Bah humbag and stuffing Santa back up the chimney.

Well here we are again. Writing those conscious and unconscious thoughts (the unconscious usually go something like this "wkjjh egf sergg aehr g g  ejrhge quack", so i'll refrain from sharing too many of those).

I am not feeling christmassy. No really, it betrayed me, it came and it left very quickly. Whoosh. I enjoyed the feeling for as long as it was here but it decided to say it was leaving. oh well. Another time!

I am enjoying the twinkly lights and seeing other people enjoy this time of year. Even in times of economic crisis it's good to see people gesticulating 2 fingers in the direction of the bank gods and spending like crazy. 

I heard from Egmont about my work and so far so good. The roughs went to another meeting and they were praised quite highly. Some stuff to change but isn't that the way! Hand in date is early January and then i have to wait for the greenlight meeting. In the mean time my agent wants colour work to take around so i think i'll be busy for next coming months. (Probably a good thing as i seemed to have lost my other glove and my hand is cold waiting for the glove to be given back to me).

It's still a lonely life as an illustrator but hopefully the new year will bring some new challenges and people to meet. I look forward to it. Get rid of the old and bring in the new please!

I thought i'd share another rough with you (above probably as i haven't worked out how to insert image between para's). I quite like the way they look on screen, gives me hope for publication :o)

So the Santa stuffing, shall i do it if he decides to visit me? Hell yes and i'll send him packing with some (bah) humbugs too ksdjgf w gkaw gdag js  v we gt d quack ;o)

Oh Chrimble Tree, oh Chrimble Tree

It's a that time again. Decorations clambering to make it near the top of the tree, lights twinkling, mince pies calling your name several times in one hour and the not knowing what to buy Aunt Betty other than a bumper bag of Murray Mints and a bath bomb.

Oh i do love christmas. It's the time when i see lots of smiles from family and friends, which makes me glow rather a lot.

Today i received my first christmas card and it's beautiful. It was created by the artist Faye Durston. Her style is reminiscent of the great Arthur Rackham and a couple of others whose names aren't coming to my mind at the moment. I love the colour use and pencil work. I sit there wondering if i am doing the right thing when i see Faye's work!! (Brain settle down).

Here's something i'm working on at the moment for Egmont (above - can anybody tell me how to insert the image between paragraphs please?), another rough but still i'm enjoying the pencil work. Quite a journey for me as there was a time when i hated using pencil, i mean REALLY HATED it. I used to use architects blue pencil to draw (still do) but refused flatly to use leaded pencil. I think being on the M.A with so many students who could draw so well (Faye and Cass in particular), really made me step back and realise i needed to improve on something that i didn't think i could actually improve on. But the last few months i have been perservering and trying very hard to accomplish at least a few roughs from my practicing. I like what i have done and feel chuffed when i look at it (although getting wonderful cards through the post doesn't help my confidence...lol).

Well who knows where my practicing will take me eh? Just have to 'keep on, keeping on'. tis a bit lonely though being an illustrator who practically lives in her studio. I need to get out more. Now where's that mince pie making group, i need inside information. Amen.