These grey days...

I LOVE grey rainy days. I also LOVE my home. 

Quite simply there is nothing I enjoy more than to while away the hours in the company of these two loves.

With a cuppa in hand, and a pencil in the other, I finally found the mood to take to the paper. Well, at least to attempt the task that has been looming over-head for so long now. Thank goodness I found an eraser!


The last time I put pencil to paper was almost two years ago. Mr Book and I celebrated our Decade of Toleration by booking ourselves to all the Winter Roasts at Bistrode, Surry Hills. We decided to commemorate our dining experience through illustration and word. My favourite is the illustrated roast of 'Christmas in July' - honey & grain mustard baked korobuta ham, served with sweet potato mash, roast potatoes & green beans. All the diners on the evening wore paper crowns to cheer the auspicious winter feast. We started with a Stone's Winter Royal and ended with a spectacular Christmas pudding, orange & brandy custard.

The Strodes sure know how to put on a mean roast!
- I love how suckling this little piggy poses. How on earth am I suppose to out-draw this happy moment?

Please be easy on me. I'm a little rusty. It's been a while... here we go...

...I was feeling a bit fungy on my first attempt... Ange has titled this 'Desdemona' who was Othello's murdered lover... talk about high drama and we've only just met!


I had to get the WD40 out for this grandma. It most painstakingly took me absolutely ages to get my drawing hand to take instruction. When you're not a natural, trying to come up with a subject matter suitable for a print, can get gruesome. Much like pulling teeth.

…free-form lavender… some dried and withered stems I found at our studio the other day. I like the way they naturally arch like the back of an old woman, sensing her time is close...

I love this photo of the three of us! Sadly, I'm the only one who hasn't moved on from wearing pyjamas in the day time! I meant to illustrate us as we are... which the girls kindly pointed out, I'm obviously the one with the double chin! Take your pick!

…and for mains...

…canard a l'orange - I've been wanting to draw this for some time because it's quite straightforward... a duck and some oranges! There's cognac in the recipe too but let's leave that one out for the faint-hearted. I decided against a beret :) What do you think?




What are all these drawings for, I hear you ask. You may want to stay tuned to the menu, as we are planning a range of tote bags featuring some of these illustrations for Mother's Day.


Well, it looks like the rain is going to stay on for a while yet so there's really no reason to get out of my pyjamas today. My loves and I are all in agreeance that it's time to light up the fireplace, crack open the cigars and have ourselves a Suntory time to celebrate these grey days.


- J