This week is a special one. For months, I’ve been quietly immersed in an endeavour that feels incredibly close to my heart, and today, I’m overjoyed to finally share it with you. The Forest of Bowland Champion Species pin badges are officially here! Seeing the full collection of fourteen badges, all nestled in their colourful…
Hello hello! Welcome to my blog series dedicated to the ‘Champion Species’ of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. After previously exploring the iconic Hen Harrier and the evocative Eurasian Curlew, this week I’m turning my artistic eye to a truly magnificent and somewhat mysterious resident: the Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix). To be completely honest,…
Hello again! Welcome back to my blog series, where I delve into the ‘Champion Species’ of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape through an artist’s eyes. After my deep dive into the elusive Hen Harrier, this week, my easel and I are turning our attention to another truly iconic resident of this breathtaking region: the…
I’m incredibly excited to share some happy news. Last month, I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed by Laura Wells for the June edition of Lancashire Life magazine. It’s been a whirlwind of a few weeks, and I’m thrilled to see the feature now out in print! The article dives into a project incredibly…
Hello everyone! A while ago (yes, in 2024!) I mentioned I wanted to embark on a blog series, a little journey dedicated to the ‘Champion Species’ of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. And here I am, finally starting! Let me give you a quick recap. Back in 2022, I had the incredible opportunity to…
This is part two of my behind-the-scenes look at how the Champion Species pin badges have been created. If you’re interested in reading part one, which covers my traditional artwork approach, you can find it here. Today, we’re stepping into the digital realm of illustration. I should start by saying that some people feel digital…
Whenever people see the Champion Species illustrations I’ve been working on, one of the first questions I’m often asked is, “How did you create them?” Sometimes, this is quickly followed by, “And how long did it take?” Then, there’s often a moment of curiosity: how exactly do these transform into small pin badges? Well, today…
Between 2022 and 2024, I was fortunate to be involved in the Forest of Bowland Nature Recovery Plan. I’ve written about this rewarding project in a previous blog post, but in essence, my role involved creating eight landscape illustrations. These aimed to capture some of the Forest of Bowland’s internationally important habitats. Within these landscape…
Had a catch-up with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape team this week – they’ve just launched the 2025 ‘Discover Bowland’ Guide ! If you’ve never seen one, it’s a yearly publication packed with info. Super useful for anyone visiting the area and wanting to make the most of their trip. It also offers a…
In late 2022, I was honoured with a commission to create a series of landscape illustrations. The task was to visualise what nature recovery in the Forest of Bowland could look like, crafting a compelling visual narrative about the future of this truly vital landscape. To bring these illustrations to life, I began working closely…