Commissions

I am still busy beavering away at creating wonderful creatures for a lovely commission which made me think that maybe I should share a few other commissions I have done…So…
This one was commissioned by a friend of a friend to celebrate her sisters first book

It was quite scary but very exciting to do as the background is actually based on the cover of the book. The mouse at the typewriter is the lady writing her book.

I had so much doing this one! My brief was to create a Christmasy painting and a few cards of the family drawn as their nicknames.

The lovely lady loved it so much that she wanted a load more cards printed so she could send them out to all her friends and family.
This still tickles me pink when I look at it! 🙂

What comes after Christmas? Valentines! Squeee!

My brief was to ‘cartoonise’ this couple, I had some photographes to go from and this is the result! I really love this as it is so cute and colourful! 😀

It is so exciting and slightly scary creating other peoples ideas and bringing them to life. I love it! 😀

100 Day Goal – 1st May

This is going to be my third time doing the 100 Day Goal by Julia Bickerstaff. I love doing it as it really helps me focus and stops me panicking, flapping, feeling overwhelmed and getting disappointed in myself. You set yourself a main goal and then spend the 100 days learning about and working on micro-actions to reach your goal. Sometimes the goal and/or micro-actions will change on the way…But that is OK…It’s keeping the dream. Working on it as much as you can. Keeping the focus.
There is an awesome  Facebook group for the 100 Day Goal where everyone is so lovely, helpful and supportive that it inspires you to keep going and also makes you feel okay if you feel like you are getting behind or failing in your goals.

The first time I did it, my goal was to sell enough Christmas cards to pay for the new ones I was illustrating to be printed. At times I thought I was never going to get there but I stuck it out and actually made my goal happen. Plus I did a commissioned Christmas card design aswell 🙂

Second time, my goals were a bit vague I guess but made sense to me. I have so many plans of what I want to make it really helps having it all written down. My main goal was to start getting the things I want to move my artwork forward, making it into a finished product; wooden boxes to paint on, frames fr my paintings and to start a selection of any occasion cards. Near the end of the 100 days I really thought I wasn’t getting anywhere until I sat down and looked though all my notes and scribbles and I realised I was reaching my goal. I was right where I had (kinda) planned to be 🙂

This time round will be a carry on from my last goal…having the finished products like my paintings available in mounts and/or frames, my little characters painted onto trinket and jewellery boxes, more occasional cards. I am very excited! 😀 So much so I already have a rough idea of my goal for my fourth time round! Squeeeeeeeee! 😀

 

Meanwhile, while I have been busy hatching plans these little guys seem to be having all the funs! Really?! *sigh* 😉

 

 

Busy Little Doodler

Remember my last post about doing #marchmeetthemaker ? So yeah…think I managed about half of the posts on instagram…Well done to those that managed the whole month!!

I have been pretty busy though, I have a huge on-going commission that I am working on and loving every minute of it! I don’t really want to say more at the moment so Shhh…and apart from failing to do all of #marchmeetthemaker, here is a little update of what else I have been up too…
I have started on some new cards that can be used for any occassion. These are A5 in size and adorable…

This little card is currently waiting to be photographed and then listed for my Etsy store. Though if you are too impatient to wait for me to do that then you just drop me a message as it is available to purchase.

These three little cuties are waiting to be scanned and printed as cards.

New doodles in my sketch book!
I really love these, I am thinking of maybe doing them as cards and framing the originals to sell aswell. The unicorn one, especially as that would look awesome in a nursery room, don’t you think?

Oh and look my three little characters are still causing mischief…I have no idea what they are up too here!! *sigh*

 

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Me

All through my twenties I painted like a crazy little doodler. I painted in Gouache, mastering the art of it. I painted beautiful ladies, mermaids and fairies. They took me forever to do. My style was similar to manga and comic books. But then, as it does, life took over and I stopped painting for…I guess…almost ten years. It broke my heart to not paint but I lost my confidence, I lost my ability to paint. I lost myself. Well, that is how it felt. Every so often I would pick up a pencil or paint brush and I would fail to do what I used to do. I had changed, my focus was different. My lifestye was different. It hurt to keep trying.

My OH convinced me to ty a different style, maybe try watercolours…I had never used them before so had no idea how to paint with them. One day my best friend gave me some descriptions of some cute little characters that she wanted drawing and all of a sudden my head exploded with images and ideas. I hadn’t felt this for so long it felt amazing! I doodled, I painted, I got to grips with watercolours and Ta Da! A whole new world of cuteness appeared in my sketchbook. I couldn’t stop and still can’t. I feel whole, again but with a new style and new way of painting.

I taught myself to use watercolours, I created all of the cuteness and whimsy and then…confidence created this…

My beautiful mermaid, finally I feel like I am bridging the gap between how I used to paint and how I paint now and it feels GOOD! 😀

Hatchlings

This is little chap is all finished and now ready and waiting for a new home along with my other little creatures on my Etsy store. Isn’t he just a little cutie 🙂

DRAGONS!

While I have been busy getting all caught up in the dullness of reality, this little dude of a dragon has been patiently waiting for me to sit down with him and begin! He is such a good dragon 🙂

Meet Marvin…

Marvin doesn’t like the rain and has been hiding under his daisy…

 

Daydreamer…

I’ve always liked the idea of being one thing in by day and another by night, a bit like a superhero! But it is hardwork! Don’t get me wrong I love my job as a librarian but it doesn’t half get in the way sometimes. I can spend the day daydreaming of what I am going to in the evening then by evening I am too pooped to do anything.
I dream of a time where I can just focus on my doodles, pootling around my imaginary cottage surrounded by (also imaginary) cats and the smell of freshly baked bread and coffee drifting through.

I wonder what Mr Badger is daydreaming of as he stares up at the stars.