Where I work

I have a wonderful work hut in our garden - built specifically for my illustration work.

It's not a very long commute! In fact it's about thirty seconds. It involves 2 dogs, a cup of tea, and a quick dip under all the overgrown plants that have gradually built up!

Moving my studio into a dedicated hut at the bottom of the garden is just wonderful, my coworkers are mostly birds (and the occasional brave squirrel!), and this connection to the outdoors directly fuels my illustrations.

Here is what a typical day looks like, from the first pencil stroke to the final shipping label. At this time of year, there are normally lots of cobwebs built up over night across the door - so I make my way through them, and without the distractions of household chores etc, I can get started drinking tea, checking emails and writing a list of what I need to do. I tend to create orders first, and organise the day's queue. Seeing names from all over the world attached to my designs is so good. Each order represents a person choosing to put my art into their home.

Once the paperwork is ready, the packing station takes over the main workbench. Orders are sent in eco-friendly packaging and sealed with branded paper tape, with an Alice Palace post sticker.

It isn't all about romantic creating and chirping birds. Winter requires a dedicated space heater (and summer requires a cooler!). Rainy days mean dashing up the path and packaging orders well, so they don’t get wet before going to the post office. But these small hurdles are a tiny price to pay for the freedom, peace, and focus this space provides.

Evenings work best for me for the creative process. This is when I tend to do client work or new illustrations. Right now, I am working on a series of children’s book character concepts. The biggest challenge of running an illustration business from home is knowing when to stop (and when your workspace is inside your living space, the boundaries do blur more). The garden hut provides a physical boundary. And when the workday ends, I don't have to tidy away the mess of creativity - it's there waiting for me for tomorrow's creations!