Do what makes you happy

Just a snippet of a hand-sized papercut I gave as a Christmas gift for my best friend featuring a phrase which has been, and continues to be, particularly important to her. A reminder that finding happiness day to day in the little things can be everything.

An evening spent job-hunting...

Lincoln Cathedral

This is a close-up of a papercut commissioned by one of my Lincoln-based friends as a Christmas gift to his parents. Without a doubt, this is the most intricate bit of cutting I've ever done, but very pleased with the outcome! Thank god I didn't slip..!

Inked guitar

As a little change from my papercut work, a good friend of mine asked me to design a tattoo for him. Personally speaking, the idea of creating a piece of art to be inked on someone's body forever is a pretty daunting one, however it only reinforced how important it is (regardless of the brief) to ensure that my client is 100% satisfied with the outcome and that the design is finished to the best of my ability.

A few weeks after receiving my finished sketch, the illustrated guitar was a permanent fixture on my friend's arm!

Love is love, regardless of gender

It's been quite a while since my last post so there's lots to catch up on! I got another part-time job mid-November working as a barmaid at my local pub, so it has been a bit of a juggling act but I'm slowly getting used to splitting up my time between my jobs and my artwork! On top of that, with the build up to Christmas, December was one of my busiest months to date regarding commissions, so expect an influx of blog updates over the next week or so!

Starting from where I left off, this papercut was completed back in November as a wedding gift. As someone who believes strongly in the equality of same sex marriage I was so proud to have the opportunity to help celebrate the occasion and couldn't wait to get cracking on the design! The client requested that I included two, interlocking, male gender signs and also spoke about the couple's passion for music. The design process of this papercut was enjoyable not only because of the freedom of the brief, but because of the flexibility the musical theme gave me when sketching out the papercut's composition - it was really fun to put together!

Illustration royalty

On Saturday I did something that not many people get to do in their lifetime; I got to see one of my idols, an icon of illustration. I was fortunate enough to attend ‘In Conversation with Oliver Jeffers and Quentin Blake’ at the Southbank Centre in London. I have admired and followed the work of Oliver Jeffers for a number of years now, but Sir Quentin Blake has been a hero of mine since I first picked up a Roald Dahl book.

As a girl who spent her childhood reading Dahl stories repeatedly, I was totally star-struck when Blake walked on the stage. Throughout the discussion he spoke modestly about his work; his influences, the development of his signature ‘scratchy’ style, and his working relationship with Dahl that swiftly became a friendship.

This 81 year old man held the undivided attention of an intimate audience consisting of successful illustrators, families with young children, and aspiring artists like myself. The room was filled with a sense of awe and utter admiration, even Jeffers looked as though he had to pinch himself!

The completely unexpected highlight of the afternoon however was when Blake walked into the foyer after the discussion to join Jon Burgerman on his collaborative mural he had started with Jeffers earlier that day. So not only did I get to hear him speak passionately about illustration, I also had the rare opportunity to see him doing what he is world-famous for. He then waved and was led backstage, leaving the small crowd stunned - myself included!

It’s an afternoon that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and it was an absolute privilege to be there. When I was a child he bought the stories I loved to life, and now as an adult his dedication and talent inspires me to pursue what I love doing. Just incredible.

Little lilies

It's one of the smallest designs I've done so far, and it's another personal favourite! This papercut was a gift to celebrate a 10th wedding anniversary. The element I'm particularly fond of are the lilies; they turned out far better than I anticipated so they're something I'm considering featuring in more future designs.