Zara Illustrates

Relocation

2010-02-03T10:34:00.001Z

I have decided to start a new blog at www.zaraillustrates.tumblr.com! Exciting.

Make sure to change your bookmarks accordingly.

If you are not automatically redirected, click here.

Synaesthetic

2010-01-28T13:41:00.002Z

I've become somewhat fascinated with the idea of synaesthesia. People with synaesthesia hear numbers in colour. Some also experience words as tastes, or associate tastes and scents with colour.

Photographic Memory

2010-01-25T08:57:00.001Z

She remembers everything...

The Wish Machine

2010-01-21T23:06:00.002Z

The Wish Machine. I wish it actually existed. I made this design in case it ever goes into production...

Common Squirrel?

2010-01-17T11:51:00.001Z

Call him a common squirrel if you like...but he won't take kindly to it.

Children at the heart

2010-01-15T16:05:00.003Z

This illustration was commissioned for the Winter issue of Early Years magazine, for a feature evaluating the first year of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The EYFS is a framework which sets standards for the development, learning and care of children from birth to five.

The designers at the magazine already had this heart-shaped table concept in mind, so it was down to me to bring it to life, in all its cheery colourful glory.

Here is how it looks in context:

Planting Ideas

2010-01-12T16:32:00.004Z

I've been working away on lots of illustrations, honest! Unfortunately I probably won't be able to show you them until the end of this year, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

This image? I sort of wish that idea seeds did actually exist. Something must have planted this concept in my head, so maybe they do. Click it to see it on a larger scale, as per usual.

Hands-on Learning

2009-12-15T14:41:00.004Z

I was asked by Futurelab to create illustrations for their main feature in Vision Magazine. The article is about a hands-on, creative and participatory approach to learning and education.

This is how the illustrations look in context (clockwise from top left - cover, title page, double page spread):

Hatch

2009-12-12T17:00:00.003Z

A hatch can be defined as "an opening of restricted size allowing for passage from one area to another". Such as...an envelope?

This notion reminded me of the character 'Flat Stanley', who was able to travel from one place to another by being mailed in an envelope.

Our vintage lady follows in Flat Stanley's footsteps, traveling to see her long distance lover via an airmailed love letter. Unfortunately her trip did not go according to plan...

Six-Word Memoir

2009-11-26T13:29:00.003Z

AARP The Magazine asked me to create a typographic illustration, based on a six-word memoir for 'The Best Advice Ever'. Books and dogs make good companions!

Images

2009-11-24T13:33:00.007Z

Well, it's been a busy old month so far! I should have lots of new illustration work to show you all in the next few months.

In the meantime, some of my previous work is on tour with the prestigious AOI Images 33 exhibition, winging it's way around the UK. The show started at the London College of Communication back in July - unfortunately I couldn't make it down for the Private View but I managed to swipe a couple of photos off the AOI website featuring my pieces:

(By some wonderful coincidence, the work to the left of my telephone and envelope is by the most excellent Ellie Foreman-Peck, who attended the same degree course as me - check out her blog and website.)

These are the tour dates for the rest of the exhibition...I'm hoping to go and see it myself!

Piece Hall, Halifax - 4 October 2009 - 7 November 2009
Shire Hall, Staffordshire - 14 November 2009 - 3 January 2010
Birmingham University - 6 January 2010 - 8 February 2010
University Campus Suffolk - 13 February 2010 - 28 March 2010
Nuneaton Museum - 3 April 2010 - 15 May 2010
Aberystwyth Arts Centre - 22 May 2010 - 04 July 2010

My work can also be seen in the AOI annual, Images 33.

AND!

I just recently found out that I have been selected for the forthcoming Images 34. I am very happy to be included - this year I am in the Self Promotion section, which is a great end to my my first year working as a professional illustrator. The book and exhibition will be out in the middle of 2010.

Learning Curves

2009-11-09T15:38:00.002Z

Here is another illustration recently published by Ink, this time for 'b.spirit' magazine. The feature is about educational experiences in Europe, which I interpreted in a luggage label style to convey the location and opportunity to learn.

Et voilà! The illustration in the magazine:

Friends

2009-11-07T15:58:00.001Z

This illustration was commissioned for an article about friendship in The Guardian's Weekend magazine, which discusses the significant positive impact friendships can have on emotional wellbeing during difficult times.

The Perfect Robot

2009-11-03T17:02:00.005Z

I have specially designed this robot companion with the lifestyle of the freelance illustrator in mind. Though of course, it may be utilised by anyone who appreciates fresh coffee and fine music.

Performance Review

2009-11-02T09:04:00.003Z

This illustration was created for Ink Publishing's 'Go' magazine. The article discussed how individual performance reviews could help businesses improve overall.

I reckon that seal probably got a great performance evaluation (that's why he looks so happy).

Here is how the illustration appears in context:

Etiquette Dilemmas

2009-10-30T14:05:00.004Z

What to do with the drunken guest? This Christmas dilemma is sorted in the current issue of Prima magazine, with my festive illustration featuring alongside.

Fast

2009-10-24T19:11:00.002+01:00

The seasons go by so fast - I wonder if being on a swing makes them go even faster?

Available to purchase as a giclee print from my Etsy shop.

Shop

2009-10-20T11:34:00.005+01:00

I have set up a shop on Etsy selling some of my work as prints - check it out at www.zaraillustrates.etsy.com!

Frozen

2009-10-18T16:56:00.000+01:00

Being frozen in time shouldn't mean that people can't be together...

Invite

2009-10-16T15:21:00.007+01:00

Alex and I got married earlier this year and as we were holding the ceremony overseas, we thought it would be fun to throw a big party when we got back for all our family. So, we decided to design the invite as well!

We created the image with the main information on the "label" and additional details such as address written on the record itself. There was also an additional page for the RSVP. These prints were both packaged within a record sleeve, like the sort you might see at an "old school" wedding reception disco (and it was pretty old school - they played the 'Grease' medley and everything!).

Today is also a special day, as it has been 6 months since I married my wonderful husband Alex. A whole half a year!

Although I normally use this blog to post illustration-related things, here is a small montage of happy photos from our perfect day in Mauritius:

Cirque du Cacophonie

2009-10-14T15:38:00.002+01:00

In Le Cirque du Cacophonie (a circus established in...erm, my mind, about 2 days ago), performers are expected to display their circus-based talents with a twist - everyone must also play an instrument at the same time.

Cécile is not only Le Cirque du Cacophonie's finest trapeze artiste, she is also able to play several instruments. You could say she's a real high flyer.

Seen and Heard

2009-10-13T10:58:00.002+01:00

I worked with the fantastic Futurelab a couple of months ago, creating the artwork to publicise their annual conference. The image was used on mail-outs and banners and focused on the theme of young people creating and working with digital media, from making podcasts to film studies and lots more.

This project was a fresh challenge for me as I usually work with a lot of texture and muted colours - however, the image was to be reproduced as a two-colour print and needed to incorporate the Futurelab brand colours. Therefore, I came up with a way of translating my usual working methods but achieving a much cleaner look as a result. I also overlapped the two colours to create the third purple-brown hue.

I was really happy with the way the image printed, as it's quite unusual for me to see the paper stock acting as "texture"! This scan doesn't do justice to the final result but allows you to see the final image in context. You can see both images larger by clicking on them.

Bright Ideas

2009-09-21T09:58:00.005+01:00

The private view of Eastwing's "Bright Ideas" exhibition was held on Thursday - a fine time was had by all! I created the colourful creatures below for small stickers which were worn on the evening by illustrators (cats), clients (dogs) and friends (bears).

Fusion

2009-09-15T13:15:00.003+01:00

These are some of my images in Eastwing's latest fabulous brochure - the theme was 'fusion', which was a really great topic to use as a starting point.

Also! If you happen to be in London this week, there is an exhibition showcasing lots of Eastwinger's works (mine included) at The Framers Gallery, which can be found at 36 Windmill Street, London W1. It's on all this week, from 14th to the 18th September.

Early Years

2009-09-15T12:46:00.004+01:00

The super people at Early Years magazine asked me to work with them on a double page spread on the subject of parental engagement. I took a scrapbook-style approach to the theme, with various objects representing tips given by individual experts. I always enjoy working closely with designers and this project was no exception, as we worked towards the best possible layout. You can see the above image in more detail by giving it a quick click.

As well as channeling my inner child to produce the crayon-based masterpiece in the bottom left, I also got to draw other fun things like Mr. Koala here.

This is how the final double page layout appears in the magazine.

A Smart Move

2009-09-01T09:33:00.004+01:00

People Management magazine asked me to create an illustration based on interim management in an ever-changing economic climate, for use on the cover and inside pages of their PM Guide.

The article mentioned more people moving into the interim market and forging ahead, which seemed like a positive aspect to focus on. Therefore, I decided to draw conceptual parallels with the shrewd game of chess, where many a clever move is made. I was also pleased that the chequered board lent itself well to creating a striking graphic backdrop.

Kafka on the Shore

2009-08-24T11:08:00.008+01:00

I recently read a book by Haruki Murakami, called 'Kafka on the Shore'. I strongly recommend it and I hope that you appreciate the image if you have indeed read the book.

For those who have yet to read it, there is moment when a character named Nakata cautions a police officer to carry an umbrella tomorrow. Interestingly, fish fall from the sky the following day, leading one to wonder whether the caution given by Mr. Nakata and the opening of his own umbrella may be the trigger of such strange incidents to happen.

I also thought it would be fun to mock the image up as an alternative cover for the book!

Laying the Past to Rest

2009-08-06T20:29:00.007+01:00

I created this illustration for Middlebury Magazine, based on the story of a former soldier who fought in Vietnam returning to an old battlefield to bury his 1st Cavalry Division pin.

The Lonesome Crowded West

2009-07-30T22:55:00.002+01:00

This image was created for the Beck's Music Inspired Art - The 100 Cover Project.

I chose to create artwork for “The Lonesome Crowded West” because I love the album's dark narratives and the distorted, dystopian sounds which convey a sense of something broken.

The urban West is at the heart of the album's theme and TV struck me as being a strong symbol of this – television is a medium which can make you feel both claustrophobic and isolated at the same time. Together with the uneasy nature of many of the songs, I was struck by the existential lyrics – the futility of life suggested by songs like 'Cowboy Dan' and 'Doin' The Cockroach', the struggles and senseless confrontation. I wanted to capture this atmosphere of the album in an image, something darkly amusing, poignant, excessive and on-edge.

Hope you enjoy my interpretation!

Sort It

2009-07-10T15:10:00.002+01:00

This is one of a couple of editorial illustrations I was recently commissioned to create by publishing group Redwood for Royal Mail publication, 'Sort It' magazine. I would definitely enlist the Royal Mail's assistance if I had to climb a mountain of post this big!

Playing with Cards

2009-07-07T15:18:00.004+01:00

Playing cards are pretty inspiring - I particularly love this set over at The Ministry of Type, which nudged me towards beginning to create a few designs of my own a few weeks ago as a personal project.

I am basing them on a pub theme - this is the Queen of Wine, my favourite so far.

Cool

2009-06-30T10:18:00.002+01:00

Lovely sunny weather in England at the moment - here's an ice cream. Cool!

Pipe

2009-06-29T09:42:00.002+01:00

Ah, a bit of quiet contemplation whilst smoking a pipe. I love the look of pipes - I've always wanted one. However, I'm not a smoker so it would just have to be a mere prop for a sophisticated look.

Next on my list...a monocle.

Sainsbury's, Sunshine and Sight

2009-06-05T08:50:00.003+01:00

This month's issue of Sainsbury's Magazine features two of my illustrations, which I very much enjoyed working on.

The subjects of the images are both health-related - one concerns eye tests for glaucoma and the other is based on vitamin D from sunshine increasing immunity to summer colds.

Fiat Magazine

2009-05-25T16:11:00.007+01:00

I recently did a series of illustrations for a magazine called Us!, which is an official Fiat magazine. They were spread over four full pages and focused on Fiat's environmentally friendly ideas, using bright colours with an optimistic mood. I worked with some awesome people at Northstar Publishing, who did a great job designing the feature.

Continuous Square

2009-05-22T21:10:00.003+01:00

Continuing from the previous post of self-initiated square images, here's a fresh installment. Enjoy!

Just Playing

2009-05-08T22:22:00.002+01:00

Sometimes I just like to have fun.

I made these little squares through this week, focusing on quick, graphic concepts with a typographic element. Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Running Commentary

2009-04-30T17:21:00.003+01:00

An illustration which appears in this month's 'Runner's World' magazine - the article discusses the most efficient hairstyle for running, comparing the relative merits of long hair, short hair and mullets.

A View of London

2009-04-11T17:53:00.001+01:00

I submitted this illustration for the AOI 'A View of London' exhibition, which will be on show at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, London, from 18th May.

Coffee

2009-04-11T17:39:00.004+01:00

I LOVE coffee, so I very much enjoyed creating this!

The illustration was for a column in The Guardian discussing childhood memories of drinking instant coffee over any other beverage.

Read All About It

2009-03-13T15:31:00.006Z

This illustration for Secondary Teachers magazine was a lot of fun to create, especially as it was designed to fit in with the layout of the magazine (the text was cleverly incorporated into the illustration by the designer, as shown below). The subject regards online newspaper archives which are now accessible to students.

Classic

2009-03-09T20:45:00.002Z

I wanted to try creating an image similar to the styling of a classic Penguin book design. It is was really fun working in a limited colour palette and restricting/simplifying the illustration to being a predominantly shape-based piece.

I might carry on and make an entire series!

More Switzerland

2009-03-09T17:54:00.003Z

You may recall a post I wrote a few weeks back mentioning my Switzerland maps for The Guardian. Well, they're all finished and published - the image above depicts the Swiss Travel System. I have compiled the other maps into the image below, which can be clicked to view at a larger size.

Business

2009-02-27T12:00:00.002Z

I thought it might be a good idea to make some business cards (I got these printed by MOO.com and I highly recommend them, the quality of their printing and card stock is rather impressive). Now I just have to remember to hand them out to people!

Hong Kong

2009-02-27T11:39:00.003Z

These maps were created for The Observer, to accompany a guide to food in Hong Kong.

Switzerland

2009-02-10T11:52:00.002Z

This map of Switzerland is the first of a series of nine (the other maps highlight various regions). It was published in The Guardian on the 7th February, which is the Saturday just gone - however, the rest can be seen over the coming weeks, so watch out for them!

Flawed

2009-02-03T18:14:00.002Z

This pug dreams of being a superhero.

The major flaw in his plan is....being a pug.

Climbing

2009-01-26T21:12:00.004Z

This is the design for the tree house I always used to want as a child, in a very large tree at the top of the garden (which my parents eventually had cut down, diminishing my tree house ambition considerably).

True, the climbing up would have been tough going - however, I feel it would have been worth it for the water flume ride on the way down.

You can click the image to see essential details at a larger size (such as the hat-wearing bird who would have also made the tree his home).

Illustrator Spotlight

2009-01-26T12:16:00.003Z

The fab folk at HAI! conducted an interview with me for their 'Illustrator Spotlight' - so if you wish to know anything about my work or my favourite sandwich filling, check it out here.

Dog Faced Boy

2009-01-25T19:31:00.004Z

I've been working on another illustration inspired by Eels - this time based on the song 'Dog Faced Boy'.

Flyswatter

2009-01-19T22:58:00.005Z

This illustration was inspired by 'Flyswatter', a song by Eels.

Sweet Memories

2009-01-06T11:02:00.004Z

These images were created as concept illustrations for a great brief I was given recently. They were for confectionery packaging and I was asked to create illustrations that evoked memories of childhood in the approx. early 1950s.

Resolve

2009-01-06T10:49:00.003Z

Dreary weather? Resolve the situation with blue skies!

(I wish I could do something similar about the freezing cold temperature but the skies will have to do for now...)

Joy to the World

2008-12-21T19:02:00.005Z

"Joy to the world!", the voices in this scene proclaim. Let heaven and nature sing...in the setting of a cuckoo clock.

Merry Christmas!

Neuroscience

2008-12-19T14:54:00.002Z

I recently illustrated an article for Futurelab. The piece is about neuroscience and learning, discussing the development of technology which allows people to control games and interfaces using brainwaves.

A Rambunctious Gathering

2008-12-12T21:51:00.003Z

Christmas is almost upon us - the time of year for rambunctious gatherings. Who is to say that snowflakes should not partake in noisy social events, too?

Sure, snow falling might sound silent to human ears - but flakes are so small. Can it truly be known that much chattering and boisterous banter is not exchanged between these icy friends?

(It turns out that the word 'rambunctious' originates from the 19th century. It does sound rather Victorian to me, hence the appropriate costumes.)

Zodiac Zara

2008-12-11T17:49:00.004Z

Horoscopes are fun - I wanted to approach all 12 signs with a theme and decided that hairstyle representations could be interesting to play with. I also grouped together signs by the elements of fire, earth, air and water.

Green Christmas

2008-11-30T20:58:00.003Z

I was recently commissioned to illustrate an article in The Green Parent magazine about how parents plan to be celebrating Christmas in a green and waste-free way, including lots of advice about creative recycling.

The little duck also snuck onto the page overleaf!

Map

2008-11-13T14:01:00.004Z

Here's a little map of Birmingham in the UK, complete with a rather large bull representing the Bullring markets and shopping centre.

Hola!

2008-10-28T14:12:00.003Z

This rather cheerful cassette tape is one of three images I created for the Eastwing promotional brochure.

Strings

2008-10-13T14:06:00.004+01:00

This illustration concerns the difficulties of learning to play a musical instrument as an adult and how rewarding it can be once these difficulties are overcome.

Awesome

2008-09-23T18:55:00.002+01:00

Whenever I hear the word 'awesome', I am reminded of Eddie Izzard's musings on the changing definition. He talks about the original meaning of the word awesome, reserved for things which inspire awe, such as the universe. He then contrasts this with the Americanisation of the word, where something like a hot dog can be described as 'awesome'.

Excerpt from "Circle" (Eddie Izzard)

America needs the old version of awesome, because you're the only ones going into space. You've got a bit of cash and you go up there, and you need 'awesome' because you're going to be going to the next sun to us. And your President's going to be going:

"Can you tell me, astronaut, can you tell me what it's like?"
"It's awesome, sir."
"What, like a hot dog?"
"Like a hundred billion hot dogs, sir."

Memories

2008-09-02T16:42:00.004+01:00

If you have ever invigilated an exhibition in an art gallery you may be able to understand this memory!

I remember feeling like I'd almost become one of the pieces on display, sitting alone for long periods of time, trying (and sometimes failing) to prevent my mind from zoning out.

Desktop Battle

2008-09-01T18:39:00.004+01:00

I have just won the great honour of being second place in this month's DESKTOP BATTLE! over at Kitsune Noir (the finest design blog on the internet, I do believe).

The theme was 'facial hair' and my image shows the vast array of objects which can be found hiding within beards. The image is available to download as a desktop wallpaper in about a billion different formats (for all shapes and sizes of monitor) as well as for iPhones and PSPs. Awesome indeed, I'm sure you'll agree. Go there now!

ALSO: An update on my previous 'hovering cats' post - the image will be featured in the upcoming If You Could diary. The cats will be a slightly different version to the one you can see on the blog (the colours have been changed to lovely greyscale and Pantone warm red on a white background)...but I'll wait to unveil that until the book is published. Wait and see!

Hovering cats

2008-08-15T13:29:00.004+01:00

"If you could do anything tomorrow, what would it be?"

I would train a herd of cats to hover. Of course! And what a grand sight it would be, too.

Actually, I'm quite convinced that cats can already hover. The thing is, they only hover when you're not looking. That's how they move so quietly...

The AOI and brilliant blogs

2008-08-02T19:13:00.007+01:00

I'm thrilled to have my work on the AOI homepage at the moment - hurray! Here is the image accompanying a news feature about a survey of illustrators.

I'll be posting new work in the near future - the last couple of months have been rather busy (I graduated from uni with a First and participated in an exhibition in London at the Coningsby Gallery). Now I'm starting to get back the 'routine' I mentioned about this time last month!

Also, thanks to Matt Dawson for nominating my blog as one of his "Brillante Weblog Premio-2008" - check out his absolutely awesome work at his blog. Now, for me to nominate other blogs (in no particular order)...

Josh/Badger, Mithi, Kitsune Noir, swissmiss, Monster-Munch, Stuart Kolakovic, Book By Its Cover and Valerio Vidali.

Enjoy!

A Little Update

2008-06-29T11:10:00.003+01:00

I'm currently working on some new images, which is a nice return to 'routine' after the hectic degree show. Here are a couple of editorial images I completed just before life was turned upside down for a week!

An image based on the uncertain future of DAB digital radio.

This was for an article questioning whether people should grab patches of wasteland to add to their property and land.

Degree Show - Photos

2008-06-21T21:33:00.004+01:00

Stamp Machine

2008-06-21T21:23:00.004+01:00

My stamp vending machine was based on Russian postage stamps from the era of the space programme, where dogs were famously made into astronauts. I have found many examples of postage stamps feauturing these space dogs. However, other animals were also sent up into the stratosphere - I felt it was only fair to dedicate stamps to these ignored pioneers of the space age.

Degree Show

2008-06-12T20:14:00.003+01:00

I have been setting up my degree show this week - watch out for photos and information appearing soon...

(Photo courtesy of Josh)

Evelyn Waugh - Book Covers

2008-06-07T22:47:00.003+01:00

I've been working on book covers recently, which has been enjoyable as well as challenging!

I chose to illustrate Evelyn Waugh novels as although they are regarded as classics, they are not the genre of books I usually read and thus presented me with a fresh challenge and encouraged me to think in new and different ways. Rather than depicting scenes or specific moments described in the books, I took a more lateral approach and decided to interpret signicant themes and concepts presented by the narratives.

As you can see, I also made the decision to present the books as a series, with a coherent visual direction influenced by the eras in which the novels were based and the sophisticated style the books are written in.

Work In Progress

2008-05-30T14:07:00.004+01:00

I am currently working on a project related to the super "Stampbank 20002" stamp vending machine I recently purchased from eBay (see the glorious eBay page photo, above). I will post the finished piece when it is completed, which I am hoping to do in the next week or so.

Invites

2008-05-21T18:33:00.005+01:00

My university degree show is fast approaching! If you would like to attend, the show opens on the 14th June and continues to show until Thursday 19th June. For more information, visit www.uwe.ac.uk/show2008.

In addition to the degree show, my Illustration course will display work in London in late June, at the D&AD New Blood exhibition. We then continue on to exhibit at the Coningsby Gallery in early July.

I submitted a couple of designs to be considered for degree show invitations:

Macmillan Prize for Children's Book Illustrations

2008-05-12T19:01:00.006+01:00

'Monkey Mischief' has been Highly Commended in the Macmillan Prize for Children's Book Illustrations! An exhibition of work will be held at La Viande Gallery in London from Tuesday 20th to Friday 23rd May, so pop along and have a look if you happen to be in the area.

D&AD Student Awards 2008

2008-05-12T18:47:00.003+01:00

I have been lucky enough to be selected to have my work featured in the D&AD Student Awards 2008 Annual - with over 3500 entries I am very pleased indeed! The project to be featured was a book I made for the 'Identity' brief, which asked illustrators to produce a 16 page book about themselves.

I approached the brief in a curatorial fashion - the images and accompanying documents from the identity archives of the "Museum of Misanthropic Anthropology" deal with collections of connections, which I believe are the foundations for all identities. My own identity, when presented as an arrangement of parts, could just as easily apply to others, as I believe that people can and do select many elements of their persona.

To see any illustration larger, please click 'link' on the bottom right underneath each image, which will take you to the larger Flickr image.

Parade Pug

2008-04-27T23:25:00.000+01:00

For this illustration, I was inspired by an old French album cover from 1956 - this is my homage.

I imagined that a dog observing the people parading past might record a similar-looking record...

Group photo

2008-04-26T10:14:00.001+01:00

Both books together - hurray!

Pugly's Fantastic Talent

2008-04-26T10:07:00.003+01:00

Another children's book! This one was actually written and illustrated before the previous 'Monkey' story but I have only just made it into dummy book form.

Pugly is a pug who likes to read all day but notices other dogs in the newspaper with various talents. Pugly tries to discover what he is good at, to varying degrees of failure, before discovering the 'fantastic talent' he had all along.

Monkey Mischief

2008-04-26T09:56:00.005+01:00

This is a dummy book I have made to show the idea for a children's book.

The story is about a monkey called Monkeybob, who accidentally sends animals to other countries after messing around on a professor's computer. Monkeybob panics, as you can imagine. I decided to put the narrative into luggage label form for the most part.

Here are a some of the labels in double page spread context:

Welcome to my new blog!

2008-04-15T21:45:00.002+01:00

A brand new blog? Ooh, how exciting!

For new visitors, especially to those who have followed me over from my previous blog, I wish you a warm welcome to my new online home!

As my first post on this brand new blog, I present to you....a panicking monkey. This image is part of a children's book I am working on at the moment.