Well seeing as though its Halloween I decided to do start sketching the apt character design of my ghost girl from my new story! So far its only in pencil but I shall add colour soon. She is a maid from the 18th Century and her name, currently, is Aisling. I may consider a shorter Ash or even an Aine! She works for a Dutch family of Merchants that have decided to settle in the Maradyke area of Cork City...

The start of any new project usually brings with it heaps of research tasks. Especially when you are trying to illustrate a certain place or time period. So for my new picture book project the starting point for me has been to re-create as accurately as possible street maps of my 18th century city! Using four A2 pages, 3 disposable camera's, 5 or 6 hours spent in Cork City library and a 1789 map kindly donated by my uncle Pat, I have recreated a map of Cork City circa 1790-1800 on my bedroom wall.


Funnily enough I also discovered an illustration on a map of Cork City from 1750 with an illustration by a certain Mr. D Corbett... good omen I hope!


I would also just like to take this chance to thank Fiona and everyone at Saint Johns College for enthusiastically listing to me waffle on about drawing yesterday morning! Cheers guys.

This Friday, October 22nd, I will be visiting Saint Johns Central College on Sawmill Street, Cork City to give a talk to design and illustration students on picture book illustration, studying illustration at home in Ireland and abroad and the creative process that I go through when creating illustrations

I currently have 3 framed illustration prints available for sale at the Salon at the Bodega exhibition in Saint Peter's Market, Cork City. They're the 3 illustrations from the story, Anna in the Little Match Girl. They're available at the very reasonable prices of 60 Euro each.


Check them out! 

Firstly, thanks for checking me out! Im hoping to use this site both as a portfolio site and as a means to sharing my illustration work and creative process. Im currently at the very early stages of writing and illustrating a very big picture book and Ill be posting up character designs and page layouts over the coming months.


Also, Id just like to say a big thank you to Kevin Corcoran and Lily Reilly for getting me involved in the excellent Half and Half exhibition that is currently being shown at the Vineyard in Cork City.


And my dog Fred is 13 today. Happy Birthday Freddie!


Here is my collaboration piece I completed with Kevin!