Colour Drops

Colour drops - be happy

Oysters & waves

Collection of Oystercatchers - March 2013

Ocean rollers - March 2013

Custom Cards

The last few weeks I've been working on my new collection of greetings cards for Blue Island Press. I'm waiting for the proofs to fly over from Sydney, I love getting a little parcel with some nice foreign stamps and a bundle of cards all with my designs on.
On the subject of cards, I've had a few local commissions as well this week - here's a little triplet of cards that were ordered for a new baby - one for each relative!

 

I love taking custom orders so if you want a personal card for a special occasion, drop me a message on my illustration facebook page or email me at mellyhamilton@hotmail.com

Cold fingers & Amazing People

 

I've spent a bit too much time inside this week. Work has been piling up a bit so every spare minute I've been sat at my desk with a pencil or pen, or sat at my desk staring at the computer screen (square eyes).
I was starting to feel like a bit of a slug so this morning I dusted off my bike, wrapped Sunny up in a sleeping-bag style outfit & cycled up as many little hills as we could find. We made it to the beach where we checked out some rock-pools with the freezing northerly blowing our fingers & faces to ice until Sunny's little cry of 'cooold!' made us cycle back over the hills & home.
Now she's in a warm bed with warm milk & I've got a hot green tea & a list of drawing to-do's. My fingers might still be freezing but at least I'm feeling focussed - it just takes a little bit of (very) fresh air...
This week I've got a big thanks to Dr Charles Margerison, founder of the Amazing People Club, for writing this lovely blog post about me here - I really enjoy illustrating for his Bioviews & am looking forward to this year's new projects with the APC team.
They also sent me this collage of some of the portraits I've done over the last few years, weirdly I can remember every single one which is pretty amazing seeing as there are over 500!

Happy Sky Hearts

'Happy Sky Hearts'
7" x 8" print - ink, collage & illustration on archival paper

 

 

Make bunting while the sun shines

 

Here are a few of this afternoon's cards from my 'making-in-the-sunshine-session'.

 

 

These are especially for the lovely National Trust Tearoom, Sandleigh (who are now open again after being closed for the winter - which surely makes it official that spring is nearly here!)

but you can now also purchase them from my etsy shop.

 

Sea'orses

Number 3 of  'Seahorses' series 

It's all gone Moroccan

It's February tomorrow - where did that go?!

I also haven't posted since before Christmas - which is a good few weeks ago, although I have been sunning it up in Morocco for most of January. We arrived back to the wind & grey last night thinking of camels & couscous and wondering why we hadn't stayed a bit longer...

(that's me at the back in case you were wondering)

 

 

It's been very nice without internet for a month but now I've got some serious work to knuckle down to. My greetings cards with Blue Island Press will be exhibiting at the Spring Fair International at the NEC, Birmingham from the 2nd Feb - whoopee!

Other than that, I've got a pile of canvases to get finished for a local cafe, some wedding invitations to design, and a new & exciting project on the blocks which I'll post more about soon. It involves lots of elephants & an excellent international charity and I can't wait to get started!

So I'd better get off the computer & get my pens & paints out. I might just go and have a little cup of my new addiction first though; minty minty moroccan tea. Mmm.

A little bit blocky

I've been working on some new lines over the last few weeks & top of my favourites list to play with are blocks of wood...

Here's some of what I've been creating - these 'Little Blocks of Sea' are for sale in my etsy shop - and there are more ranges coming very soon; 'Little Letter Blocks' are the next contenders, with a quirky, illustrated capital on a nice little distressed chunky block...so keep your eyes peeled for those, I'll be posting pictures shortly.

Other news on the art front - my bigger canvases will be gracing the walls of a local favourite eatery very soon. More details to follow when they are up but here's a snippet of one of the collection in progress...

The Beach Boutique

The Christmas orders have been rolling in. 

I've just packaged up a load of mounted prints for the SurfGirl Beach Boutique. If your stuck for gift ideas then go & have a nosy - they've got some lovely crafty pieces from artists & crafters on there. My favourite are the vintage board sock covers, and there's an 'under a fiver' section perfect for stocking fillers - so get shopping!