May

News

I have been busy working on and nearly finished the interior illustrations for Lauren St John’s wonderful story “The Snow Angel” which is due for publication this October.  There will be a cover reveal very soon!

The highlight of the month was last week when I had the great pleasure of attending the Read it Again award ceremony hosted by CrossHall Junior School in St Neots.  It was a wonderful day – 8 author/illustrators were shortlisted and the whole event was voted for by 15000 children – how fantastic is that!!?

The very deserving winner was Jarvis for who gave a brilliantly funny speech.  All the books shortlisted were amazing and I was very thrilled to have The Star Tree along side them.

 

Hampstead Affordable Art Fair

Hampstead Affordable Art Fair

11 – 14th May

The Lighthouse Gallery, Penzance are taking new works to the Affordable next week.  Please contact the gallery for the sizes/prices or any other enquiries.

 

mistle-nest cool-eveningsubtle-line across-dark-night

April’s treat!

Each month I will be offering one of the products from The Mistletoe Tree shop at a special price.

April’s Easter treat is the large format blackbird and pear blossom print “The Subtle Line” for £125.00 rather than £150.00.

The print measures 15 x 15 inches and is a very new painting – the title is taken from John Cowper Powys wonderful and strange book “Wolf Solent”

The Mistletoe Tree

The Easter Hare Cards

A special set of ten Catherine Hyde paintings of hares to celebrate Easter and the beginning of Spring available from The Mistletoe Tree Shop

 

 

 

 

Large Prints

My new printer:

I have not only updated my printer but also upsized it.  Many people have asked if I can create larger prints than my 10 x 10 inch ones and I am now able to print up to 15 x 15 which make a really lovely statement on the wall.

 

 

Valentines Day

Imbolc

Marking the passing of Winter and the beginning of Spring and fertility

A Birthday
My heart is like a singing bird
                  Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
                  Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
                  That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
                  Because my love is come to me.
Raise me a dais of silk and down;
                  Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
                  And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
                  In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
                  Is come, my love is come to me.
CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

“The Night Lovers” mixed pack of cards

Card payments!

The Mistletoe Tree Shop is now able to take payments via debit and credit cards although you can still use Paypal if you wish.

Please have a look at the shop at all the new products that have recently been added.

The first 10 orders I receive via SagePay will get a bonus pack of postcards!

 

 

 

As the days lengthen

This new print is from a painting I did a couple of years ago and seems an appropriate image to put up as I find I crave the warmth of pinks and reds at this time of year when the landscape is so often grey and sodden.  Although the days are lengthening it will be some time before we have warmth and growth.

crows-song

The first day of the year

Happy New Year!

2016 was a very good year for me professionally:

My first author/illustrator book “The Star Tree” was published in July and is selling well. I am delighted that it has been nominated for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award for Illustration and shortlisted for the Cambridgeshire Children’s Picture Book Award.

My solo show at Foss Fine Art,London in November was a sell out.

I produced my first Calendar (also sold out) and printed 14 new card designs.

I illustrated for the sublime Elementum Journal and worked on Scratchboard for the first time – a process I absolutely loved and intend to produce more images for prints and cards this year.

It was a privilege to be part of the very last Art in Action in Waterperry Gardens in July.  The atmosphere was, as always, wonderful and it was very special to be amongst so many creative people.

2016 also saw the birth of this lovely new website which has been a joy and a revelation to use.  I am hugely lucky to have the sites bulider and manager Tom Grant of Monrodigital living opposite me – I can semaphore him irritating questions out of my studio window!

In 2017 I am hoping to expand the products in The Mistletoe Tree shop and to have an Online Exhibition. One of my first jobs this year is to enable people to purchase goods via debit and credit cards as well as PayPal as many people seem to prefer to have greater choice in payment methods.

This years solo will be with The Lighthouse Gallery in November.  I’m not sure yet what themes it will follow but the success of the interpretive quality of last years show with Foss is something I am very keen to carry on pursuing.

I am excited about the challenges I’ve set myself for the next few months and hope to keep bringing a little more light and warmth to celebrate our beautiful world which is going through some very dark times.

 

 

Cambridgeshire Picture Book Awards

“The Star Tree” has been shortlisted for the Cambridgeshire Children’s Picture Book Awards!  It is particularly heart warming to know that this is an award voted for by children.

Read it Again! – the children’s picture book award

Read it Again! is the name of the Cambridgeshire Libraries children’s picture book award.

How it works

  • It is a unique award for a first-time picture book where the words and pictures are the work of one individual.
  • Thousands of Cambridgeshire children in local schools read, discuss and then vote for their favourite book from a shortlist of eight titles, all by first-time author/illustrators.
  • The award encourages children to discuss books with their classmates and think about what makes a good book.
  • Library staff visit schools promoting the award to children.