The team at Hepple had already put a lot of thought into what sort of content they wanted for their Visitor Passport, including species checklists for people to tick-off things that they’d seen when visiting, some sort of information about how the estate changes through the seasons, space for visitors to include their own notes and observations and - of course - pages where the visitor could collect stamps for the different tours and experiences that they have attended.

My challenge was to incorporate the work I’d done for their mini re-branding project to create the first piece of printed material within that new visual identity. The Visitor Passport needs to be engaging and accessible, helping to engage visitors more deeply with the landscape and the work of Hepple Wilds so that they understand why it matters.

I don't remember exactly when I first said it properly. But I remember how the conversation went.

"What do you do?"
"I'm an illustrator."
"Ooh, picture books?"
"No, er, I do all sorts of things, like, er, maps and, er, drawing wildlife."
"Oh. Will I have seen your stuff anywhere?"
"Probably not... I've only just started out." [Embarrassed trailing off.]

The thing is, I said some version of that last line for nearly four years.

Earlier this Spring I responded to an open call for artists to provide illustrations for a Timeline wall for the new Living Barracks Museum here in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The brief seemed made for me, as someone who read History at University and has had a lifelong interest in heritage and as a Berwick-based illustrator looking to work on some more challenging commissions - and I’m so pleased to share that I was accepted to work on the project!

Over the past few years I've worked on illustrated maps for a wide range of clients: heritage organisations, farmers, authors, and private individuals commissioning personal gifts. What strikes me, looking back across these projects, is how differently each map was being asked to work. Not one of them was simply about geography.

I really enjoyed working on my Riding of the Bounds commission last year. So this spring I've been developing a small collection, using the artwork I created for the Berwick Riders’ Association as a starting point. This new map print and set of note cards will launch on Saturday 2nd May (the date for the 2026 Riding of the Bounds).

I love working on these types of commissions as it really showcases the flexibility of map-making. Maps based on experience, emotion and memory aren’t about cartographical accuracy - they’re storytelling in its purest form. Whilst the viewer needs to be able to orient themselves - perhaps understanding the direction of travel or key landscape features - they aren’t using the map for way-finding. It is about their lived experience of the adventure and the landscape - what they personally noticed, encountered and even endured in the process of their journey - and how they share that story with others.

When photographer and web designer Sarah Jamieson got in touch about creating a bespoke illustrated map to anchor the new website that she was designing for the Berwick Riders Association to help tell its story visually, I knew it would be a special project — one that celebrated not just geography, but heritage and community spirit.

I applied for some grant funding this summer for support for a project working in partnership with local organisation, the Wilson's Tales Project, and Berwick-upon-Tweed Library. With sincere thanks to Create Berwick and their funders - the North East Combined Authority and Northumberland County Council - I'm thrilled to announce that the grant was awarded in late August. In addition to creating some illustrations of my own inspired by Wilson's Tales of the Borders, I'm going to be designing a self-guided walking trail leaflet, and running some workshops to support others to create some artwork inspired by the Tales, culminating in an exhibition in the Library.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at this bespoke illustrated map commission featuring five iconic UK race tracks. A meaningful gift created in ink and watercolour for a 70th birthday – complete with a custom car illustration and hand-drawn circuit logos.

When author Amanda Roberts approached me to illustrate a map for her new historical fiction novel, Lady of the Quay, set in mid-16th Century Berwick-upon-Tweed, I had no idea it would grow into one of the most interesting projects I’ve worked on to-date. As an illustrator living and working in Berwick, and someone with a long-standing interest in history and architecture, this project felt like the perfect fit! What began as a commission to create an illustrated historical map soon evolved into a full custom book cover design.

In 2024 I was commissioned by Anne Mair-Chapman to design a Welcome Board for her business, Kypie Farm. The goal was to create a custom illustrated welcome board featuring a hand-drawn map of the farm, complete with waymarked walking routes and relevant information for farm visitors (the farm encourages educational visits from schools and also has a number of Open Farm days through the year).

As we kick-off another new financial year, I thought it would be helpful to reintroduce Coostie Illustration and Design, with a little bit of information about what I do and how you can work with me.

It feels really early to be shouting about Christmas gifting at the beginning of October, but when I was doing markets in August people were confiding that the purchases that they were making were actually for Christmas presents! For some of you this post will therefore be perfectly-timed - I’ve got a lovely range of eco-friendly Christmas cards and wrapping paper already in stock, with more cards to come later this month, alongside drops of new gift sets featuring some of my best-selling designs, as well as commission slots for those looking to give something unique and bespoke!

A client recently got in touch to ask if I could produce a full-colour, ink and watercolour map, that they wanted to gift to a friend for their 30th birthday. The map was to include a mix of 10 landmarks and objects that meant something to the recipient at different stages of their life. I’ve outlined the process we went through here, to show you how easy it is to commission your own bespoke illustrated map.