Merry Xmas!

Single Mum Illustration

Finally got around to adding this month's installment of 'Single Mum' for Reform magazine. This month, the article by Lucy focuses on what it must be like for her son to grow up without a father, particularly now he is a teenager. It's not always easy to be a mother and father figure to your child when you are a single parent...

EC1 London

I've been out painting the town blue. This fetching box can be viewed on Old Street, opposite the delightful bicycle cafe 'Look Mum No Hands' who are also selling my cycling bags and handkerchiefs: http://www.lookmumnohands.com/

Details about the origin of this project are here: www.urbansmartprojects.com

Sunday Express

This is the illustration I did recently for a short story in The Sunday Express magazine which shows the female character having second thoughts about sharing her Raspberry Pavlova...

Little Morreton Hall

I've just finished working on this image of Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire which is owned by the National Trust.

The late medieval courtyard manor house is one of the finest examples of timber framed architecture in England. So picturesque is the house that it has been described as “a ginger bread house lifted straight from a fairy story”

I think I'll take a break from wooden beams for a while

I've been itching to get this new piece of work up on my blog for ages but just haven't had the chance. Finally, I can put it up today. It is the next illustration to accompany the 'Single Mum' column for Reform. This month's story was how Sav (the son of Lucy) sometimes feels that he can't always explain to his mum that her comments can come across as hurtful. The colours on this print also match the original artwork (unlike last month's) so I am really pleased with it.

A Tiny bit Marvellous

Dawn French's first novel is out this week. I drew the tiny little dog in the middle!

Blue Suede Shoes

Happiness at Work

Sandra, Sarah and I are taking part in an exhibition of work by past and present members of 'Happiness at Work' studio, at the Print house gallery in Dalston. The studio, at the Turk's head in sunny Wapping, was set up in 2002 and has hosted some of London's most creative artists and designers, including Simone Lia, Catell Ronca, Rob Lowe and Fumio Obata.

The show is open from 9am til 5pm from 29th October - 15th November (11 - 4 at weekends)

PRIVATE VIEW: Thursday 28th October, 6.00 - 8.00pm at the Print House Gallery, 18 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL. Hope to see you there.....there will be music, drink and happiness! :-)

Work on Creative Bedfordshire Website

I received an email yesterday from a lady from Bedfordshire Council saying that they were using one of my illustrations for their Creative Bedfordshire website front page for the next few days. I'm very flattered they would like to use my work to promote their site and they have credited me at the bottom of the page too. Here is the picture they have used.

Sunday Express

I did an illustration recently for the Sunday Express magazine which was in yesterday's paper. It was about a couple out to dinner with their teenage son sharing some important news. This was a relatively easy one for me to do as the designer simply wanted the three hands clinking champagne glasses.

Advocate

Those good people at Advocate have taken me under their wing(s):

http://blog.advocate-art.com/2010/09/introducing-drum-roll-sandra-howgate/

Single Mum Illustration

Here is number three in the series of 'Single Mum'. The story this month relates to Lucy taking Sav to a fancy coffee shop and the utter embarrassment she faced when he shouted out swearwords that he had picked up from playgroup.

Only Connect

Exhibition image, group show of 'Happiness at Work' alumni opens on the 28th October at the Print House Gallery in Dalston, London and will run for a month.

Gumbo at Lodestar Festival

4 Intrepid Gumbo's made their way to the Lodestar Festival in Cambridge on the 4th September for a weekend of creative doodling and free love! A great time was had by all involved with weird and wonderful creations emanating from pencil and brush alike.

A new Gumbo project is in the pipeline so watch this space for more details

More Ukes

Another repeat pattern, but enjoyed using two colours for this print, shakes it up a bit.

Ukulele fabric

This is a repeat pattern of strummers, full length: 3m, printed onto linen. Need to figure out what to make out of all that fabric! I learnt this at Printworks in Brixton over the summer, it was a fun week.

Cycling bags

Have also started printing onto bags - this one I made myself...

Recycling cyclists

As promised, cyclists on fabric!

London transport poster competition

This inspired much drawing of cyclists, however, as you can see, just one was used for this poster. I've recycled the other cyclists for another project as I've been learning how to print onto fabric over the summer. Will post up the fabric samples very soon.

New 'Single Mum' Illustration.

My second 'Single Mum' illustration for Reform magazine. The brief was quite challenging this month as I had to convey a young woman, alone, with her new born baby, feeling anxious about how on earth she might cope but with the comforting thought that God was with her. Despite being slightly tricky to depict, I was really pleased with the results and hope Lucy (the subject/writer of the piece) is too when she see's it! Here is the picture on it's own and within the spread.

Sture & Manuel

Would a vacuum cleaner really want to be a piano, and would a cat like to become an opera singer? New picture book from publishers Gyldendal.

Jenny gets tough

Images from "Jenny gets tough", a new book from Norwegian publishers Samlaget about a young girl who disappears into the forbidden woods.

Women's Weekly

Here's a little job I did recently for Women's Weekly. The story was based on a housewife's memories of a holiday in Mexico.

Harriet Russell online shop!

These bike owl t-shirts are one of the first products to be available in my brand new online shop! They are limited edition, screenprint on organic cotton tees, available in a variety of sizes. The shop is pretty small at the moment (I only have four products so far...) but there will be more coming soon, and I will be selling a variety of books, prints, cards, t-shirts and more! Go to Harriet Russell's shop to have a look.

Map of Italy

I have been working on an illustrated map of Italy for a few weeks now on and off and finally found the time to finish it yesterday. I came to the conclusion that I really should have a map in my portfolio so I set myself the challenge and am really pleased with the results. It took a while but it was worth all the effort!

New book VILE, out 23rd July. published by Lion Hudson

New Pic!

I've just finished another illustration, which is of a good friend of mine, Teresa. I did the main drawing before I went in for my tonsillectomy recently and have been itching to finish it ever since! Yesterday, I finally felt well enough to sit at my computer and complete it. I am still heavily dosed up on painkillers but thankfully I can still do some artwork, which is keeping me sane at the moment!