Cover illustration for Kathy Pimlott’s debut poetry collection ‘the small manoeuvres.’ published by Verve Poetry Press.

Sharp, insightful and tender, these observational poems portray everyday experiences through an alternative lens & I was honoured to illustrate the cover.

The feet are the poet’s own. Balanced on a broom stick clinging to her daughter’s shoulder, Kathy’s pose was tricky enough, but to explore other possible angles a very obliging Millaine teetered on the edge of a chair whilst hanging from a pull up bar overhead. Both drawings shown below final book cover design.

Design and illustration of Lundy stamps, issued 8th May 2021. Visit my blog to read a bit of background about the process.

In 2019 I was asked by The Lundy Company/Landmark Trust, to make paintings of all the properties available to rent on Lundy Island. I had a week on Lundy in October to research, draw and take photographs to help me complete the project back in my London studio. I spent quite a lot of time crouching in damp grass making preliminary drawings in order to work out the viewpoint and composition for each painting. It was also invaluable to be able to revisit the properties at different times of the day to ascertain the best light and fall of shadows. I witnessed the most magnificent cloud formations during that week and was able to incorporate some of them into my final pieces.

I finished all the work, had them photographed and made postcards on schedule to be delivered to the island ready for the beginning of the new season. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, it may be some time before the island is able to welcome visitors. In the meantime I hope that anybody who has stayed on the island might enjoy looking through these artworks online. The aim at some stage, and in conjunction with Lundy, is to be able to sell giclee prints of these paintings too.

Painted to include the owners of the coffee shop, their family (including the dog) and also some of their regular customers. The scene was composed using a combination of supplied images and my own photographs and drawings.

Commissioned as a Christmas present, this scene was part of the couple’s daily commute to the tube station.

Created as a surprise anniversary present, the portraits of the family had to be put together from a variety of supplied photographs. I worked my own photos of the house that were gathered over time from cycling past early morning. I wanted to ensure that the property was seen in the best light and also wanted to avoid being seen.

I was able to spend time drawing in situ on a bench at the end of this lovely garden, before working on the painting back in my studio. The cats were collaged on as an additional request after the rest was finished.

The people in this painting are anonymous, and come from amalgamations of many observational drawings made in sketchbooks.

Commissioned as a birthday present, this drawing was made partly from life and finished off from my own photographs.

Commissioned as a Christmas present, the garden in this painting had to incorporate early spring to late summer as the client asked for the poppies, magnolia and lavender all to shown flowering at the same time.

This commission was a present for the previous owner of the restaurant. The signage had been updated since those days and so I had restore it in the painting to the way it used to look.