Nice To Meet You (again)
A reintroduction to my blog for 2026. Hi, I'm Nicola, a picturebook illustrator and author. Nice to meet you (again).
urban sketching on location, capturing the atmosphere and essence of a particular place and time. Sketching the people, the activities and the environment. This can be in urban or rural settings and record special events or everyday life. Drawing and painting scenes around Reading, Berkshire. Also travel sketching around the UK and abroad.
Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025
I just got back from my first visit to the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) and (like loads of other illustrators) I've decided to tell you all about it. Read on for pop-ups, sketching, Sydney Smith, and The Wall.
winter round-up
A round-up of the arty things I've been doing over the last few winter months. Featuring illustration, book making, knitting and lemon pigs.
Wobbly Taxidermy
Feeling a bit wobbly, I made wobbly drawings of the not so wobbly things in Reading Museum. A roundup of the October session of USk Reading.
Tiny Funfair & A Coffee Van
Urban sketching around Reading town centre on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Drawn Back In
This month I've been drawn back in to drawing from life. Here I share my many life drawing and USk sketches from March.
Watercolour is my happy place
My journey from original watercolour landscapes to picture book illustrations via a myriad of materials. And why I still keep coming back to watercolour.