I’m very excited. It’s a little over a week now until the release of the new issue of my illustrated journal, The Beany.

It’s been a long time coming; nearly four years since I released the third issue. Since then life has had its ups (studying for an MA in fine art, beginning to work full time as an artist) and downs (the death of my mother and some health struggles), but there was always drawing.

This new issue covers a period of about a year when I was dealing with both the death of my mother and low energy and enthusiasm. Drawing, as it has before in my life, proved my way out of the dark days as I embarked on a search for the little things in my world that gave me joy and started to draw them. From my lovely red telephone, to cups of tea and chocolate cake, as I drew each line I felt the colour slowly flow back into my world.

Colour has become increasingly important in my life (I recently painted my studio) and my work, so I was delighted to make this issue of The Beany a colour one! There are to be two versions. A paperback version that will be available to buy from Blurb and a very limited edition hardback version (which you can see in the above picture and will be available directly from me). Both are released on 29th January.

Check back tomorrow for details of how you can pre-order the hardback version for a reduced price until launch day, plus find out how I’m going to be emulating the wonderful Seth Godin (in a very small way!)