2022 Round up

I’ve done a little recap of the year because I wanted to take a moment to look back on the projects I’ve completed. I often find that when I’m working on a project I can’t share it because it’s top-secret, and then by the time the work comes out I’m onto something else, so often I forget to even share the work that I’ve done! So it’s nice to look back and reflect on a year full of book covers, greetings cards, editorial illustration, books and online courses. I have decided to divide this round up into seasons, becuaes I honestly cannot remember what I did last year and month by month!

Spring

The biggest thing that happened in spring was my third art book, Watercolour Life, came out! I had been working on this book throughout lockdown, my pregnancy and those early newborn days, so to see it out in the world but like a big achievement! It’s had a really lovely response from readers and reviewers, with some lovely magazine features.  In spring we also took our first family holiday abroad to Mallorca. It was our first time travelling post pandemic and post baby, and we had a lovely time. I even managed to do some painting. Spring also saw the launch of a collection of illustrated floral brownies with The Blushing Cook. Spring also sought the publication of Toujours La France, the third book by Janine Marsh about her life in France, and the third book that I have illustrated the cover for.

Summer

Summer was an exciting season for me. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour was published, a children’s book by Anne Michaels that I had illustrated. I illustrated the first Miss Petitfour book, so it was wonderful to be able to return to the character and spend some more time in her world. Like Watercolour Life, I worked on this book whilst pregnant and looking after a small baby, so it felt like a real achievement. Summer also saw the launch of my Domestika course! This was filmed in the spring and launched a few months later, and I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response. Six months I’ve had nearly 7000 students and 99% positive reviews. I even got highlighted by Domestika as the most successful new course of the quarter. For me the most awarding thing has been seeing my students at work and to be able to interact with them on the phone and give them feedback and advice. I also worked in another book cover, for a YA novel called A Calamity of Mannerings, which will be out next year. I also worked on some greetings cards with a big US retailer that will be available next year. 

Autumn

In early autumn we visited some friends in Norway, which was a really inspiring trip and I managed to do some painting and drawing in my sketchbook. At this point behind-the-scenes I was busy working on a new book, which will be out in 2024! I can’t share too much about it now, but I am really excited and it’s something slightly different for me. Autumn also saw the launch of my collaboration with Wimperis Embroidery. We created a beautiful embroidery kits that combined watercolour and embroidery with an autumnal theme. I also got some samples of greetings cards that I worked on earlier in the year, which are available in Trader Joes in the US.

Winter

In winter I was still busily working on my new book behind-the-scenes, and also working on some illustrated maps for another book that is coming out in 2023. I also developed and designed my very own gouache sketchbook, something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. For awhile I’ve been searching for the perfect sketchbook, so I decided to design one myself and I love using them! You can purchase one in my online shop. At this time I was also very busy behind-the-scenes preparing for my upcoming house move. We moved out of our London flat and into our new house just before Christmas, meaning I’m starting a new year in a new house in a brand new studio. 

So what is to come next year? I’m almost finishing writing a new book, however that won’t be out until 2024. I am very excited about teaching my first art retreat in Spain next year. (There are still a few places available, by the way!) I’m really hoping that this year I will have more time to focus on my sketchbook and coming up with new ideas. My big goal is to work on a children’s book! It’s been a dream for such a long time and now feels like the right time. 

New book -Watercolour Life

I am so, so excited to announce my new book, Watercolour Life! Back in 2020 when the world went into lockdown so many people turned to creativity to keep themselves occupied and to sooth their anxious minds. I was overwhelmed by incredible messages from people telling me how painting had helped them through these tough times. It was clear that it was time for a second watercolour book.

I worked on this book in and out of lockdown, throughout my pregnancy and during Herbie’s early days; it is a true labour of love. It brings together everything people loved about The Joy of Watercolour and teaches you lots of new skills and techniques with 40 beautiful projects to paint. I’m so proud of this book and I hope you love it too! It is available to buy now. Below are some of my favourite projects from the book.

Fear of the Blank Page

I don’t personally like the phrase ‘creative block’, but fear of the blank page is definitely real! As an artist and an art teacher I have learnt there are so many things that can hold people back from be creative. Having no ideas, having too many ideas, perfectionism and worrying the painting will be a failure, worrying about wasting expensive materials, and good old fear of the blank page. As a professional illustrator I’m used to painting a lot, but I recently took a break due to travelling and moving house, and I was shocked by how much my confidence had dropped in that time. If I feel nervous about doing a painting after a ten day break, I can only imagine how people feel if they haven’t painted or drawn for years. Here are my top tips for getting over that fear and getting creative again.

Start small

This usually works for me. If you haven’t painted in a long time and you’re feeling anxious the last thing you want to do is start on a huge canvas or an expensive piece of watercolour paper. Even starting a new sketchbook can be scary. Working in a small sketchbook, or on a small piece of paper is a good way to start without worrying about wasting materials or time. Don’t start a huge project, just start something simple you can finish in an afternoon. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s just the start.

Keep a list of ideas

I’m sure we all know that feeling, you’ve finally found the perfect time to sit down and do some painting and you can’t think of what to paint. Keep a private Pinterest board or a Instagram collection of images that inspire and write down things that you would like to paint in a notebook. That way it’s there to reference when you’re in the mood to paint.

Make yourself comfy

Again this is one always helps me. Make yourself comfy, make a cup of tea, get your desk arranged nicely, put on your favourite music or podcast in the background and start slowly.

Gather research and reference images

Sitting down and immediately starting to paint puts a lot of pressure on yourself. It’s so much easier when you’ve got a starting point. Try collecting some small objects and drawing from life, or look through photos you’ve recently taken, are there any elements that would translate well to a painting? When I’m out and about and I don’t have time to sketch something I see I often take a quick photo and then paint it later.

Try a workshop

If you’re really feeling lost the guidance of a workshop can really help. The tutor will be on hand to advise and encourage you, and attending a workshop is about giving your self permission to do nothing but learn and be creative for a couple of hours, which is really important. Shameless self promotion, I teach watercolour and gouache workshops regularly in London. Find out more here.

Try a drawing exercise

Sometimes you just need to loosen up and do a few exercises to get used to making marks on the paper. At the beginning of my life drawing classes at university my tutor used to make us draw with our eyes closed, draw with our left hand, draw with a continuous line and draw two minute poses. The point of these exercises is to encourage creativity and get rid of perfectionism. Don’t worry about the end result, just enjoy the experience of mark making.

Follow a tutorial

Following a tutorial is a great way of being creative without having to worry what you’re going to paint. You can find painting tutorials online and in books. Shameless self promotion yet again, my book is full of projects for all skill levels and is a great way of getting back into painting and building up your confidence.

The Joy of Watercolor Book Launch

This week I celebrated the UK launch of my book and I have to say after my wedding it was probably the happiest evening of my life. I’m so lucky to have such incredible friends and family who made the evening so special. The Village Haberdashery hosted the party in their colourful modern craft shop and event space, Your London Florist provided the beautiful flowers, Kathryn from Wander For A While took photos on the night and  My Little Cake Tin made the most incredible sweet treats I have ever seen. Everyone who came  is so creative and kind, and their support means so much to me. 

Also let’s talk about THAT cake. My Little Cake Tin made a cake inspired by watercolours and flowers and I think it’s the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen. Tarunima made my wedding cake two years ago, and I’ve always wanted to work with her again because she is so incredibly talented, and such a lovely person. I didn’t really give her any direction on the cake, she just took inspiration from my book and far exceeded my wildest expectations. And of course it was absolutely delicious, like everything she makes. 

We almost sold out of books on the night, but The Village Haberdashery have a few signed copies left in stock, which you can buy in store or through their website. 

Writing a Watercolour Book!!

I announced over on my Instagram and I forgot to share the news on here: I am writing a book!! Last summer I had an idea for a book. I realised that most watercolour books are very old-fashioned and very traditional, and I wanted to write something modern fun and accessible. I got in touch with my friend Lesley who helped me write a book proposal, which ended up being a whopping 23 pages long, and presented to some publishers. In the New Year I got offered a book deal and I am spending this summer writing the book. I am used to having ideas for illustrations in my head then making them happen on paper, but having an idea for a book then turning it into a real book deal with the big publisher is something completely new. It's just crazy that this project went from dream to reality. I am loving the process of writing this book. I am just having so much fun coming up with projects for it. The publishers have given me a lot of freedom to choose what I want to teach in the book which has been brilliant. I love teaching people to paint and encouraging them to find their creativity, so it's really exciting to be able to do that on a much wider scale due to this book. I would describe this book as everything I know and love about watercolours. It's for people who want to paint colourful, joyful things to put on their wall and not take it all too seriously. At this point I have just passed the halfway mark and I've handed the first half of my manuscript to the publishers. I can't believe I've written a half a book already. I've got just over a month to finish the second half. My book will be coming out next summer. Follow me over on Instagram for sneak peeks of my progress.