I absolutely love drawing. I’m not especially good at it, because I never find the time for it regularly, but it soothes my brain to draw lines and colour in. It’s nice. I always wanted to be an illustrator, but back when University seemed like something that would decide your whole life, I think I believed that old chestnut that talent was something you just had, rather than earned. Of course, calling it a talent instead of something a person has worked hard to hone and improve is rather dismissive, but I didn’t realise that at the time. And so, I did not consider myself talented enough to pursue any illustration dreams. The nicest compliments I’ve ever received is when people tell me my sculptures have an illustrative quality, or have a comic book style. It delights me that there are people out there who think that way about them.

I’ve been in business for nearly twenty years now, and my skills as a paper artist have improved so much that I sometimes feel a bit self conscious or embarrassed by sculptures I made in those early days. But they were the very best I could make at the time and I was pleased to sell them. I hope my customers who purchased them are still happy with those pieces. So I continue to keep sketchbooks and I know I’ll improve along the way. I was reminded recently of a conversation I had with my favourite Uni tutor, John Grayson, years after I graduated. He introduced me to his family and said ‘we always told Kate she was doing the wrong course. We always thought she should have been doing illustration!’ That was something he had actually never said to my face before, but clearly he’d talked about it with my other tutors. It’s always odd to know what people thought of you after the fact. He’d made a special visit to my open studio at Manchester Craft and Design Centre and it surprised me he’d even remember me. I didn’t think he’d thought of me at all- after or even during my degree. I loved my Design: Crafts degree, which focused on wood, plastics and metal smithing, but I always felt out of my depth with the materials and equipment. I relied heavily on my sketchbooks and paper prototypes. Clearly I never left paper behind.

I’d love to do a course at some point. I found myself googling The Open University and discovered it’s around 6K to do a degree. On my income, that seems excessive to do for fun, but there are more expensive hobbies, I suppose! Maybe when I’m an old lady, that’s how I can spend my retirement; collecting degrees and enjoying courses.

Drawing has always informed my designs, just like a cartoonist starts with a circle, then adds a triangle. That’s how I build my sculptures. I think it is also similar to drafting a pattern for sewing, which is something I also enjoy doing.

My sketchbooks are always full of meandering facts and anecdotes about the birds I’m researching. I like using sketchbooks as a way to immerse myself in my subject matter, collecting all the data as I go, pretending I’m Audubon or Darwin. They are my own little encyclopaedias and almanacs. Sometimes I purposefully draw things at a weird angle, so I can highlight a feather pattern or something in a place I might otherwise forget about when I’m making my sculptures. My sketches are my references for all of my designs. I like to disconnect from actual photographs when I’m building my sculptures, because then I can concentrate on the style or character I’ve tried to convey in my doodles. This interests me more that attempting some sort of realistic sculpture, since the closer you are to realism, the more likely it is to end up a bit creepy looking. I’m after cuteness, not Uncanny Valley.

My sketchbook writing is different to my usual writing. I’m not sure if I’m subconsciously trying to be more aesthetically cohesive, or if I’m one of those creepy people graphologists study in a crime movie. I usually write with my right hand and paint with my left, too, which makes me question which hand is my most dominant. I write and use scissors with my right; my left does almost everything else.

I have so many nice pencils and pens to use in my sketchbooks- my mum likes to spoil me with a lovely set of something at Christmas! It is an awful thing to admit, but being the baby of the family is nice! My favourite thing to use is watercolour and gouache paints. I should preface this by saying I have no idea of the proper techniques involved in how to actually use them! I enjoy playing around with things. The point of creativity is to have fun, not panic over proper technique. My favourites are Caran D’Ache Genéve and Holbein Artists’ Watercolours. (Though, if you’re a fellow vegan, note that the Holbein ivory black that comes with the set is not vegan, so use at your own discretion. I gave mine away.)

My favourite place to draw is my dad’s garden, in the shade of an apple tree. I often draw in front of my laptop, because the perfect reference photo is a mere google away. I also have encyclopaedias and I love a nature programme. I’m not sure I have the speed skills required for video or life drawing. Things move so quickly! But there is also something to be said of the freedom of this technique too. Drawing is my hobby and I like to play.