Illustrator Appreciation: Laura Graves.

I found Illustrator Laura Graves via Society6, and because her work is so beautifully textured and adorable I really wanted to share it with you guys too! Plus, Laura's work features an abundance of cute and cuddly animals - you know how much I love cats and rabbits! 

Cozy Chipmunk

Cats

Spring

I absolutely love the little rabbit and chipmunk curling up in the wooly hat - how sweet is that? All of Laura's work is available to buy as prints on Society6, or you could treat yourself to a t-shirt or phonecase. I promise this will be the last time I mention Society6 for awhile in case it is getting slightly annoying! 

Looking at Laura's work reminds me of how much I would love a little pet of my own - one day.

C xxx

What's in my shop?

I decided to do a mini collage post about some of the different products that I've got for sale on my Society6 shop! As the website is American, I've converted all the prices to pounds for you! All of the t-shirts are available in different colours, in mens and womens sizes. I think I'd probably go for a mens t-shirt so I could customise it a little more, maybe chop the sleeves and turn it into an oversized vest. I don't usually do too many posts like this as I don't want to be too spammy but if you are looking for some original art/apparel then I'd be ever so grateful if you took a look at my shop. 

1. Sweeties Framed Art Print, available in various sizes. Prices start from roughly £21.

2. I want a cat t-shirt. £14.33.

3. Caracal tote bag. £11.72.

4. Mermaid iPhone case. £22.80.

5. Dreamgirl t-shirt. £14.33.

6. Snowchild Framed Art Print, available in various sizes. Prices start from roughly £21.

Thanks for reading guys! 

C xxx

Inside my sketchbook: Celestial.

As I had such a positive response on my last sketchbook post, I thought I would make them into a more frequent thing! I've really been enjoying working in my new notebook so I would thoroughly recommend checking out the rest of the Monsieur Notebook range - such lovely paper to work on even if it's not really meant for watercolours! As I mentioned in my last post, I've been really interested in stars/moons, and all things celestial recently so this is a continuation of that theme really. This illustration was made using a combination of watercolours, colour pencils, and a little bit of oil pastel - I also used a black biro for some of the finer details. Another thing I don't think I've ever mentioned on here is how much I love working in biro! It's definitely an underrated medium aha. 

I hope you're all having a good week! 

C xxx

Dreamtime Girl.

I'm really into stars and crescent moons at the moment, and I've been sketching them a lot recently. I actually have something else from my sketchbook to share with you soon which is fairly similar to this so I'll get around to that in the next couple of days! I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out so it will definitely be going up on my Society6 store as prints and t-shirts etc! I'm actually quite jealous of this girl, I really want her awesome necklace/choker.

Have you got anything nice planned for your weekend? I hope you all have fun no matter what you get up to. 

C xxx

Little Narcissa Black.

I decided to do a little portrait of Narcissa after watching the Deathly Hallows again recently. She's definitely not the nicest character but she does have some fairly positive character traits too, and I think the redeems herself a little in the last book/film. She also has awesome hair, so I kind of had to draw her! I've chosen to portray her as a little girl, with a white rabbit as a pet (maybe she would have called it Draco - who knows!). I'll pop this illustration up in my Society6 store later today too. 

C xxx

Inside my sketchbook - Ribbons.

I haven't really done a post like this before but I thought it might be nice to show you something I've been drawing in my new sketchbook/notebook. I actually really enjoy working on lined paper just for something a little different, and it adds a little more texture to the illustration. I only really work in watercolours when I'm painting for fun, as I usually prefer to work digitally but it's all good practice. Let me know if you would be interested in seeing more posts like this in the future! 

This illustration was inspired by the first episode of Da Vinci's Demons (the scene where Vanessa is dancing around in the meadow with lots of ribbons tied in her hair). 

C xxx

Where I Live.

I've lived in Sheffield for a couple of years now, and I must say, I've grown rather fond of this compact, cultural city. The city centre itself actually feels pretty tiny when you walk around, but there's still plenty of sites to see and things to do. In my illustration I've chosen to highlight some of Sheffield's famous landmarks, past and present. There's definitely an interesting mix of architectural styles, and one of my favourite buildings is the Winter Garden (that's the funny shaped building second from the left). It's a lovely place to relax, filled with exotic plants and flowers; it also contains the Millenium Gallery which is an awesome little place to explore. 

I also chose to feature one of the Hallam University buildings which you can see as soon as you walk out of the train station. The reason this building is interesting is because it features a poem on the side in huge letters, written by poet Andrew Motion. 
Seeing as you can't exactly see it properly in my illustration, I've written it out below for you. 

O travellers from

somewhere else to here, 

Rising from Sheffield Station

and Sheaf Square

To wander through the

labyrinths of air,

Pause now, and let

the sight of this sheer cliff

Become a priming-place

which lifts you off

To speculate

What if..?

What if..?

What if..?

Cloud-shadows drag

their hands across

the white;

Rain prints the sudden

darkness of its weight;

Sun falls and leaves the

bleaching evidence of light.

Your thoughts are like

this too: as fixed as words

Set down to decorate

a blank facade

And yet, as words are too,

all soon transferred

To greet and understand

what lies ahead-

The city where your

dreaming is re-paid,

The lives which wait

unseen as yet, unread.

Have you ever visited Sheffield, or do you have any favourite places in the towns/cities that you live? 

C xxx