Summer Studio Update
“This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.”
– William Shakespeare
Hello friends, it has been quite a while since I updated you all with some news from my studio. I can’t quite believe that it’s Summer now - where did Spring go? I was indeed in splendid hibernation since last October, working quietly away in my little studio on a big book project - my first children’s picture book! It has been a tough few months to get all the 64 pages of illustrations completed in time for the deadline. Mornings began at 5am during the darkness and cold of Winter and early Spring. I did enter the real world every day however, where I made sure to go for my daily walk/ramble in the park and get absorbed in nature and fresh air. It really does work wonders for clearing the mind and easing any stresses that may build up during an intense work schedule. But there was light at the end of the tunnel, and that light was early Summer and deadline day! It was such an immense relief to receive the printed proofs and to know that the illustrations had finally gone to the printer. The book will be out later this year in October, and of course I will show you all the process behind the making of the illustrations and what I learned throughout the journey.
As well as working on the book, I’ve also been devoting my time to my lovely wholesale stockists and illustration clients. My business is multi-faceted, so I can’t just turn-off one section of it to concentrate on my book career. I just have to find the time during each day to work on other aspects of my small business; such as ordering cards from my printer; updating my inventory, and packing orders for wholesale. It may be a lot of work to take on, but I love being busy. I’m grateful for the change in dynamic each day; from sitting at my desk illustrating and listening to a history podcast; to standing at another desk packing cards and envelopes while listening to my favourite music.
I also had the pleasure of illustrating the front cover of the Mother’s Day edition of the Irish Examiner ‘Weekend’ magazine. The cover art was inspired by a mother’s presence, be it in memory or in our everyday lives. An article in this issue titled “What scattering my mother’s ashes on a West Cork beach taught me about grief’ is located on a West Cork beach, and this landscape inspirited me with a vivid image of what I wanted to illustrate. I was suddenly transported to a windswept beach, where I saw a female figure sitting on the rocks, facing outward towards the sea. The vision of the wild waves crawling gently onto the shore reminded me of both the power of Mother nature, and the gentleness of human motherhood. The left-hand side of the illustration is devoted to remembrance, while the right-hand side represents the lush green living world; where we can tangibly capture our memories and thoughts onto paper. Her mother is a memory she sees when she looks beyond to the sea; a reminder that she’s always there, gazing upon her with a mother’s love.
Another aspect to my business is licensing my illustrations for retail. One of those retailers is Trader Joe’s in the United States, and it’s always a thrill to receive their samples in the post! I have quite a few designs this year in their stores, including my ‘everything but the bagel’ inspired design, which is already proving a huge success with Trader Joe’s customers.
And if I didn’t have enough to do, I also managed to squeeze in a few days of personal pojects and began working on the next two designs in my latest greeting card range that is inspired by floral bouquets and the seasons. You will have seen my Spring-inspired bouquet which I created last year. I now have my Summer and Autumn bouquets completed, and I’m delighted to show you the ‘Bouquet of Summer’ design today! This illustration celebrates the fragrant and beautiful flowers of Summer; including sweetpeas, tea roses, and delicious strawberries. Take a look below to see the initial sketch and the finished piece. This particular series is influenced by vintage botanical prints and advertisements, which I have layered in the background as textural imagery. I quite like the collage effect, and I hope you do too.
And what’s next on the horizon? Well, more work is to be had! After a week off, I’ll be diving back into another book project (it’s kind of a dream project/subject matter for this next book, so I’m excited to show you it when it’s published), and I’ll also be working on a festive commission that will be unveiled during the Christmas period. So, it will be a Summer of snowy illustrations and a secret book project that I know my longtime followers will think is the perfect pairing!
Lastly, regarding my newsletter, unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to think further on what I will do for future newsletters but the idea of a physical letter or mail club is still an exciting prospect. But I want to make sure I put plenty of thought into that and get it right. Thanks everyone for your patience while I decide on what to do! And I think that’s it for now. I hope to have another update in a few months time, and I hope these blog posts help fill the temporary gap of not having a newsletter at the moment. Take care friends, Rachel x