I am so thrilled with the first two little logbooks, and the feedback has been excellent. Schools seem interested, with one wanting to use my books as a prize in an Art & Design competition which is incredibly flattering. The overriding comment is that they're "cute", quickly qualified as that not being a patronising or … Continue reading Book series
The new books are here!
My booklets have arrived. They look absolutely amazing and I am really pleased with how they've turned out. You can buy them here on the website for £5.99 including free UK postage. Coast & Clifftop Birds: Coast & Clifftop Birds Logbook14 x 9cm logbook on birds of the sea and shore£5.99Click here to purchase. Town … Continue reading The new books are here!
Getting there…and the next book
I am discovering that it's amazing how much needs to be done to get even a short book like mine to the print ready stage this end, let alone actually print ready. Proof-reading, editing, nit-picking, fixing wonky layout and fonts, checking, checking and triple-checking the Latin names, spelling and grammar, then sorting out all the … Continue reading Getting there…and the next book
Printers, and a rough draft
I have almost finished my first book! It's been a steep learning curve, but I think I have finally worked out paragraph styles and master pages in InDesign, and found this vid really helpful for the page numbers, and this one from the same channel for the contents. I have found indexing a little more … Continue reading Printers, and a rough draft
Centre Page Spread
My bird book has increased to a 36 page flatplan, a template for which I couldn't seem to find online so drew one myself, and have decided to definitely go with the Centre Page Spread (CPS). Discussions on what to do in this expanse of two pages - which now my book is only 90 … Continue reading Centre Page Spread
Big Ideas and Flatplans
My bird book plans are starting to take shape. What I am wanting to create is a logbook x Spotter's Guide x old-school I-Spy book (ageing myself here...) in a fairly small format using the scans of my paintings as the main identification guide. Nothing complicated or fancy, just the basic shape and plumage to … Continue reading Big Ideas and Flatplans
New Project
I taught myself to paint with gouache when my son gave me a Windsor & Newton starter set for my birthday in 2017. I was kindly given a large roll of paper offcuts when I visited Jealous Gallery in Shoreditch, and because it was the cut end of their screen printing paper 29cm wide, I … Continue reading New Project
Ringed Plover
I have painted two Ringed plovers but my first attempt got smudged (always a hazard with me...) so although it has been cleaned up in a scan so useable for digital items such as stickers and mini cards, the original original is stuck in my drawer waiting for me to decide what to do with … Continue reading Ringed Plover
Bird of the Day: Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed tits have surprisingly large personalities for such tiny birds. I see them frequently at this time of year in flocks of ten or more, twittering through the hedgerows looking for food. They eat small invertebrates, and eggs and caterpillars of moths and butterflies, so benefit from relaxed management. Many species of butterfly lay their … Continue reading Bird of the Day: Long-tailed Tit
