I quite like February. It's winter, but without the end-of-Christmas woe. Most people have finally been paid again after the inevitable Skint January, and if you are one of those masochists who inexplicably deny yourself all the good stuff and make January doubly miserable by giving up booze or cheese, then chances are you've well and truly rolled off the wagon and all is once again right with the world. February is still cold, but with the promise that spring might just arrive next month. It's only 28 days long so as soon as it's started, you can convince yourself it's nearly March. It's when I start planting seeds that might just feed us later in the year, if I can win the slug/caterpillar

Good morning, and we certainly have our chill on here in Kent! Lovely though it is to have such a crisp, sunny day, the cold is forcing me to dilly dally over my outdoor tasks, which include starting to clear out the accumulated nonsense from my studio to be, so that we can start the process of getting it powered up and insulated and made into an actual studio. THIS IS VERY EXCITING AND DESERVES CAPS LOCK AND EVERYTHING. So, while I procrastinate, here is another pre-Christmas commission. This autumnal, leaf-kicking scene was commissioned by Gail as a gift for her brother Richard's 40th birthday. Makes me want to put my wellies on and join them! I am currently taking commissions for delivery

I have been a bit rubbish at sharing those Christmas commissions, haven't I? I'll start now. This is Kat and Chris, commissioned by Charmian as a Christmas gift. The photo Charmian sent was one of the most wonderful images I've ever worked from and with Charmian's permission I have shown it here alongside my drawing. Isn;t it brilliant? I usually only use photos for reference but in this case I almost copied it exactly because I just loved it so much! I'll share more Christmas commissions over the next few weeks. I'm excited for 2018 as i have some fun things on the horizon, one of which is a garden commission which is going to be huge! I'm also considering a few more printed products...top