Over the past few weeks, I’ve been immersed in my sketchbook, carefully hand-drawing each illustration for my 2026 Calendar Tea Towel in ink, before layering in watercolour washes for detail and colour. It’s been lovely spending time on the little details – the bright splash of a robin’s breast, the patterning on a thrush’s feathers, or the soft texture of moss for a nest.

I’d love to create another calendar tea towel for 2026, but I need your help to decide what the theme should be! I’ve narrowed my ideas down to five themes and given a sense of the sorts of illustrations that might be included, but can you help me by voting for your favourite?

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.

I'm Ali and I love illustrating British wildlife, bringing a wide range of flora and fauna to life through my drawings and paintings, where I aim to capture the spirit and form of birds, plants and animals in watercolour, pen-and-ink, or coloured pencil.