Shortlisted for the Waterstones 'Picture This' Children's Book Illustration Competition

I am thrilled to bits to have been chosen to be one of the seven illustrators shortlisted for this very special competition.

Michael Morpurgo, author of 'War Horse' and numerous best selling novels has written a new version of the classic fairytale 'Beauty and the beast' and I now have to design the layout and characters for this unique version.

This is both an exciting and daunting task but so far I am thoroughly enjoying sketching, sticking, experimenting and putting together a 32 page book.

Click HERE for a link to the Waterstones website featuring further details of the contest.

Here is the newspaper article that featured in this Saturday's Telegraph...

And here are my initial designs for the first round...

I would like to wish all seven of us the very best of luck - each entry is so different who knows who's designs will be chosen - exciting stuff!

Something a little different...

To get you all in that Friday feeling here is a link to a fab, colourful new summer single from The Saturdays!

I am rather fortunate to know the two talented chaps behind The Alias - a production outfit that have remixed Britney, Cheryl Cole and Nicole Sherzinger, and now they have just sprinkled their magic on this catchy little number;

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK!

Two new little Yogo's...

Yoga logo's equal Yogo's - I think?

Here are two more that I designed recently for the best yoga classes in Londinium, Yumiyoga.co.uk

Boutique postcard design...

This commission was such fun to create - it is full of vintagey paraphernalia and pets!

The limited but cosy palette ties all the details together in a festival of bunting and craft.

Ranch Map commission...

I am going to put up a few older pieces of work while I work on some new things which are going to take quite a bit of time!

Last year I was commissioned by events company 'Lillingston' to design a Ranch Map for a very special 50th Birthday celebration.

I had never designed a map before so I was faced with lots of fresh composition and colour choices to make.  I couldn't resist adding lots of animals and characters in amongst the log cabins!

Cotswolds Wildlife Park sketchbook...

Just had a lovely family week in the Cotswolds and amongst the amazing food and beautiful villages, we spent a day at the rather lovely wildlife park there.

I haven't sketched live animals for a wee while so they aren't the best sketches but they were great fun to study.