After all the excitement and drama of "the coldest Winter since records began", I'm looking forward to getting on with some new and exciting projects. It's always hard to get motivated after a good break, but I'm so excited by future plans it should be slightly easier to get up and running.
Yesterday I had a very exciting meeting with Genevieve Helsby at Naxos Records, postponed from December (because of the weather). A colleague of hers plays with the de Havilland Philharmonic and recommended me as a possible illustrator. Naxos are developing a new series of CDs for children and have invited me to submit some designs for CD sleeves. I'm really happy about this, as Classical music is my big love, and this is a bit of a dream project. I'll post some things when I've started sketching.
Meanwhile several new story ideas are fighting for attention in my head, despite the distraction of sharing my studio with a pair of Guinea Pigs (my wife is allergic to them!. And the one story I really must get written is a new Katie book focussing on Van Gogh. And of course that's the one I'm stuck on the most! Ah well... 'twas ever thus.
This will also be the year when Bubble and Squeak progress in the safe hands of Clara Vulliamy. And later I'll be working on Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker, and launching Katie in Scotland, possibly with events at the Edinburgh Festival and Loch Ness. Fingers crossed!
Happy New Year!
