Look What I Spotted...

....Oooooh, am so excited! I was just reading Mandy's very lovely blog Belle and Boo (check it out, she does the most beautiful illustrations) when I spotted this photo of a magazine interview she had done...



...and whats that right in the middle of the page...yes, one of my Circuses!!

I must instantly rush out and buy hundreds of copy's to sent to everyone I've ever met! (or in reality 2 copy's for me and Mum...which Mum will end up buying.....thanks Mum, love you!)

Love In a Jar

Just thought I'd quickly show you a little present I made for my Mum recentaly, poor Mum her house is stuffed to the gills with this kind of thing from me and my sister over the years!






But then again who wouldn't want a jar full or butterflies!

First Pigs Now Lions

I think one of the first few posts I did back in 2008 on this blog was about the King Bladuds Pigs public art project here in Bath, it was a great success at the time, so following on from this the same team are now doing another one, so this year we can expect out streets to be colonized by Lions!



I for one cant wait, the Pigs where wonderful and it was so lovely seeing them around the place, bring on the lions!

New for 2010

Yet again another unscheduled blog break, although I do have better reasons this time, so all in all 2009 was a funny old year and in some ways I'm pleased to be getting on with 2010.

So new for this year are my latest products for my little shops, I have finally after about 6 months of meaning to do so, made my Circuses up into flat packs, mean that people can buy one of my design and make them up themselves.









The packs come with 3 sheets with all the parts of the Circus printed out on and the little wooden pole to make the characters in the center turn, all you need to supply is glue, sharp scissors or a craft knife and a cork!

I already sold a batch to an little company in Australia, you can find their shop here, so I'll have to wait and see how popular they are, so far I've only done a few of my designs as flat packs as it takes quite a while to set them up (and try to write comprehensive instructions !!)

Guilt

Guilt, that is what I have right now, guilt that I haven't up-dated the blogs as much as I should, guilt that I don't get as much work done in a day as I should, guilt that I need to do such mundane things as eating and sleeping when I should be working, guilt, guilt guilt!!

This is I find the one major draw back of working from home, the inability to switch off from work. I find myself of an evening gravitating back towards my Mac to just finish this little job off...oh and maybe answer the odd email...oh and I'll just print those Etsy orders off.....and suddenly is midnight arrrrrrr!

One advantage of my recent work obsession is that I finally, after a year of meaning to do it, have built a website for myself! hooray! Ok its not spectacular but at least its somewhere to refer people who are interested in my work too....introducing katwhelan.com



I have ditched my third blog katwhelanillustrations.blogspot and am now using the website, I may eventually (and when I figure out how) move this blog over to there as well but quite frankly just building the site made my brain ache so that will have to wait till another time.

I have been doing many other exciting things, greeting cards, new flat pack Circuses for my Etsy and Folksy shops, a children's book and making some very nice Christmas present for my nearest and dearest all of which I unfortunately can't show you yet, but I will soon!

and finally, did I get to go the the amazing, never to be repeated Banksy exhibition.....No....I was getting married instead.....guilt!

Banksy

Is their anyone on the plant that has not hear of Banksy right now? I think not so I wont bother to explain who he is (what else is google for?), I worked in Bristol for 2 years and was used to seeing his work around he city (usually sprayed 3 storeys up on the side of buildings) so I was really excited to hear he was doing a free exhibition at the Bristol Museum.



They shut the whole place for a couple of months so he could run around setting his artwork up (what an amazing job that must have been!!) at the moment it takes about 2 hours to cue to get in and is probably the most popular exhibition the Museum has ever had running, people for all over the world have been coming to see it!
Which makes me a bit ashamed that Rich and I, who only live 20 minuets away haven't been yet! Well we've got till the end of August, and by God I will go and see it even if I have to stand in rain for 2 hours! Here's what I've been missing...







At this rate we'll be the only people in the south west who haven't seen it, must go to Bristol next week!!!!

Time Slips Away

Ok it is well established by now that I am a bad blogger, but I'm getting married in 6 weeks! that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

I'm also lucky enough to have two children's books I'm working on for an American publisher which is very exciting! that will keep me quite till next March, but in between I'm still trying to producing one or two other bits and bobs as well as trying to keep my shops running smoothly.

Here's two little images I managed to squeeze in:






I'd love to do more things like this, fingers crossed!


©Kat Whelan