pumpy pumpy pumpkin

I've sat here for a little while trying different beginnings for this blog, when i got to 'pumpy, pumpy pumpkin,' i knew it was time to come down off the ceiling and cut out the caffeine. Finished working on adding a bit of colour on the illustration for my story i posted a little while ago. It's been an interesting journey; one of layers and layers of learning, photoshopping, chewing my nails and eating far too many cookies. But i am happy with the finished results, although i'm sure i'll try another version soon and like that one better, but for now i'll be leaving it there and get another started.

Things are still slow with the publisher, it seems that Frankfurt(er) is getting in the way of them pushing the book on any further! Damn you Frankfurt(er), i shake my cookie crumbed fist in your direction and stick my tongue out to roll off a raspberry just for you!

Right i must go and do something productive....i wonder if there's another packet of cookies that really need eating?

P.s i also wanted to add i've been doing this with flu symptoms, now do you feel sorry for me?!

Pencil peace

Well, i've finally put pencil to paper and got my head around this story . It took me about 5 days to complete and i'm pretty darned happy at that! Now to pass it onto my agent and see what she can do with it. Right onto the next piece!!

Ta daaaaaa.....bit of work, a few words and a bath tub

It's that time again. I haven't blogged in ages, not sure what to do! I'll start with the commission i received to create a character of a friend's mother. Terribly tricky it was, as i had to get it just so, but i really enjoyed the challenge. I hope she likes it....fingers crossed.

Things are moving along with the book, 'Flower in the Snow' by Tracey Corderoy. Her website has some really loose sketches i'd done previously (do all illustrators hate looking at their loose sketches, or is it just me!?) and the colour image on the left. Things are still not finalised, but so far so good. I have faith it's going to be a fab journey. It's nice to see things moving on for friends too, lots of people from uni getting along just fine! (I can't believe i left uni 18 months ago! I have been working on this book that long! sheesh! but i wouldn't change it for the world).

Ta daaaa, that's it, that's all i have to report. I have very few words in my head at the moment, wish i could translate some of these images though. I'd probably be able to fill a bathtub with words.....hmmmm...... bathtub full of words, now where's me pencil!

Just a bit of colour and feet eating

Thought i'd add a bit of colour to this image as an experiment. Quite like it, although not too sure on snowflakes...let's call it a work in progress.

Had a pretty good day today, managed to eat 22 olives. Yum. Oh not just olives, i've eaten other stuff but i felt rather proud of my chomping feat (ok ok, not feet eating, but you know what i mean!)

a very helpful website for freelancers and some news

Well i'm not sure if this will help anyone but it's full of advice and guidelines. If, like me, you hate dealing with the money side of things, you might want to go to this website... Freelance Fees Guide it covers so many aspects of freelance work, that i am sure someone could use it for advice. If not maybe throw it to the wolves....

Anyway enough of the darker side of things. Stuff (don't you just love that word....stuff...stuff....stuff it....stuff up, his stuff, her stuff, their stuff) with Egmont is moving forward and i have another date set to meet up with them to show all my work for The Flower in the Snow story. 'Yippee', i cried when i heard the news, but that was choked back when i realised i had SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH WORK TO DO in such a small amount of time. So i now have to get off my butt and pull my proverbial socks up (any higher and they'll be hitching a ride on my lugholes). I could write a list of things i need to do by then, but, and this may sound stupid, i don't actually know what i need to do. I know what i want to do and that's get a big crayon, a roll of wall paper and make messy with it. Alas, i doubt this will get me very far when they ask to see pictures of polar bears and rabbits and other strange things.

So now i am here thinking 'jeeee....sus, what shall i do next?'. Where's all the advice i stored away during the 3 years i was at uni? This is when i realise it's a lonely life as an illustrator, who do i turn to to help me get done what i need to get done. I hate to put myself onto other people, sometimes it's hard to ask for advice as i hate bothering friends. I guess i shall have to put it out into the universe and maybe whilst i'm at it i'll ask for some scones, a nice cake stand for my friend, a new pencil and a castle. (does anybody else want anything whilst i am asking the universe to deliver?)

Well i guess i'll say watch this space and thanks for reading, i hope the website i linked to is helpful.

By Eck....jimminy cricket.....stone the crows. A new direction.

After a couple of months of to-ing and fro-ing at the publishers. They have finally sent the contract to my agent. It's been a long time coming and i feel exhausted waiting for the Yay or the Nay, but i finally have the Yay.......yippeee. Lots of work to do in the coming months but i am so excited that i don't care that i will be working my fingers into stubs. I'm just happy i have some focus and know which way i am going now (well for the next few hours anyway...lol). What a fantastic birthday present for tomorrow, it's on par with the Loaf of Crusts i received a few years ago.

The extent of my celebration went to eating a lovely take-away last night and quite a few Oreo Cookies this morning....rock and roll all the way eh!

Sunday saw me on an adventure up to Bristol to meet the South West illustrators group and join them in a little jolly and a chat about our work. What a lovely bunch (damn there weren't any coconuts to end that sentence) of people. I am happy to name drop Babette Cole as one of the members and look forward to chewing her ear off in the near future. Lots of lovely work was shown and hopefully at the next meeting there will be more to browse. Exciting times.

Erm....anything else to report....hmmmm well all i can say is things are slowly moving forward and i hope it will grow nice little shoots that grow into lots of other lovely things. Amen.

Scone the crows

Ok 2 scones (sc-owns) were maybe 2 too many (say that with your mouthful). Naughty me!! Now i have stomach ache and i'm tired. That'll learn me for not listening to my nutritional therapist.

Today was an enlightening day. You know when 'you know' something is just right, it just kinda fits into place, as if it's always been there. I had a good day (thank you, if you're reading this, yes you know who you are!) and i intend to follow my path a lot more, rather than straying onto little mini paths which lead me back to the beginning. I'll also take the tennis ball with me, just to keep me focused (don't ask!).

Well next week is almost upon me and there's the big cheese meeting at the publishers. I am excited, fearful, nervous, optimistic all rolled into one big fat 'waiting by the phone for phone call' blob. It'll come soon, i must wait it out (pass me my knitting).

Just wondering if i could post a new image on here? Ah yes, i'll post this one (above!) Just a quick sketch, but i liked doing it. (Strangely i've even started dreaming about polar bears).

Well that's about it for today. I'll bimble on my way now.