*Merry Christmas*

I've not posted for quite a while as I've just been so busy with work! Also, can't really show you any work as it's not been published yet. I'm going to have Christmas Day off and if I work extra hard I may have a few other days spare. Just to wish you all a Merry Christmas- hope the elves get you what you've asked for!

Zzzz

I am SO tired! I haven't posted for a while as I've been working 7 days a week. I'm working on two different projects at the moment and there's so much to do I can't give myself a day off. I'm very glad to have illustration work and am enjoying the commissions I'm working on but I do feel tired. I'm not really sure of when I last had a weekend off and I may not have one until the end of January. I've decided at 8pm on a Saturday night I am going to stop for the day. I really should go on until 9 or 10pm but I work badly when I'm tired and hopefully I'll be more productive tomorrow if I have an early night. Goodnight.

Follow your dreams

After four and a half years of trying to make it as an illustrator I finally feel that I'm getting there. To anyone else who is struggling to get work- keep going, you will get there!
Over the years I've had many part time jobs including a horrible one at a call centre. I found it hard to fully concentrate on my goal to illustrate full time. I had a few commissions here and there but not very often. I got down because I didn't like the part time job and thought I wouldn't ever get any work. Family and friends suggested I look for a job that was art-related (their way of gently saying maybe I should give up!) I felt angry that they couldn't understand that the ONLY thing I wanted to do was be a children's illustrator. No other job would satisfy me or make me happy.
At the end of March this year I was lucky to be able to give up my call centre job and try to get work full time. My good friend Mike sorted my website out for me and I set about promoting myself like crazy. I got a few jobs but it hasn't been until this month that I've had several commissions through and am starting to feel more secure and positive about the future.
In the past I've wanted to give up so many times and thought it was all so pointless. It's been a struggle. I've developed several styles, taken a lot of criticism and had so many commissions lined up that fell through at the last minute. So often it would've been easier to give up. I'm so glad I didn't.
To anybody in this position- KEEP GOING! I know it's easy for other people to say but if you stick at it and do everything you possibly can then you will succeed. Good luck!

Fairy Tree House

This is a commission that didn't go ahead but the publisher sent me this mock up that they took to Frankfurt bookfair. It's a real shame the project didn't go any further as it would've been really nice to do.

Farm

This the latest illustration I've done- just finished this afternoon. The faces don't seem to look very clear on this jpeg but if you click on the image you'll see it bigger and better!

Amy Winehouse

Last night I went to see Amy Winehouse at Manchester Academy.
She was brilliant! How can such an unbelievably amazing voice come from such a tiny girl? She had 2 really cool backing singers who danced the whole way through and (strangely) the saxophonist and trumpeteer (is that a word?) were wearing pyjamas!

Finally!

This morning I finished redoing my babies illustration. Here are the old and new versions to compare. The new one(bottom) has shadows to give more depth and a new, stronger outline on the babies. I've left the more broken line on the nappy as I think it gives it a nice, fluffy look and I've deleted some of the cheeks as not all the babies are shy! I'm very pleased with it and am looking forward to doing some new work in this style. On Monday I'll be starting the commission I've just got (which will be in a different style), so not really much time to do anything new!