Say the word ‘studio’ and most people picture the same thing: an easel, half-finished canvases propped against the wall, maybe a smell of turpentine. Say ‘illustrator’ specifically, and you might add a stack of picture books, or a wall of pet portraits.

Mine looks nothing like that.

I was attracted to illustration as a career in part because of the variety of things illustrators do. Illustration is all around us: on products we buy, in newspapers, magazines and books that we read, on advertising hoardings and public transport, as wayfinding tools in the places that we live… the list goes on and on!

I'm a total magpie — always looking for the next shiny thing— so being able to pick-and-mix what I work on really appeals to me. In the last five years of working as an illustrator I’ve tried all sorts of things, but have gradually settled into three main areas of work: commissions (increasingly for organisations rather than private clients), creating self-initiated work to sell (originals and products, online and at markets and events) and teaching.

So when I open my doors for Berwick Open Studios on 26–27 September here's roughly what you'll find instead.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, perched on the border between England and Scotland, is a town full of charm and history. One of its many standout features is its three impressive bridges over the River Tweed, each with its own story to tell and views to provide. If you’re visiting the town, don’t forget to add them to your itinerary!

The 2024 Berwick Food & Beer Festival is fast approaching (16th - 18th August) and I’m going to be attending. Whilst I’ve gone every year since we moved to Berwick and last year I even volunteered at the event, this year I’m actually going to be a stall-holder in the producers’ market!

I wanted to take a selection of my art prints and gifts that are inspired by Northumberland, but also to create some more food-based designs specifically for the occasion. I’ve therefore been beavering away on the following collections, which I’ll be launching at the event on 17th August and will then have available on my website and Folksy shop from w/c 19th August

Next to the Berwick-upon-Tweed Railway Station, you’ll find a carved wooden statue of a bear, who is affectionately known as ‘Bari’.

It was this sense of colour that I wanted to capture when I started thinking about developing a series of illustrations that reflected how I saw Berwick. I wanted to create my own iconic set of colour swatches – bold blocks of colour that I could see in the landmarks around me.