Notes from Northumberland
The story of a self-taught illustrator and designer living in England’s most northerly county
Behind the Scenes: Designing my 2026 Calendar Tea Towel (part 1)
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.
Planning for a 2026 Calendar Tea Towel
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?
Introducing my British Songbirds Collection
My new British Songbird collection features some well-known garden favourites (blackbird, blue tit, robin, song thrush) as well as others that we might only see at certain times of year, or when out-and-about in different habitats.
Looking for eco-friendly Christmas Gifts this year? I’ve got you covered!
I’ve worked hard to identify suppliers that share my values around environmental responsibility; all of the companies I work with are based in the UK and take sustainability seriously. I’ve tried to keep to a small range of either beautiful or functional (or both!) items like mugs, tea towels, coasters, cards and prints.
Introducing: My Coastal Birds of North Northumberland Collection
Regularly spotting so many coastal birds is the inspiration behind my newest collection, celebrating seven species that can often be seen here. The collection features detailed watercolour and pen illustrations of Arctic Terns, Brent Geese, Cormorants, Eider Duck, Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper and Puffins.