How to tell the difference between original paintings and giclée art prints
Is this an original or a print?
How I Created My New Mixed Media Still Lives
My new mixed media paintings have been through quite a process! They started out last summer as six squares on a sheet of 100% rag art paper (the good quality archival stuff used by professionals). I used only three acrylic paint colours (a blue, a red and […]
It’s a Revision Thing
September reminds me of returning to school and new beginnings.
I’ve always felt a charge of creative energy when the autumn comes. This year is no different, despite the challenges we all are facing. In some ways, September feels more like the start of a new year than New Year’s Day. And, in a way, I have […]
Signs of Life
This is a big week for signs of life in my world. Not only am I about to finish the first draft of a novel I have been working on for a long time, but our lockdown pond has attracted its first tadpoles and frogs. A first draft and a pond may seem unrelated but […]
Launching my 100 Days of Enchantment Project 2019
An enchanting new image in my sketchbook every day for 100 days…now there’s a challenge!
Sometimes fate steps in and gives you a big fat clue about what art project to do next. That happened last weekend when Victoria Johnson posted on Instagram that she was doing the 100 Day […]
Five Writing Lessons I’ve Relearned
What do you do when your ‘work in progress’ stops progressing?
I am currently writing a middle grade fantasy novel. Having published three novels and one novella already, you might think I’m just flying through this project with no hiccups. But here’s the thing: even experienced writers deal with barriers and […]
Summer Highlights: Leeds West Indian Carnival 50th Anniversary Project
As summer highlights go, this one is right up there. In the spring I had the honour of being asked to create an illustrated map for the Leeds West Indian Carnival‘s 50th anniversary as part of a Heritage Lottery Grant project.
Every late August bank holiday, the Carnival brings colour, […]
Art Exhibition at Fountains Hall
A few months ago I joined forces with four fellow artists to explore the idea of making new artwork in response to historic locations around Yorkshire. This was a bold experiment for me but I couldn’t resist because Lorna Barrowclough, Hondartza Fraga, […]
Welcome to the Writing Process: An Author/Illustrator Blog Tour
My talented friend and former art school classmate, Maryann Cocca-Leffler, invited me to share a bit about my writing and illustrating process as part of the ‘Welcome to the Writing Process: An Author/Illustrator Blog Tour’ (thanks, Maryann!). We are also part of a vibrant online community of children’s book illustrators and I’ve been in awe […]
The Trilogy Is Finished!
It’s been a week since I said goodbye to The Shadow Lantern and wished it well on its journey to the printer. The next time I see it, the pile of papers that made up the proof copy will have been transformed into a bound book […]
