Well it certainly has been a year to remember, although there will be so many people who would far rather forget. My heart goes out to all those who have suffered personal loss under this dreadful virus.
But the enforced isolation from family and friends has given me plenty of time to build up a portfolio of work. Some of my portraits here on this website are private commissions, and many will, like Snow Queen, make it to the printers to be either Limited Edition prints, or open run prints. I have also opened my books to take more commissions. Please see my Prices and Commissions page for more information. I also have, and will continue to expand on, a series of Greetings Cards.
I could never have imagined, when I wrote my first blog here back in January, that the year would go the way it has. Who could have? It has been quite extraordinary and we have all, all over the world, had to get used to a new and uncomfortable 'normal'.
As someone has said 'We are all on the same journey, just not all in the same boat.' Or something like that.
I have been busy rowing my own personal boat with the aid of my coloured pencils which, as you can imagine, has made for very slow progress. And the drawing of 'Snow Queen' has certainly been a very long, slow process. Drawn on Grafix Drafting Film, which is a lovely polyester-based transparent surface, it has taken me weeks to gradually build up the layers to depict the thick luxurious fur and there were many times when I felt like throwing the whole thing overboard.
But I persisted and here she is at last.
'Snow Queen' has finally made it off the drawing board and into the printers.
The wonderful people at Ironbridge Fine Arts and Framing have done a beautiful job of putting my coloured pencil rendition of this beautiful endangered wild cat into an equally rare Limited Edition run of just 25 prints. Signed by myself, the artist, the mounted and wrapped print is approximately 50cms x 44 cms. Giclee printed on museum quality art paper with archival inks, thus ensuring a long life without fading providing it is properly cared for and to that end it also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (seewww.fineart.co.uk/why-choose-arftsure-editions.aspx) and an advice sheet on how to look after your print.
Prints will be delivered free of charge within the UK and will be sent Guaranteed Next Day delivery by Royal Mail.
I might also have some more exciting (well, I'm excited, anyway) news regarding Snow Queen in a few weeks. As they say, watch this space.