for turning my camera on the windows of the Olivetti Museum bordering the square....rather than the over photographed square itself. Though when I turned back I found him taking a close up of some cigarette butts on the ground with the towering Campanile in the background - which seemed far more sacrilegious!

Wall Art Project

Two finished pieces

buttons and lamb that worked there way into finals

work in progress - background for top image

Back in June I took Part A of an e-course run by my agent Lilla Rogers called "Make Art that Sells". It was aimed at helping artists, illustrators and designers "up" their work to the next level and create work focused on five key commercial areas - Wall Art, Bolt Fabric, Children's Book Illustration, and artwork for Gifts and Homeware. There were around 500 participants from all over the world - many, many of them were already highly successful and talented artists and it was an initially nerve wracking, then challenging, followed by inspiring and completely invigorating experience to be thrown into such a school of high achievers! Lilla motivated and nurtured us all with such enthusiasm yet tenderness that I'm certain everyone will have come out of the experience feeling both creatively and emotionally stronger. 

Though I've been represented by Lilla Rogers Studio since 2007 and have had some success with licensing of artwork and crossing over into surface design - for cards, wrap, bags, rugs, swimwear - I still see myself very much coming from an editorial illustration background and training and it's in that area that the great majority of my work both in the UK and USA comes from. The course was a wonderful way to make me see the possibilities and applications for my work in a fresh way.

This project for the Wall Art week was definitely the one I most loved working on and helped break down old attitudes and assumptions. Several of Lilla's other artists have had lots of success with Wall Art including the beautiful work produced by Mati Rose, Lisa Congdon and Lisa De John. Initially I was concerned I somehow wouldn't fit this area as I don't come from a gallery/artist background - I see my work as being between paper, something that lasts the length of a magazine or the turning of a page not hanging on a wall. (Surely a throw back to my time studying Illustration at Maidstone College of Art where the courses were clearly delineated between Fine Art and Illustration....and my joyful cross overs into the Printmaking department felt like going behind enemy lines!) I'm also so used to responding to a brief that the opportunity to spend a day doing what ever I wanted with no final image in mind was amazingly liberating. I think I so love my job and the way I spend my days I hadn't considered until that day spent painting these backgrounds in the kitchen that it could be even more fun!

It was an amazing five weeks and Part B of the course starts next month...I'm already excited and ring fenced my autumn weekends for working on it!

The Aesthetic Anteater

I did this for a "facebook drawing club thing" that I was doing with some friends who are animators. The theme was the "Aesthetic Anteater" (chosen by me). As I've been feeling sad for anteaters ever since I learnt they were nomadic as I'm sure there are a few that would like a beautiful home to call their own. That's Heals window he is looking in....or maybe the Conran Shop.

Pooch Parade Painting

This is a painting I did recent - a version of my "logo". Doggies on their way to a party.

Sydenham Artists Trail

I'm taking part in Sydenham Visual Arts Trail - an open house/studio event. It's over two weekends and this Saturday and Sunday the 14th and 15th of July is the second weekend. I was so busy making the things I'm slow to write about it! 


It is from 11am to 5pm on both days and you can find me at 15 Bishopsthorpe Road, Sydenham, SE26 4NY, less than 5 minutes walk from Sydenham Station. Here is a link to the Sydenham Visual Arts Trail information page on the festival site (we are number 31). 


I'm showing my new small acrylic animal painting and lots of hand painted ceramics, plus lampshades I've made from my own fabric designs and digital prints and greetings cards.
Leila Khasal is showing her jewellery and also on show at the house are eight large mosaics relating to famous Sydenham area connections (Logie Baird, Ernest Shackleton, Pissarro etc) prior to being put up on a building in the community.


There are over 46 homes/locations in the area open and more than 100 artists participating - so lots to see and a lot of the open houses are in the streets joining Bishopsthorpe Road.

I would love to see you!

First Ever Animation

I drew these doggies a couple of weeks ago. Dennis mapped it out for me and I was to draw over in my style. I don't know if I'd make a very good paint and trace person as I couldn't help making little changes....so any errors are mine and not Dennis's!

It was amazingly exciting to see my still drawings move - it really made me appreciate the thrill animators must feel.

Shop Keeper!

I've just opened a shop on etsy selling prints, cards and ceramics. In the New Year I plan to also sell paintings and things made from fabric with my artwork on it. It was such fun photographing etc and no dusting to do like in a real shop.

I have a fifties green kitchen cabinet in our hall that I kept planning to get rid off (I bought it for £3 at an auction in 1991) which I've turned in to my shop/packing area. Dennis suggested I get a bell I could ring if I sell something :-)

Caterham Vintage and Art Fair

On Saturday the 17th of September from 11am - 5pm I will have a table at the Caterham Vintage and Art Fair.
I'll be selling gouache and acrylic animal paintings, prints of some of my illustrations, painted ceramics and cards. The event is being held at:

Soper Hall
Harestone Valley Road
Caterham
Surrey CR3 6HY

here is a link to a map

There will be tea and cakes, tombola (I might finally discover what tombola is!), a raffle and live music plus vintage and art stalls. I'm so looking forward to it!

The event is organised by Anita of Mrs Antil's Apartment.

here is what she write on the Press Release:

"The Caterham Vintage and Art Fair is a community event for affordable vintage and art lovers as well as those who are just curious or love a rummage through vintage clothes, accessories and home-wares.
This will all take place on the ground floor of the beautiful and historic Soper Hall in Caterham Valley, 3 minutes from Caterham station.
All items will be reasonably priced - making beautiful and old things available and affordable for the local community.
There will also be vintage inspired art, as well as a variety of quirky, original art works from Surrey and London based artists including: LittleToucan, DiDoesVintage, KatyLou and Trina Dalziel.
Old fashioned music hall style live entertainment will be provided by quirky, sultry and soulful singer-songwriter, Ziba.
There will be a vintage 'tea room' to replenish with ration recipe cakes, pretty cupcakes and of course tea!
Entrance is free and anyone from 5 days to 105 years is very welcome.
Come and have fun!"

The PaperQuilt Collages

The Paper Quilt Project was initiated by Dawbis (her psuedonym) a Texan based artist in 2007. 244 illustrators and artists from around the world were sent a small card and pieces of scrap paper to produce a collage on the theme of "A Day in My Life". The plan was to submit them and Dawbis would make twelve "paper quilts" to auction for a charity voted for by the artists.

The top collage I did in 2007 however it got lost in the post somewhere between London and Texas. The project was then on hold for a bit but when it relaunched last year I got the opportunity to submitted a new collage.

It seem the days of my life have changed little in the meantime...still involves drawing at my desk, drinking coffee and looking out for an elusive fox!

Maybe sometimes simple is best?

I did this sketch in the autumn in a beautiful B&B in Cambridgeshire when I attended an archive day at the Curwen Press. It was dusk, we'd just arrived and we were having a cup of tea before exploring the village of Linton.

Now I've spent an evening doing the colour version below ...I realise I actually have a fondness for it just as a blackline drawing straight from my sketchbook!

Snow Dog

We built this snow dog at my parents at New Year. My Mum said now he is just a lump of snow a foot or so high on the newly revealed grass.

Ceramics at Cosmo China

This autumn I’ve spent a few days painting china at a wonderful shop /workshop in Bloomsbury, London. It’s called Cosmo China and it has been running for over twenty years. Artists are invited to paint and if their work sells they are invited back…..I have to wait and see if any of mine sells! I hope it might as it's a lovely change to my day to sit around a table with artists and use a paintbrush as an alternative to too much furious mouse clicking!

The Black Bound Hound Book

I drew this "dog parade" over several nights at bedtimes - it was a lovely way to wind down at the end of a day. I'm a bit obsessed at the moment with these moleskine concertina books - I have an empty one waiting for the next "parade" idea......

Here is a movie of "The Black Bound Hound Book" made by my animator boyfriend - our first joint project. For my birthday I've asked if he can animate one of my drawings (and maybe a bar of Lindt chilli chocolate too)!

Giant Anteater

Until a few weeks ago I had a year's pass to London Zoo. On the week it was running out I went twice to say goodbye to this Giant Anteater. Below are some photos of him, a sketch and a rubbing and a couple of prints I did of him. It had been along time since I'd had my printing inks out and I felt like a play.

His inside home looks a bit drab but he had an anteater companion and a huge, quite private garden though I think he must dream a lot about his relatives in Latin America.

I found some information on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Anteater
which says that "The giant anteater does not sleep in any fixed place, instead curling up in abandoned burrows and hollows. It covers its body with its long, bushy tail to sleep." so perhaps this is why the zoo hasn't made much effort with his home - he is a wanderer by nature?