Some artists can toil away in freezing attics for decades without recognition.  Not me.  I love a compliment, I love seeing the look of wonder in people's faces when I hand over their book, transformed beyond recognition, I like to see their happy smiles.  Does that make me shallow?  I hope not.

Don't get me wrong.  I do work on a lot of projects that I do not have a customer for - books that I just fall in love with and feel a burning need to transform.  The Russian Legends book I blogged about earlier is one of those.  Maybe they will only ever be loved by me. and that is OK too.   In fact I am working on a series of projects now that I am terribly excited about, that are not commissions, but just the fruit of my meandering mind.  They will take a while to bring to fruition, but I can't wait to share them with you all.

Back to work after a long spell of illness - caught a really nasty bug in New Orleans.  It feels so good to be working again - I have such amazing projects going on at the moment.  Today I have been using one of the most humble - yet most satisfying tools.

I am working on a fabulous edition of Walt Whitman's the Sleepers, with the most fabulous woodcuts, as you can see below.  And I think I have designed a cover worthy of it.  I hope you think so too!