A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME...
I studied a BA Honours in Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University, but found that I always gravitated towards illustrated final outcomes. Even in typography projects, I found ways of adding some illustration in!
After venturing down to London with a HUGE portfolio (fun memories of the tube journeys!), I found my big break creating illustrating problems pages and horoscopes for a number of magazines. Whilst I enjoyed the fast pace of editorial, my heart has always been in picturebooks. I worked as a bookseller for a short time and I always wanted to shelve the picturebooks!
I have been delighted to work with top publishers such as Bloomsbury, Orchard Books, Egmont and Scholastic over the years and see my books on the shelves I used to stack.
I regularly go on drawing adventures around the world, seeking inspiration from places near and far - most recently Hong Kong, New York and Tanzania have had me furiously sketching!
I won Zizzi's Fresh Talent Competition and my 'Legs' painting adorned plates in their restaurants right across the UK!
When I'm not working on commissions I also enjoy teaching design and illustration students and doing the occasional school visits and workshops. I am also one half of Rosie & Radish - a gift and stationery company that Amy Clarke and I started up in 2013.
ILLUSTRATING DURING A PANDEMIC...
We all have a story to share. Lockdown 2020 was like nothing we had ever experienced before. With so much time to spend at home, I started drawing to record the day to day happenings within our bubble. The little daily doodles were shared on my social media and even featured in the press and on BBC radio! Here's my doodles...
Bertie was tasked by his school to create a piece of ‘lockdown art’ today.
We excitedly collected flowers and sticks and my head was buzzing with ideas
of all the ‘fun’ ways we could do it. But Bertie was not in the mood for it today
and there was no persuading him.
I, however, have sat tonight and sketched up how I envisaged it in my head.
It’s filled with all the animals the boys talk about everyday - their imaginations are pretty wild!!
For those that know me well you are probably wondering why our
dog Ralph hasn’t put in an appearance in these little sketches.
Well that is because he has had a very important job throughout
lockdown - keeping DT/Davie Reg/Dad/Little Grandad safe and
sane. He is on loan and is living the high life but we miss his
grumpy little face and ginger whiskers!
I LOVE CREATING PATTERNS...
ILLUSTRATING CHARACTERS
...and keeping
Montage of my sketches from a camping trip in Cornwall
A little experiment drawing around found objects...in this case two dandelions found on a walk in lockdown.
A montage from my New York sketchbook
Montage of my sketches from a camping trip in Cornwall
