When I received the grant funding for this project back in September, I set myself quite a challenge. A series of original ink illustrations. A set of community workshops. A self-guided walking trail. And an exhibition. Looking back now, with Illustrating Wilson's Tales open at Berwick Library as of today, it's hard to believe how much has been packed into the last few months — and how much I've learned along the way.

Creating those first three illustrations — one each for Launcelot Errington and his Nephew Mark, Patrick Hume and the Governor of Berwick, and Grizel Cochrane — was an immersive experience. Each one involved working through the full process: moodboards, character development, thumbnail sketches, layout drawings, and finally the finished ink and wash artwork. It was slow, and deliberately so. All that thinking and decision-making felt essential.

After completing the research phase of my Illustrating Wilson’s Tales of the Borders project I began the next stage: Experiment and Explore. This is the point where my ideas moved off the page and into materials, and where the focus shifted from analysis to hands-on testing, learning, and play. Rather than working towards finished illustrations straight away, this phase was about discovering what feels right for the stories I’ve chosen, and for me as an illustrator.

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.

When it comes to learning new things, do you prefer to develop your skills using books, or by taking a class?