the gardener's studio

For the man who has everything (or rather, insists he wants nothing for Christmas)...something to hang on his wall. Or my old bedroom, incidentally, which has become a drawing studio for my dad's landscape gardening business.  But it still looks a lot like it did when I left it (bless them) so I thought it could do with a touch of personalisation.

  

inspiration etcetera...

There's nothing like being ill and guiltlessly drawing a whole bunch of animals for fun to coax yourself out of a major design slump.  The little bunny is for a lovely girl named Issie who turns fourteen today.  Happy birthday, you!

In other news, I saw Karolin Schnoor's work featured on Print & Pattern today and can honestly say I am gutted I've never come across her work before!  It's amazing (I think you would like it in particular, Amber).

Also, I'm thinking about setting up an Etsy shop to sell some of my remaining Christmas Fayre goodies like these notebooks, so watch this space! (Please forgive the awful quality of the photo, my cameraman has left the house leaving me with only an analogue SLR at my disposal...good old Photo Booth.)

That's all for now folks.

invaluable information

Image: Keri Smith

The great prophet, Keri Smith (my absolute idol) has published a lovely list on her blog called Secrets Shared to inspire aspiring illustrators.  And I think you should take a look.

# 14 Ignore cool. Successful people do not try to be hip, they just do work that excites them.

I am struggling to tear myself away from the radiator this evening after spending a lovely day, mostly outside, at the Bath Christmas Market.

it's a cold one.

I'm not sure why I haven't blogged this yet, but it seems appropriate today!  Brrr.

I'm excitedly making plans for what I'm hoping will be a white snowy birthday next week...but I'm anticipating a sludgy, blustery one.

I've been a major victim of procrastination today.  The dissertation draft is in!  Now I need to try and disengage my writing brain and get on with some well-deserved doodling!  A cup of tea might help me along, we shall see!

christmas on the cobbles

Bring along your shiny pennies and stock up on stocking fillers at the Frome Artisan Market!

There will be illustrative prints, gift wrap, cards and lot of other treats for sale in the fabulous Poot, which is chock full of beautiful dresses (including Orion London), vintage knits, shoes, accessories and waistcoats.  If that's not enough to entice you, the Catherine Hill Christmas lights will be brought to life at 5PM!  All proceeds from the Bath Spa Christmas Fayre will go towards financing our final year show, which we want to be a big hit.

winter warmer

Today I bought myself a nice cosy fair isle knitted cardie with little reindeer faces stitched on the front in preparation for the colder weather and my (imminent) second yurting experience.  It made me contemplate how content a reindeer would feel in a people print jumper...

It could work.