The maps are done. Typical me – when they could have been stylised and simple I had to do all the little houses and sheds… There were two maps in the end, created in black watercolour with areas of particular note picked out in ink (that lovely fine nib again!). Here’s a little bit.

The Findhorn pictures – tricky as there is only one bit of reference for ROC (featuring in the pictures and a real person). But I’m finishing off the roughs now and have had to decide to go for a more old-fashioned style that will allow for less realism while retaining wonderful detail. It was what I was kind of meaning to do all the time but I’d hoped to know more about the man. Like his height, build, did he wear a hat, smoke a pipe and how did he carry himself? Can’t show anything yet for this!

The Moorehawke trilogy covers are progressing – I’ll be doing all three as one massive long picture. They’re designed and I’m waiting for feedback… Bruno the Fabulous at A&U has taken my roughs and placed potential titles on them to see how they’d look once all that text is included… Looks brilliant! Will show you as soon as I can. How fun to do all at once. Did I mention that?

Dear Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha is complete and was such a pleasure to do. Pencil. Dozens of illustrations done in a matter of days. My fingers still tingle! There are some books where the work can be done quickly and is done better for it – the style is absolutely consistent, you think and breathe the character and you can hold it all in your head for continuity. Basically – you’re in the swing! But it only came about because of weeks and months really of preparation – sketching, researching and roughing it all out in great detail.

And my pirates are all done in rough and I’m waiting for the publishers to get the go-ahead. Another 40-odd illustrations!

In no particular order…

Three covers for a brilliant fantasy trilogy – Moorehawke by Celine Kiernan (A&U). I’ve read the first book and it’s an absolute winner. The chance to draw all three at once is sweet. I’m planning on making sure the design moves across all covers…

Maps for Christine Hinwood’s debut novel, Bloodflower (also A&U). It’s beautiful writing and I feel very honoured

A cover and internal illustrations for a lovely manuscript about Robert Ogilvie Crombie’s (Roc for short) experiences in the Findhorn area, Scotland. A very interesting and magical read. I’m so pleased to be drawing real fairies in a gorgeous old fashioned stye.

The drawings for an illustrated novel, Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha by Janine Fraser. An absolute gem of a book. These are in b/w pencil and it’s a HarperCollins book. I love doing these.

And of course my ongoing MAMMOTH TEXTLESS PICTURE BOOK, The Collector . Working on roughs, imagining the world… No, it’s not about mammoths. I just mean – it’s big. Huge.

And this weekend – my Sunday Arts at the Convent market! So that means a new painting Yay!

Oh, and I’m drawing pirates! Which I’m about to go to a cafe to finish off, now. It’s an illustrated chapter book for a UK publisher (Ragged Bears), called The Pirate Suit by Raewyn Caisley. I like pirates.

Generally, my reaction to this list is eek. Although, somehow, it all seems to be flowing smoothly… They’re all at different stages (design, roughs or final art) and require different head-spaces to be completed. So it’s a bit here, a bit there and then voila. At least that’s the plan.