My space

This is the little corner of our living room that I've been using as my studio for a while now. 2 days a week when Oki's at nursery I can spread out into the rest of the room, but it's not the same having to tidy it all up. I like to leave things out to look at, to keep my thoughts going, but that's just not going to happen with a curious little boy on the loose. I give him my pictures sometimes and they end up bent, scrunched up, doodled on, covered in stickers and I find them days later, covered in dust under the sofa with all his other toys. 

ことばあそび - wordplay

I've been playing around with Japanese words that rhyme or sound fun together. I think there's a narrative in there somewhere...

Oki's shapes

We make shapes with pancakes and train tracks :)

funny boy

He's a funny little boy, that Oki. At 20 months old, he's full of surprises and a whole lot of fun :) Each day brings new words and sentences, conversations and observations, games and giggles. 

He has an incredible memory. He likes singing, making up words, lining things up. Among his favourite things are trains, Totoro, pine cones, ducks, chicken, grapes and books. 

He still walks a bit like an orangutan, and now does a funny little squat, points and shouts 「あっ」(OH!) when he's found something.

A couple more snippets from our daily life...

 ...thanks Oki. You really do make me smile everyday :)

circles and lines and colour

I've been enjoying making patterns and exploring colour - colours that I don't often use in my children's book illustrations. I wish I could do this kind of thing all the time as it's so much fun, but I'm constantly worried about making a living these days, which makes me feel guilty if I'm not doing something that leads directly to paid work. 

But sometimes, you just have to forget it all, loosen up and have a little fun. It helps lift my mood especially during these loooong cold wet months :)

birthday bear

I received these cards in the post recently. They are birthday cards that I worked on for Peaceable Kingdom Press last summer, just before Oki turned one - my first paid job since becoming a mum :)

brush brush

Here are some personal pieces I've been working on, inspired by a certain little boy and his daily routine, his impatience, and his likes and dislikes.
After a long break from illustration being a full time mum, I'm now wanting my work to move forward in a slightly different direction, to try a little experimenting with materials, colours, facial expressions etc. This will take some time, and that is the one thing I don't have much of these days, but I feel the need to explore and be excited about making pictures again.