ILLUSTRATING FOR GLAMOUR & VOGUE

The following post is a shout out to my old tutor who told me I wouldn't get anywhere in fashion without a degree.

The last year or so, since I properly registered myself as a business I have literally worked my metaphorical balls off. I know I go on about my lack of spare time constantly, and I promise not to moan so much anymore... but literally, if I'm not at work (my retail job) I'm painting. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a chore. I love working from home. I get up early, have a bath, make myself a big coffee and paint for hours with the company of my now very good friends Lorraine Kelly, Jeremy Kyle, Holly Willoughby & Philip Schofield. Doing what I love all day is hardly something to complain about, the hard part comes when I don't see some of my real life friends for weeks on end & feel I'm in a never ending cycle of being either at home or at work. Sometimes I get to go to the post office to post orders, which is somewhat of a luxury.

 

Recently, all off this hard work majorly paid off. I was approached by my favourite magazine since I was a teenager, Glamour, to illustrate a two page spread in their December issue about Vente Privee , which if you haven't already checked out then you need to. In the fashion world, you're supposed to play things cool, but I made no secret to them of the fact I was super excited about this. After a lot of long days and late nights getting all my illustrations ready, they were really happy with the piece. So much so, that they wanted the feature to be printed in the Vogue December issue to (they have the same publishers.) At this point I was a bit past excited and more in a dream like state. Which to be honest, I haven't really snapped out of. I thought the whole thing would feel more real when I paid Mr Tesco a visit to pick up my copies... but I still felt like someone was playing a very elaborate joke on me. I thought it was more likely that Ashton Kutcher might jump out and me and tell me I'd been Punk'd. Still no sign of Ashton though, so I'm starting to think this in fact isn't a prank and I can share it with you.  

 

I have to lastly mention, I could not have achieved what I have in the last year without the support of my gal pals and family. It is my business & I'm very much a one woman band, but their constant advice, help and support has just been invaluable. I'm useless with technical things, so they help me with graphics and anything technology related, they come and sit with me at my markets so I can go for a tinkle and eat some lunch and they generally help me to believe in myself and make me push myself. The amount of friends and family that brought the magazines the day they came out and sent me photos was so overwhelming. Y'all made a girl feel very loved. I recently read a quote; "Behind every successful women is a tribe of other successful women who have her back"... now I'm not really one for a motivational quotes, they generally make me feel a bit sick,  but this is was the most relevant and true thing I had read all year.

 

I'm going to sign off now before I start crying, but if you'd like to view or buy any of my work you can visit my website here.

 

Over & Out

 

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