news

So the news in my actual NEWSletter, if you haven't read it, is that I got myself an agent!

I've been in to see them already and they're so lovely. I'm very excited.

I've thought about getting an agent on and off for the last 10 years so let's see what happens now I've finally taken the plunge...

I've started adding work to my portfolio on their website if you fancy a nosy...

news in a newsletter

My new newsy newsletter is out now. Earlier than usual. And with some actual news!

Must be Christmas!

Read it here.

ready for Christmas?

The main thing that makes me panic about not being “ready for Christmas” is other people panicking about not being ready for Christmas 🙄.

This comes only second to the people showing off in October that they’re “all done and ready for Christmas”.

I mean it’s just one day. How much “readying” can one actually do? And what do the people who are “ready” in October do in December? (Get “ready” for Easter? Or their summer holiday? Or NEXT Christmas?) 

Anyway. I’m NOT “ready”.

But that’s ok because it’s still only Wednesday.

Illustration is part of something exciting that I might be ready to announce this week... (an announcement about an announcement, something else I absolutely love 😂)

festive pattern

Lil pattern I made at the weekend.

feeling festive

Finally.... it's now ok to be all jingle-belly-christmasy and fully festive.

so bloody dark

It didn't actually get light today. And it was foggy. And wet.

I might need to get one of those SAD lamps to prod me out of my grumpy mood.

I bloody hate winter.

christmas jumper day

Apparently today is christmas jumper day. 

Not here though. 

Here in my studio its just NormalWoollyJumperDay.

To be precise it's TheNewJumperMyKidsBoughtMeFromCosDay....as it has been every day since my birthday last week. Best. Present. Ever.

Stay warm peaople!

newsletter news

New newsletter out now if you fancy a 3 minute break...

Clickety click here.

weather chat

It snowed.

The tiniest amount.

The neighbours ruined our Sunday lie-in with their shovelling.

My Monday Tesco delivery got cancelled! 

(Apparently due to adverse weather. But they cancelled it at 8am and it wasn't even due till 3pm, by which time the rain had melted all the bloody snow and there was nothing remotely adverse about anything.)

The country goes mad when we have 2cm of snow. 

Wish I was still in Bermuda.

colours for december

New colour palette...

holidays

November23 Dawn was so grateful to November22 Dawn for realising that November is a shit month. We booked a holiday to cover most of it.

It was FABULOUS!

It was our 25th non-wedding anniversary so to celebrate we flew to Lisbon and got on a big ship to cross the Atlantic. We had a day in Madeira and two in Bermuda en route. We were meant to do two stops in the Azores as well but a massive storm ruled it out. I didn't mind too much, it gave us 6 solid days at sea in between, with very little wifi and as much food and quality cocktails as we could consume! 

We then had 3 nights in New York before flying home. So I'm bloody knackered now.

But November23 Dawn has already made a note to tell Novembe24 Dawn that getting away from the crap weather and annoying Christmas enthusiasts is the way to go at this time of year!

another newsletter

Well I seem to have forgotten to post all month! I mean, I didn't really draw much for myself anyway in October....but I did a bit.

If you fancy a speedy catchup check out the latest newsletter here.

newsletter

Newsletter number 5 is out now... same old lack of news, made up for by an excess of pictures.

Clickety click HERE if you want to read it x

october colours

New month, new colours...

september 23

My September pattern.

this week in pictures

Little catchup...

       

eagle eyes

An eagle to add to the little series I've been working on ...

I believe it's only the third eagle I've ever drawn. Nobody asks much for eagles, it would seem.

They're not the cool kids on the block.

So that's a shame.

Below is the first eagle I drew. It was for a publisher in 2014 and they re-used him so many times (I signed a terrible contract. Don't ask) that we even gave him a name. Eddie. Cos we were VERY original.  

He has appeared in LOADS of kids books since then.

I didn't really think my style had changed much till I dug him out.

Poor Eddie looks really dated now... time to hang up his wings I think...

the popular kids

Bunny and Bear.
Probably the most 'popular' things I've been asked to draw during the last 20 years. 

Apart from bloody unicorns. Which are only believed to be popular. But really shouldn't be.

the autumn season...

Autumn...
My second favourite season when it's clear and crisp.
My third favourite season when it's dark, cold and rainy.
But my first favourite season for illustration. 

i'm cold

It's cold again ☹️

autumn in full swing

Might be time to turn the heating on folks!

autumn on hold

I'm absolutely loving that Autumn is on hold due to the late arrival of Summer.

We've just had the best weather week of the year.

Better late than never. 

Happy days!

random black birds

Drawing just for fun.

I've been very caught up lately in drawing stuff how other people want me to draw it. (People who are paying me to draw stuff. Stuff that will sell. To the masses.)

Then I've been drawing my own stuff how I think other people would want me to draw it. (People who I'd like to work with but who would probably not like the stuff I draw for the mass market people. Because it's too mass markety.)

And tbh I've lost my joy with it all. The recent drop in Instagram engagement hasn't helped. It makes me feel even more rubbish about the stuff I draw. Which is stupid, I know. But...

So anyway.

I started this blog in 2010 before Instagram even existed. I didn't care if nobody saw it. I didn't expect to catch the eye of someone I'd like to work with and I just drew what I wanted. I used to really love it. I drew for FUN.

I'm going back to that.

I'm gonna go back to drawing stuff that I like to draw, in the way I like to draw it. If people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. If they don't ever see it they won't ever know. Who cares?

Random birds I drew IN BED last night.

Cos I like to switch things up a bit now 😉

new news letter out now

Slightly lacking in news.

Lots of pictures though.

And, of course, weather chat.

OUT NOW here if you're interested...

hello september

New colours....

And new weather!!!

It's actually summer! It's 26 degrees today!

Better late than never, I say!

this was august...

The end of August usually means that Summer buggers off and the Autumn weather arrives overnight.

Not this year though.

This year it's been April since April and, apart from a week of sunshine in June, Summer gave the UK a strong swerve.

I feel cheated.

stuff I drew recently

Both kids are home.

The house is filled to capacity.

There are piles of their stuff EVERYWHERE.

I am a full time taxi driver.

And the washing machine is wondering what happened.

But it's so lovely having them home 😊

Stuff I managed to draw. Just for fun...

weather chat

My life must be really dull right now cos all I do is talk about the bloody weather. Which is shit right now. 😬