One of the aims of my professional practice is to marry my writing skills with my illustrations. Ultimately I want to write and illustrate my own children's books, but this takes time. For now though I have started this journey, by providing illustrations for commissioned features in Cotswold Life magazine. This week I went to Tetbury to write a piece for the April issue (published mid March) focussing on the history/ antique connections in this Royal market town. I was intrigued by a room in Artique in Market Street featuring stunning antiquities from Asia set up 42 years ago by George and Ali Bristow. This particular room is a reconstructed house as it would have been in Nuristan, Asia, carved into the side of the mountain.
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| Nuristan House, recreated as found in the mountains |
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| Drawing a dusty lamp and milk pan in Nuristan House |
I did some drawings in my sketchbook in this "house" as well as some of the town and took them home to work from. I found it particularly challenging to work as both writer and artist, so made two visits to Tetbury to take the pressure off. I carried out interviews and artwork over the two days then instead of trying to do it one - it meant I could do both well without being rushed. The deadline was today which was challenging as I also had to get another one written on Witney, which I visited on Saturday. But being used to deadlines throughout my 27 year working life, I met it.
Here are some of the finished illustrations used from my original sketches.
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| Antique lamp from Asia |
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| Close up of clock on Market Hall, Tetbury |
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| Ancient jug from Asia |
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| lamp with carved wooden bird from Nuristan House |
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| tower on top of Tetbury's market hall |
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