Behind the scenes of an illustration commission

One of my favourite parts of working as a commercial illustrator is seeing how an initial idea develops into a finished product.

For my latest commission with Relish, I was asked to create five new garden-inspired illustrations for their latest Aquapaints collection, Garden Wonders.

The process began with pencil sketches, developing the compositions and deciding how the different elements would work together.

Rather than painting each scene as one complete illustration, I painted the individual elements separately in watercolour — birds, flowers, bees, foliage and vegetables — often at a larger scale so I could capture the detail and character I wanted.

Once the paintings were complete, I scanned the individual elements and brought them together digitally in Photoshop, building each composition layer by layer to create the final print-ready artwork.

 

And then came the particularly rewarding part: seeing those original watercolours transformed into the finished Garden Wonders Aquapaints collection.

This is now the fifth Aquapaint collection I've illustrated for Relish, and my eighth commission with them overall.

It's a wonderful example of how a traditional, hand-painted illustration can be developed and adapted to create a product with a very different purpose — in this case, a calming and creative activity designed for people living with dementia.

I'm incredibly grateful to the Relish team for continuing to trust me with these projects, and I always love seeing where the artwork eventually ends up.

New Aquapaints Range - Garden Wonders

 Today is one of my favourite days as an illustrator...

The postman has just delivered my latest commission for Relish and opening the box never gets old. There's something incredibly special about seeing months of painting, planning and collaboration transformed into a finished product you can finally hold in your hands.

🌸 Garden Wonders is the fifth Aquapaint collection I've illustrated for Relish, and my eighth commission with this wonderful team. It's always a privilege to create artwork that will help bring moments of creativity, calm and achievement to people living with dementia.

Here is a link to Garden Wonders on the Relish website

I'll be sharing lots more over the coming days, including a look inside the box, behind the scenes of the illustrations, and the magical way these Aquapaints work.

✨ Tomorrow I'll reveal what's inside... I can't wait to show you!

Watercolour workshop Derbyshire - Winter Robin

 My December Watercolour Workshop is officially SOLD OUT!

I’m so excited to teach this cosy Winter Robin perched on a snow-dusted pine branch, complete with glowing winter sky and falling snow.

Thank you so much to everyone who booked — I can’t wait to paint with you on the 17th at the wonderful @artintheparkderby🎨❤️

If you missed out, don’t worry…

👉 My next watercolour workshop will be in February!

I’ll be announcing the theme + date very soon

Stay tuned — and enjoy this little time-lapse of the artwork we’ll be creating together.

Hand painted watercolour artwork for a garden themed product

Some of the hand-painted watercolours for Relish’s beautiful new Aquapaints range. I can reveal that this one is garden themed, and an absolute pleasure to work on. 🥰

I can’t show you any of the finished images yet, but will post some more behind the scenes content of how the range comes together, so stay tuned ☺️ 

Winter Rose Hip watercolour illustration

 A winter moment inspired by the UK hedgerows. A seasonal switch up?

Every walk i have done lately has been full of these bright little beauties! I think they make a good seasonal alternative to the usual holly and red berries, what do you think?

Art for wellbeing - Aquapaints

 “It never stops feeling magical!”☺️✨

Every brush stroke reveals a little more magic 🥰

I was commissioned by @relishjoy to illustrate the five colourful and vibrant scenes in the Magnificent Birds Aquapaints collection. 

They are designed to spark joy and connection and offer a soothing, creative experience for people living with Dementia. 

Hearing how much people enjoy using the Aquapaints is always one of the best part of the process 🥰

Bespoke art for products

 🎨 Just add water… and watch the magic unfold. ✨

I was commissioned by @Relishjoy to create the artwork for Magnificent Birds — a set of Aquapaints designed to enrich the lives of people living with dementia. As water touches the art board, my original illustrations are revealed, creating a calming and creative experience that brings joy and connection. 💛

Vibrant scenes are revealed brushstroke by brushstroke, helping spark joy and a real sense of accomplishment. I will be sharing more of the magnificent birds and other themes we have worked on together,  showcasing this magical product and how we develop them from ideas to finished products.

Art Licensing for Jigsaw Puzzles

Ever wondered how a jigsaw puzzle illustration comes to life?

Here’s a little peek behind the scenes of my Jungle Life puzzle for @Relishjoy where every element you see on the finished puzzle started as a hand-painted watercolour. 🐒🦜🌿

I paint each piece larger than it’s final size to capture every tiny detail — then they’re carefully scaled down and woven into the final jungle scene.

It’s one of my favourite parts of the process: watching a painting transform into something people can hold, touch, and enjoy. 💛

Jigsaw puzzle illustration

I’m excited to share that I’m once again teaming up with the wonderful @relishjoy on a brand new art commission, this time creating a new theme for their amazing Aquapaints collection. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a peek behind the scenes as the new theme comes to life. 

But before diving into this latest project, I wanted to celebrate one of our previous collaborations: the vibrant “Jungle Life” jigsaw puzzle. A vibrant, nature-filed scene I had the joy of illustrating.

Relish are a truly special company with a meaningful mission: they create thoughtfully designed products to support people living with dementia, helping to spark moments of joy, connection and shared experiences. 

Projects like these are a reminder of why i love what i do, using art to make a difference, to bring colour, joy, creativity and connection into people’s lives.

Stay tuned, Can’t wait to share more about what Aquapaints are and the artwork that created them.

New Artwork

I have got some really exciting new illustrations, patterns and collections ready and available for licensing. 

I am in the process of adding these to my website. (I am adding a password protected section on my site for Art Directors, Manufacturers and Publishers to view new artwork and collections). You can also view my new artwork at the Art Licensing Show

The Art Licensing Show is a website run by Cherish Flieder, founder of The Art Licensing Group on Linkedin. This website is a place for artists, manufacturers, publishers and agents to connect and do business. Like a licensing trade show but online, it is a network devoted to Art Licensing and i am very happy to be part of it.

Here is a small taster of some of my new artwork :)