In January 2026 I was approached to design the anchor illustration for a new campaign called A Ride for Life — a public engagement project encouraging people to care about the natural world for their own health and wellbeing, and as part of the fight against climate change.

The brief called for a single illustration incorporating at least 20 key species across sky, land and sea, people enjoying the natural environment, and the campaign title, all legible at a printed size of 36 x 25cm, as it was going to be mounted on the client’s bike as he rode around the North York Moors National Park…

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.

In celebration of World Whale Day (16th February 2025) I’ve created this watercolour illustration of three types of whale that can be seen off the coastline of Northumberland (as well as around the UK more widely). Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at how I created the illustration.

When I started teaching myself to draw and paint as part of my mid-life career change, I seemed to unconsciously gravitate towards wildlife and nature subjects followed by a gradual focus on illustrating birds - specifically British birds - in all their variety.