#6MusicArt

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For the past two years, BBC 6 Music have dedicated a weekend in November to art. Mary Anne Hobbs hosts the show and encourages listeners to draw a piece of art inspired by the music. Everyone then posts their creations to Twitter with hashtag #6MusicArt. It's an absolutely lovely thing to take part in. Sitting alone drawing from 7am - 10am feels like drawing in a huge studio full of artists all using different mediums and all passionate about creating.

Today I was inspired to draw the illustration below by a Kate Bush track that was played and also by Robert Montgomery, an artist who I confess I hadn't heard of before but who talked beautifully about the power of words in art. Magical.

Zines

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Since I've found myself falling in love with illustration I have discovered a whole world that I didn't know existed. Before I started drawing and squirrelling around on social media in search of inspiration I rather naively thought that illustration was confined to picture books and editorial pieces in magazines. It was a real treat to discover that it's so SO much more than that.

My most recent discovery is zines (mini magazines / comics) made by illustrators that I love. I bought two from Frannerd and Marloes De Vries from their own online shops. Frannerd's zine 'Perfect Tree Shapes' is a travel journal of a trip that Fran and her friend took to Paris and London when she lived in Berlin. What I love about it is that it is an honest account rather than a glossy 'Photoshop' version of her trip. The illustrations are expressive and full of little details. Marloes' zine, 'Fairly Funny - Breakfast In Bed' is full of cute black and white comic book style scenes of Marloes' life. It's a little snapshot of her experiences and an amusing view on everyday situations.

Reading these made me think about making my own zine one day. I love drawing cartoons that capture a silly moment or filling a page of my sketchbook with details from my day. I've also got one or two stories that I think could fit this mould and it feels like a possible cute alternative to a more grown up picture book.

Why not have a little browse for zines yourself online and have a peek into the minds of some of these lovely creatives.

Illustrator Inspiration - Oh Squirrel

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I met Katie from Oh Squirrel at the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend and bought one of her fabulous glittery prints which you can see below. I love being inspired by individual creatives who have followed their dream and discovered this lovely video on her website. It tells her story and definitely qualifies as a #littlebitofpretty!

Even The Thought Of Mulled Wine

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I know, I know, it's too early to think about Christmas! But I've been designing a few more Christmas cards this week and it made me think of mulled wine. Or anything mulled really! The second I see it on a pub chalkboard I have to pop in to have a glass. Although my cousin would tell you I have absolutely no idea how to make it and she once found me just boiling red wine with an orange in it. This year, I will make it my goal to learn how to properly make it! I'll share the recipe here : )

Hygge

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Yesterday hygge was announced as one of the 'words of the year' by the Collins English Dictionary and if you walk into any bookshop in the UK at the moment you will see books on the subject piled high ready for the Christmas season. Like many others, I've noticed the word tip-toeing into our collective consciousness and I feel like hygge is exactly what we all need. A bit like how mindfulness reminds me to be in the moment, hygge reminds me that simple pleasures and a feeling of cosy contentment and security is important to our wellbeing. Hygge is all about the feeling of absolute peace and warmth which we sometimes forget in our frenetic world. It can be anything from curling up with a good book to enjoying a hot chocolate under a fluffy blanket or a cosy, wine-fuelled dinner with friends, all preferably by candlelight, although I think fairylight would do the trick.

Illustration Inspiration - Taryn Draws

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Taryn Knight is well-known on Twitter for being a huge Harry Potter fan and her many drawings of Harry and his friends are wonderful. She has such a whimsical style and I love the texture she achieves in her drawings using Kyle T Webster brushes. This video of Lucy from The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is a really lovely example.

Happy Halloween Little Pumpkins!

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Sometimes when you've got a long to-do list and know the day is going to be full of juggling tasks, it's nice to get a little time out before you start. So I got up a little bit early today to give myself 20 minutes to paint. I've been drawing digitally a lot lately and felt the need to see paint on a page again. I had the radio for company and a good coffee from the cafe down the road and just 20 minutes made me feel as relaxed as if it was a Sunday : )

Happy Halloween to all little pumpkins!

Illustration Inspiration - Holly Exley

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I can't remember how I first stumbled across Holly Exley's YouTube videos but I'm so glad I did. Holly gives a lovely, gentle insight into her life as a freelance illustrator with beautifully made videos. If you haven't seen her channel before, have a little look, it's a lovely way to while away an hour or so.