2025
The new year began with a list of commissions as long as my arm, with the addition of a very long paint brush!
'Everybody Needs a Friend', a little cartoon in ink which I created in support of Mental Health and Well-being, has proved a very popular picture. Many people have requested their version of this picture, which I draw afresh each time. Every picture has its own variations and its own hidden details.
A portrait commission which has been waiting its turn for far too long is now part way toward completion. This is my first portrait commission which includes a request for a dragon! I am VERY happy about this! And painting it in acrylic on canvas is an excellent feeling - the sensation of using traditional tools again - nib and brush - is deeply satisfying, after a prolonged (and enjoyable) stint on the digital drawing board.
In the meantime, whilst commission jobs on canvas and paper are attended to, I am writing a series of books. These fantasy tales have been playing around in my mind for decades, but the ones I am typing now are recently conjured, beginning in 2016, with my first new dragon designs. The tales may or may not see publication, depending on whether or not a publishing house will accept them, but they will certainly be written! You can follow my journey in my (Public) Diary of an Illustrator-Cum-Would-Be-Fantasy-Author on Substack:
I am also looking forward to designing a dragon logo for a friend who runs a local tech company, fashioning a few illustrations for author's book projects and creating more exhibition and illustration material of my own.
It is going to be a busy year! Passing from a dragon to a snake is a wonderfully smooth segue.
Happy 2025 and Happy Lunar New Year everyone!!!

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