Illustration & Virtual Trade Shows.

A little while ago Elspeth from Purple Pomegranate Press asked me if I would like to write a short piece for an online magazine about illustrating her books. Elspeth was due to take part in British Craft Trade Fair in April but it had to be cancelled due to the pandemic and has been replaced by an online event on June 14th-15th. Gifts and Greetings review is an online magazine for the giftware trade and has been promoting the event with articles by exhibitors. I wrote about the ways I worked on both books and how the mediums I used were different as I learned more about the illustration process. Shortly after finishing the Secret Garden I went on a fabulous residential week at Moniack Mhor, lead by James Mayhew, Sarah McIntyre and Pam Smy which gave me even more useful insights into the world of illustration which I can hopefully apply to my next project!

Being self taught, lack of confidence is a real issue at times but Elspeth has been wonderful to work for; giving clear instructions, contracts and encouragement - she was even generous enough to pay unexpected royalties when she got a particularly good order for the educational version of The Secret Garden (published by Story House ). There are some really lovely story book cards in her collection, great for point of sale treats in bookshops and gift shops.

These little books have been best sellers in my own online shop and I think people have enjoyed the fact that they combine a greetings card with a story book - something to easily post to a grand child or a friend during the lockdown when we’ve all wished we could share a bedtime story with someone we are missing.