It's Monday and it's snowing...

Here's a blackbird for you. I love these little critters, we've got some very cheeky ones on our road who sit and stare at you with one beady eye and fly away at the very last minute.

Culzean Castle

If you're wondering what I'm up to at the moment, here's a sneak preview. I'm currently drawing a very detailed map for the lovely people at the National Trust of the Culzean estate. It's a beautiful country park on the coast in Ayrshire with plenty of buildings, wildlife and trees. They're open from April (which is when my map will be going up on show) so take a wee peak if you're ever heading that way...

Friday Doodle

Is it Friday again? Where did that week go?!

*hugs*

Because everyone needs one now and then. Especially on a Thursday. And a Monday. In fact any day is good...

Happy Burns Night everyone!

Hey Little Cupcake

I drew this last week for the lovely folks over at Hey Little Cupcake! who make, well, cupcakes. They'll be selling this in their new shop at Spinningfields, Manchester, along with some tasty baked goodies. Worth checking out if you're local, or you can get them delivered...Mmmmm...

Red Squirrel

Today's little sketch. I've never actually seen one of these furry critters, despite living in Scotland and spending quite a few holidays in the Highlands. I have seen a wild otter though! Oh and dolphins and a sea eagle. Just not the supposedly more common red squirrel.

Happy Birthday Roo!

Today my little canine companion is four years old. I don't know how much that is in doggy years, but he's certainly as cheeky and smart as ever!

A Surprise Weekend Post

My other half was getting creative in the studio this afternoon, so I thought I'd sit and doodle for half an hour while I wait for my banana choc chip muffins to cook. This is what fell out of my brain and onto the paper. Okay, well onto the screen at any rate. Hope everyone is having a peaceful Sunday.

Hello Weekend I Can Almost See You...

Here's something completely random for you. One of my spur of the moment scribbles to keep you company this Friday evening. If, like me, you're still at your desk- I think it's time to think of calling it a day! (unless, so as not to be UK-centric, you live elsewhere in the world).

Home Sweet Home

A new design from me and available to license. My home is not so sweet today as there seems to be an entire team of builders in the back garden once more...

Merry-Go-Round

Today's doodle. Took longer than it looks!

Ooo cupcake!

Happy New Year & all that Jazz

I'm still feeling a little sleepy myself, it certainly takes a few days to get back into the general swing of things. Hope you all had a lovely time, whatever you chose to do and whoever you chose to do it with!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

And safe travels to those of you who have further to go for your Christmas feasting! See you next year!

An Elephant (not in a room)

I dedicate this drawing to Nellie, the little toy elephant who kept my brother company throughout his early years. Sadly lost on the pavements of Dover many years ago...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Although thankfully no snow here just yet!

Rainbow Sheep

This is one of my repeat patterns, I find them therapeutic to draw. It's also available to license if it tickles your fancy...

More Stripes...

A quick doodle!

Stripes!

Today's doodle. It's cold here and I'm heading outside this afternoon. I can't fit any more pairs of socks in my boots!

Today's Doodle

Winter Blues

I sometimes get them, today I'm feeling quite cheery though. I've got a whole day to myself with no commission work planned, time to doodle and sketch. I sometimes forget how important it is to leave time to just mess around, that's when the best ideas are generated...

Pride in Progress

I started work on this tonight, but I'm about ready to quit so I thought I'd post it as it is and then work on it another day. I just need a background and some cute cubs, oh and to move the lions around (this isn't the actual layout yet). Come back and see how it looks next week!

I hope everyone is enjoying my new website...

Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...

Beautiful foxy brooches!

Look what I made! I'm considering selling a few, although I'm quite attached to them and they're pretty fiddly to make.

Dalai Lama

Another impulse draw. I was reading an article about the current Dalai Lama considering retirement from the political scene.

Hello Monday...

It's grey and wet outside, but nice and cosy in my studio. I've just drawn this goose and baked some banana cake. A great start to the week!

Foxy Friday

Friday again? How did that happen?!

For my Dad

I was looking for a quote to play with my lettering and I saw this one. Just reminds me of my Dad, and it happens to be his birthday today too. So Happy Birthday Dad! Wish I'd drawn this before I sent your card as it would have been perfect!

Bonjour!

A quick doodle drawn when I should have been drawing something else.

Fa-Fa and Mama

Two pages from the book I'm currently working on for a client.

Some hand-lettering

The Festivity Begins...

I'm feeling fairly festive today, partly to do with the frost outside my studio window and partly to do with the Christmas tree we bought on the weekend. Oh, and I saw the Coca Cola lorry in town- complete with twinkly lights and a band! I was just popping to the bank and there it was. I have to admit, I do feel a fuzzy feeling whenever I see the advert- despite my actual feelings about the company involved and the knowledge that I'm being deliberately manipulated. But hey, sometimes you just have to go with it!

Elvis

Why you might ask? Well why not? Another impulse draw.

Friday doodle

Who doesn't love a dragon? Especially a pinky coloured one.

Creating characters

Here's a test sheet for a character, a cute cat, (who bears more than a passing resemblance to my own feline friend!) in various poses. He's not got a name yet, but is definitely a boy. I love cats, they move in such a spectacular way and they have a wonderful inquisitive nature.

Yoga

I'm enjoying playing with my people-shapes and suddenly felt inspired to do this little doodle. As I'm in the early stages of playing with a new technique, I like to be easy on myself and just draw what I feel like drawing. It's the best way to test myself and experiment.

Oooo shopping...

Doodle of the day

Further experiments without lines...

Multi-tasking

Why is it that whatever I'm doing I'm always thinking about other things as I'm doing it?! Is it possible to ever just focus on one thing only? (no rude suggestions/ comments please!). I guess the only time I'm ever 100% focussed is when I'm either drawing or reading. Both activities require total attention and generally render me unresponsive to any communication from outside...

A quick doodle...

Working on something fairly laborious this morning, so this little doodle refreshed my slightly wilting brain. I've had an inspired moment with my people drawings and suddenly they seem to be coming together. Very satisfying progress for a gloomy Monday morning!

Phew, it's Friday...

Here's today's doodle. It's a bit chilly here today so I've got wintery stuff on the brain!

Just Because...

Drawing children...

A children's publisher once told me that they very rarely get illustrators who are confident drawing children. I'm starting to think it's like the whole drawing animals thing, if you have one or have daily access to one perhaps it gets easier?! I'm certainly finding them more fun to draw using my new process, but there's still plenty of practising to do...

Frank the Fox attempt two

At Holly's request, here is my fox. I've been playing around with Frank's story for a while now, although the background here is from another book I'm working on for a client. I finally have a character I like! I'm getting this image printed for some promotional postcards, so watch out for one of these lovelies in your mailbox...

Cuteness...

Okay, so I'm really starting to enjoy the colouring-on-screen thing. Lines? Who needs lines?! This is today's little sketch, I hope you like it.

Apparently Winter has happened while I was away...

I've returned from lovely, sunny, Mallorca to find that Winter is well underway in Edinburgh. The tree outside my studio window seems to have managed to lose all of its leaves in the space of a week, and today I dug out my scarf and contemplated a new pair of giant fluffy slippers...