dawn machell

Tuesday, 7 April 2026

hello hello!

If you've found yourself here and are wondering where the hell I am.... fear not, I'm still alive! I just got fatigued by posting on multiple platforms and so for the last couple of years I've mostly been showing up on instagram, with a monthly newsletter on substack, and the occasional post on LinkedIn - when I remember it exists.

I do miss writing this little blog though.

Maybe I'll come back to it? Instagram does my head in most of the time so hold the line caller... I MIGHT re-discover this space!

Saturday, 23 December 2023

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...

Thursday, 21 December 2023

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.

Wednesday, 20 December 2023

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 😂)

Monday, 18 December 2023

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.

Tuesday, 12 December 2023

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.

Thursday, 7 December 2023

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!

Monday, 4 December 2023

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...

Thursday, 23 November 2023

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!