Blog

"Matilda and the Ghost" is my next book for older children from 6 to 10 years. It's a chapter book as opposed to a picture book, as I haven't inclued the usual 60 small painting! Hoping to turn it into…

I find the random negative spaces tree branches make on the crests of hills against the sky quite mesmerizing. I'm still trying to find the sweet spot for my printer. Getting enough presure to pick up all the details but…

My next children's book. I have finally done as much editing as I think is healthy. After this I start picking on innocent sentences and rearrange them for no particular reason. Enough is enough. Now they are readable and the…

A multi media approach to creating an interesting composition. This painting's background was washed in with watercolours onto 300gm paper. The images of the hares were drawn onto collagraph prints I'd already done and then cut out. They were then…

Finished after 13 years. I'd made a rough sketch of these fishing boats while a friend and I waited for the ferry to take us to visit the Cinque Terre. I've always loved the 3 boats and their lovely flowing…

Browsing the Founder's Christmas Fair stalls before opening time I found a magical stall, The Monster Hatchery, piled high with small monsters. There were all sorts of animals and a few mythical ones too. I found a dragon and bought…

I always get such a startled look when I tell people I wrote AND illustrated my three fairy stories. At one of the markets a lovely lady, who obviously knew about promotional stuff, said I should display a sign drawing…

I got to sit down at around 4pm - phew! Hanmer Springs turned on a fabulous sunny day for my second time at this Christmas market. The buzz of anticipation was motivating as everyone set up their stalls. Cars squeezed…

Setting up my stall in Nelson again. A cool morning - still and calm and a blue sky promising sun later when it's climbed high enough. Nelson market (https://www.nelsonmarket.co.nz/) is held in a car park behind the main street, so…