Behind the Scenes Shop Work

I’m quite happy with my recent market stall set up, it’s taken me a couple years of trial and error, but I feel like I’ve gotten to a stage where my stall is a fairly accurate depiction of my illustration style, and basically a physical version of my website, that potential new customers and clients can see in person, and get a good idea of me and my work. I think it’s the new sign with my business name and the addition of a couple more frames, that have really tied it all together.

This satisfaction unfortunately doesn’t come without a cost of chaos behind closed doors… My house is my studio and storage for all of my stock and sometimes it can become pretty messy, however my housemate very kindly put some basic shelves together which helps organise the madness, and I’m genuinely very grateful for my corner of crap and cardboard, and the things it allows me to do 🫶🏻

Mailer Illustrations for Médecins Sans Frontières

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Dot and Becky at A Couple of Birds Design, to create some illustrations for Médecins Sans Frontières. Although the request for the illustrations was to be quite different from my usual style of detailed and colourful, I had worked for Dot before and was up for the challenge, especially as the client does such incredible aid work around the world.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to Doctors without Borders. They provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.

I completed 3 sketch style illustrations to be placed in Thank You mailers for some of the on-going donaters. (Only 2 out of 3 are shown below for privacy reasons.)

Bright and Bold Hand-Made Frames

I’ve always gone for plain black or white when it comes to framing my work, to not distract from the artwork. But recently I thought why not get bold coloured frames that compliment and adds to the illustrations. After chatting to a couple customers, and seeing lots of people on Tiktok and Instagram reels using wooden dots and paint to decorate frames, I decided to give it a go and inject a little life into some old Wilko (RIP) frames that I had lying around gathering dust.

Sourcing the tools and getting the wooden dots stuck down was pretty straight forward, but I’m incredibly picky when it comes to colour, and unfortunately after trying a few different shades of pink spray paint, this particular frame still didn’t come out the colour that I wanted, to compliment the Pink Panther illustration. And it’s now layered up with paint beyond salvation… however I’m pretty happy how the other 3 came out!

These one offs are available to purchase online, as well as at markets, they all have their imperfections, but thats adds character right?

I’m hoping to give this process another go on some spare A2 frames I have too, now that I’ve learnt from experience some ways to keep it neater. I just need a few days of dry weather so I can keep the mess and chaos to the garden…