I believe that in a world of shiny screens, our eyes long for wobbly edges, loopy letters and texture you could touch.

Explore my work further and discover how we can bring your vision to life, by reading more about my journey below!

Digital Collage

My illustrations are digital collages, crafted by layering elements of drawing, print, found forms, and letters. I love to combine flat, modular, components with striking lines and textures to build pictographic scenes.

I have a huge archive in my head of old fashioned references and historical styles… but so do you!

I believe that within each of our imaginations lives a shared visual vocabulary, formed from the past influences and motifs that surround us each day.

My work resonates with people by weaving together these collective cultural cues; sparking emotion and nostalgia.

I grew up in North Wales, attending school and completing my Art Foundation in Wrexham.

I left to attend art college in Bristol and then London, where I made my professional start in illustration.

I’m now back home, living in the mountains of North Wales.

Work in progress detail: Illustrated Map of Wrexham. A self-initiated project.

Discover more of my digital collages!

Vintage Textures

I’m a hoarder of old annuals, vintage packaging, wallpaper fragments. I salvage any and every kind of paper ephemera

I find joy in inky edges, grainy texture, and the tiny flecks transferred by print. I love the dry drag of a brush, loaded with not-quite-enough paint.

I love the appearance of analogue printing methods and visual hallmarks of older technologies that remind us of the process of making.

J’ adore! Detail from an illustration exploring the textile history of France. Costume and Fashion History has been one of my favourite areas to research.

Using my scanner like a microscope, I like to get closer than the eye can see… to marks, materials and the printed remnants that I collect.

To me, the beauty in these mechanical flaws and hand-drawn wobbles is that they are reminders of a human touch. Textures are tactile! They talk to us and tickle our senses.

Get a feel for texture—take a look at examples from my portfolio!

Featured
National Geographic Traveller City Maps
Map Illustration, Culturally Inspired Lettering, Travel Industry Illustration, Visual Storytelling, Vintage Textures, Emotional Connection
National Geographic Traveller City Maps
Map Illustration, Culturally Inspired Lettering, Travel Industry Illustration, Visual Storytelling, Vintage Textures, Emotional Connection
Map Illustration, Culturally Inspired Lettering, Travel Industry Illustration, Visual Storytelling, Vintage Textures, Emotional Connection
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Book
Pop Up Illustration, Historical Illustration, Children’s Book Illustration, Illustration, Wide Age-Group Appeal, Vintage Textures, Visual Storytelling, Informative Illustration, Pictograms and Infographics
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Book
Pop Up Illustration, Historical Illustration, Children’s Book Illustration, Illustration, Wide Age-Group Appeal, Vintage Textures, Visual Storytelling, Informative Illustration, Pictograms and Infographics
Pop Up Illustration, Historical Illustration, Children’s Book Illustration, Illustration, Wide Age-Group Appeal, Vintage Textures, Visual Storytelling, Informative Illustration, Pictograms and Infographics
‘Buttercup Land’ Illustrated Board Game
Board Game Illustration, Staff Recognition Scheme Illustration, Hand Lettering, Informative Illustration, Visual Branding, Marketing Illustration, Vintage Textures
‘Buttercup Land’ Illustrated Board Game
Board Game Illustration, Staff Recognition Scheme Illustration, Hand Lettering, Informative Illustration, Visual Branding, Marketing Illustration, Vintage Textures
Board Game Illustration, Staff Recognition Scheme Illustration, Hand Lettering, Informative Illustration, Visual Branding, Marketing Illustration, Vintage Textures

Hand Lettering

My work has always involved the interplay of letters and images. In my college sketchbooks, drawing and collage jostled for space with streams of writing.

It was mapmaking that later pushed me from handwriting to hand lettering. And map research that opened my eyes to a world of tasty typographic styles!

I discovered how the personality and history of faraway places shines through the letterforms of its signage, architecture and material culture.

By incorporating these diverse influences into my hand lettering, my work can transport audiences to different cultures, times and places.

After college, I got my start as an assistant at a London studio specialising in illustrated maps. Here I brushed up on my technical skills and learnt the professional side of illustration. I realised I loved mapmaking, sent my work out to magazines and started taking commissions.

I’m proud to have been born in Liverpool. Confession: we actually left when I was still a baby. BUT still, it keeps a special place in my heart and I pop there often.

Montage of hand lettering from a project I loved making, all about Liverpool History.

Early in my career I heard the saying:

Good Typography is Invisible

…and took it as permission to make my hand lettering the opposite; seen and heard!

My lettering techniques echo my approaches with texture. I sometimes fashion found printed shapes into letterforms, playing with scale to reveal invisible edges and unique flaws. I love to create big letters with the proportions of small print.

I also draw inspiration from printed words from the past . From a few found letters I craft entire alphabets. I draw follow my own rules, instead of the rules of type, amplifying the peculiarities.

Characters have character!

Lettering is so expressive, each style acts like a distinct voice in dialogue. Throughout my illustrations, hand lettering guides and communicates but also forms an emotional connection, ensuring the audience not only reads, but also feels, the message.

Discover the expressive charm of hand lettering! Explore examples from my portfolio:

My Credentials

Education

Royal College of Art, London

MA Communication Art and Design 2004 - 2006

University of the West of England, Bristol

BA Hons Illustration 1998-2001

Select Client List

Royal Museums Greenwich, National Geographic Traveller, Quarto Books, Reader’s Digest, The Museums Association, Maison Marcy, John Brown Media, Ink Global, Norwegian Cruise Line

Memberships

A member of the Association of Illustrators

Student of The Good Ship Illustration (and proud Good Ship Badge owner)

Craft Your Message Today!

Using vintage textures and vibrant palettes, I'll design art that feels both fresh and familiar. Get in touch, and let's craft something unforgettable!