I have been wanting to use a cozy homestead as the focus of an illustration for a long time. The palette in this week's challenge seemed to suit the mood of a cozy, indoors moment. I sometimes wonder if I should begin illustrating more often as I find so much joy in creating worlds rather than mimicking what I see on a landscape. What you see is somewhat of a dream home for me: kitty cat by the wood burner, comfy chair and clothes, warm cuppa, Georgian window, a sweater waiting to be knit, stacks of books to be read, and socks warming naturally. Hope you feel cozy and at home when you look through.

I sketched in the darkest color on the palette so I would have the definition at the end (see picture one). Then working in thirds I applied the three additional colors. What I mean by "working in thirds" is I added three locations for each color to make the piece feel balanced. Then I could add dabs here and there to create more depth (see pictures two and three). Once the initial watercolor was painted I then went in with watercolor pencil to add details to items like the flower pot, curtains, and yarn. It was somewhat difficult to mix the colors correctly but made it in the end!

The hue of blue will always remind me of the iconic wares from Cornwall. The blue and white stripe seemed to balance the yellow and burnt sienna florals. This piece is layered starting with colorful washes of yellows and oranges, then overlaid with watercolor pencil sketches to define certain areas and give some gestural emotion to the piece. The final step is overlaying additional washes to create a watery effect and apply more definition and depth to the florals. This was created in the span of about 30 minutes and was really good fun to create.

I've joined up with artists around the world and one very special Esté MacLeod for the #coloricombo 2022 weekly color palette prompts. I did not sign up in time for Week #1, but here are the sketches from Week #2.

Small break from my watercolors to experiment with acrylic and line art. Lines fascinate me and always have. They create texture, depth, definition, mood with one organic stroke of my hand, one meditation of my brain saying, "A line here. A line here. A line here." The end result struck me as it's a kind of self-portrait. I'm excited to explore this.

10 King's Bench Walk touched base with me regarding a brand refresh. A well-known law firm in London, some nod to tradition must be kept however the client wanted a more modern approach to the type as well as showing an integration of their core areas. I wanted the logo to convey an easy-to-approach, professional team that can easily adapt to any media placed. The palette was created to give a sub-brand to each core area.

Pictures from Collectors are an absolute delight. Each piece is thoughtfully placed where it can be enjoyed throughout the day. The Norwegian cottage now lives in a lovely home in Austin, TX. 

​If you have any pictures you'd like to send, please email hello@ashley-stuart.com. Ensure there are no personal items in the photos as these may be shared on my social media and website. Thank you!

A start-up in Chicago wrote me regarding a new logo, typography, and color palette for their consultancy business. Working with a strong type for the mark was key, especially with the simplicity of sans serif and slab serif lines. The three logos above were the initial concepts; the chosen concept is below.

The latest commission with the dearest birdbath in the garden. Really love the control and outcome of the washes for each of the tree spaces. The house is made of brick and stone, but I didn't want to add too many details as it would take away from the whole piece. Looks like a lovely and inviting home! Can't wait to see my client's faces when they see it in person.