East of the Sun and West of the Moon

I have been asked to exhibit some of my illustrations in an exhibition at the Ipswich Art School in January on the theme of 'Once Upon a Time'. It is showing the work of local illustrators including Mick Inkpen, Nick Butterworth and the sketchbooks of Margaret Tempest of Little Grey Rabbit illustrations. So I feel amazingly honoured to be asked to hang my work along side such amazing illustrators, all of whom have been a huge influence on my wanting to illustrate.

So I have created an image especially for the exhibition, to go along side existing pieces from my folio. I have been showing the progress from sketch to final image over on my Facebook page, But here it is in the working...

first sketch

image drawn ready to transfer onto final paper

the border

sky

bear and girl

gold lettering

Northern Lights

golden sun

silver moon

blizzard

gloss varnish compass rose

final image - I have put my watermark over the area where the gloss varnish compass rose is, as sadly it doesn't show on a scan.

Doing an image this big has been a challenge, but I have loved it, from nervous beginning to content out come.