Bit of tweaking

A week or so has gone by and the ambition I had for this project has run a little dry. With Jess being so young and needed so much of my time, grabbing the odd hour here and there has been trying. I have the ideas, my brain is buzzing - but its connecting those thoughts to my hand which has been the tricky part. On Wednesday I was given a couple of hours in the afternoon to do some work, but the pressure to use them wisely was too much and everything I did was, to but it nicely, rubbish.

A couple of days have gone by, and its the weekend. We are breakfasted, showered, the sun is shining through the window and my head is in my sketchbook. I do tend to work a lot better during the day - I would imagine most artists are the same. Time is tight so I better crack on - but first, here is where the poster image has got to since the last post. Little further on, but a while to go. Hopefully Jess will give me time today to get on!

Finished cutting.

This will feature on the new website, quite pleased with the Photoshop skills which have been collecting stoor for the past 9 months.

More to come...

Latest doodlings

Hello there,

Few weeks since the last post, but I though I better bite the bullet and start uploading some work!

With the pressure for me to return to work looming, I have put down the remote and picked up a pencil. Tiredness is no longer an excuse if I am to reach my new target - to be my own boss by 30. Gives me a good 3 and a half years to get cracking, which seems like a lot, but my gorgeous little bundle is already 6 months and it feels like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.

I have started sketching for the children's book I have started and stopped 6 times over - these will follow (It's amazing how scary a blank piece of paper can be after hiding from your sketchbook for a few months!)

The stuff I am working on just now is for the latest addition to my Aunt's famous Mexican restaurant, Viva Mexico, in Edinburgh. An exciting venture is taking place in the basement and I have been honored with the task of deigning the marketing material. It was all very rushed, so the initial flyers etc didn't include my vision, but I have a bit longer for the poster, so I have let my imagination run riot. Two initial doodles for now, finished articles to follow in a couple of days. So watch this space...

Time to start

http://instagr.am/p/VObiMSBggg/
Having spent the last five months breastfeeding, changing bums, bathing, entertaining, calming, kissing, cuddling, sterilizing, carrying, singing to, reading to, photographing and worrying about jess, I finally feel confident and awake enough to start posting the work I/we have been doing over the past few weeks. Also helps that I've finally worked out the benefits of my phone - through which I can update on the move! How convenient!
So to start of the next stage, here's some wonderful flowers jess' dad sent me, while I've been staying at my mums.
I also have a couple of things that me and jess have made, that were very easy to make, and fantastic keepsakes.

She's here!

Well, two weeks have gone by.

Our beautiful baby girl arrived on the 25th of August. Like most, labour didn't go quite to plan, but a few short hours after everything began, Jess was placed into my arms. It is true what all mothers say. The feeling is indescribable. Every priority I had in my life at that point melted away, and she became it. The reason I'm here. She is perfect, just thinking about her makes me smile. I can truly say that I am now complete.

Bringing her home was exciting but daunting. I suddenly didn't have an expert at the end of a buzzer. One piece of advice I would give to women giving birth in a hospital. Stay there one night. Just one. You will sleep, get something to eat, and above all, give yourself time to adjust in the comfort of a clean, safe environment with wonderful women on hand to bring you anything you might need.

Two weeks on, and she is still mesmerising. I often find myself just staring at her. Tony keeps telling me off for holding her too much, but I just can't help it!

The generosity we have encountered has been amazing. I was told when we we're expecting not to buy anything, because people will give us everything we need...and they we're not wrong! Her room is chocked full to the brim with toys and clothes. So, I intend to pass that advice on too. Get yourself the basics, but leave all the fancy frocks and stuffed animals to the well wishers!

As we decided to call her Jessica, the recurring theme with most her gifts was rabbits. It has encouraged me to get my paint brush out and start doodling. I will post my scribbles once I am happy with any of them...my "skills' as an artist have been somewhat abandoned as off late. So watch this space...

About to pop...

As I am about to enter into one the biggest and challenging changes in my life, I have decided to keep an artistic diary expressing the physical and mental changes that as a new mum, I will experience first hand. While at the same time, building a new portfolio - post birth - which I then hope will lead me into a new and fulfilling career.

I had only graduated from my MSc in Publishing a few short months before I discovered I was expecting. I was scared, confused, upset but I felt that this was meant to happen and that thought was what helped me through the transition from my young and free lifestyle into a newly domesticated and selfless woman. Over the past 9 months, I have felt myself change dramatically. I am much more grounded, focused and, I am now excited and ready to become a mother.

Photography by Chris Park

I have already felt the inspiration deep within me beginning to develop and grow, and I know that my baby will encourage me to find my way. I have to. For them. I will find my place in this world for them. And I am so happy to have that to live for.