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With my introduction and historical text for each drawing safe in the hands of the publishers, it was next time to think about the cover design. Meanwhile I met with my agent in London about another exciting book that he instantly thought would be 'right up my street', satirical, naughty, fun-poking and a play on the English language. I returned to the studio to work on illustrations and started reading endless Spike Milligan and Tommy Cooper scripts.

So, the last time I mentioned the drawing progress for my Country House Colouring Book, I had completed the first 30/40, that was the half way point with another 40 to go. I got there, and just in time, delivering in October, and the team at Pavilion and the National Trust couldn't get over the speed I'd produced the nearly 90 unique drawings in just 3 months, to be really honest, neither can I but I was oviously totally engrossed and in love with the job. Throughout the commission, every morning armed with a fresh coffee I'd crack on with the daily research of each propoerty; the info I gathered I wanted to illustrate and highlight to readers. It had to be an interesting story. be about the property's design or its former-inhabitants. Whatever story it was, it had to get me excited and allow my imagination and pencils to bring it to life. All the photographic research done of the property interiors gave me rich patterns and details that could provide the page designs with wonderful surface pattern perfect for colouring-in. Once the artwork for each page was complete, I spent the final and 4th month editing and documenting all the interesting historical notes I'd made; these will go in the colouring book, taking you all on a mini National Trust journey of discovery. I received a layout plan of the book pages for me to double check the sizing of the drawings on each oage and to double check everything, marking on notes etc when necessary, it was like Christmas when it came through the door, I looked over it once I'd settled with a nice strong brew and then got all excited, suddenly the book was incredibly real. AJ

I can't believe I'm reading that my last blog post was made in July, I'm horrified! I have got valid excuses though, honest. It's been a mixture of broken technology, another 50 or so A2 drawings and research of National Trust propoerties for the Country House Colouring Book, see the exciting temp cover design above that we're using to promote it! After all those months confined to a garden shed staring at my easel, I had an inspiring, well-deserved 2 week hol to Andalusia, not to mention a special preview of the NT drawings to organise for the Cotswolds and then shutting myself away in a new studio doing endless brainstorming developing exciting book ideas. I have been extremely good with the social networking side which I'm sure many of you will have kept in tune with for the past 4 months, if you haven't then here are my pages listed for you to check out the summer progress in more detail. Facebook: Amy Jane Adams-AJA: Fine Artist & Author Linkedin: Amy Jane Adams: Fine Artist & Author Twitter: @Artfulofhistory Next, I'm going to gradually fill you all in on here about August, Sept, Oct & Novemeber and hope you will forgive me for slacking. I'm exhausted but good-exhausted, you know what I mean! AJ Hope you like the improved design of my site,

I couldn't put the Bunratty St.George alongside the Snwshill St.George in my last post so here it is for you to see the comparisons too....its uncanny. AJ

The first of my drawings for my book have been delivered and I've been very busy researching the final 30 properties on the list and drawing away! Today I'm researching the quirky Snowshill Manor, home of the eccentric Charles Paget Wade, architect, writer, poet, painter and passionate promoter of arts & crafts. Snowshill was the first National Trust property that my grandmother took me to as a child; the house itself is filled with the most diverse collection of beautifully crafted objects from around the world. Charles didn't travel himself very much but an income from a family-owned plantation in St.Kitts enabled him to import unique pieces of interest, requesting his friends and associates source them for him. My most vivid memory of the place prior to visiting once again several months ago was the rich inviting use of turquoise on the ground floor that was just perfect setting off the most exquisite small laquered chinese cabinets on stands. I remembered the bonkers loft filled with endless penny farthings and the theatrical and slightly disturbing collection of Samurai armour complete with masks staring with large empty eye sockets and snarling mouths covered in coarse-greying beards. My object of interest at Snowshill right now though is the painted hand-carved statue of St. George & the Dragon which can be found hung on the exterior wall of Charles Wade's cottage in the garden. An object of patriotism, it sits appropriately surrounded by the vast untouched Gloucestershire hills. Newly restored, its surface is bright and its gilded finish ensures it goes unoticed. Most accounts available regarding the statue state that the piece commissioned by Charles Wade is a larger copy of a carving of a 15th century St.George in the V & A museum. I've studied the small carving in the V & A mseum collection and there are similarities but I'm suspicious. Significantly I have discovered what I believe to be the most likely inspiration for Wade's c.1920 commission, a St George & The Dragon carved in lime wood and held in an important Medieval collection at Bunratty Castle, Co.Clare, Ireland . Its similarities are striking; St george's posture stands in the favoured Italianate contrapposto (thats leaning on one leg more than the other to you and me), he stands triumphantly on top of the struggling dragon mid-slay, a dense-curled mop identical to Bunratty's, his face too handsomley chistled with a noblemans jaw proudly held high, large angelic eyes with aloof-heavy lids, super-cool and far beyond the heroic-chivarlric moment at hand. The arms are different I will admit, the Bunratty carving with an arm held high gripping his spear. The Bunratty St George measures at 6 ft, I have yet to measure the Snowshill version but it too is large. To be cont'd.................... AJ

Last Wednesday I popped along in a 1950's Norman Hartnel yellow damask silk coat to the gorgeous book launch for Lucy & Jo's new book 'Techbitch' at Mulberry, New Bond Street. Jo and Lucy looked gorgeous and were so excited. I know both Lucy's sisters Alice and Plum but I'd not met blond bombshell NY Lucy before, Lucy has seen a portrait I've done and was reminded by twin sis Plum of the work, Lucy went on to sign my copy of her novel 'AMY, THE AMAZING ARTIST, YOU ROCK!' (blush big time). It was a glittering event filled with creatives and fashionistas sipping on marmalade coctails; I met the legend that is Nicky Haslam who I think I annoyed by complementing him too much on his artistic abilities, I said "Nicky, I'm a draughtsman and watercolourist too, can I just tell you how much I love your interior watercolours? They're so lovely!" Mr Haslam's response, "Yes, they are rather lovely aren't they." Modesty is the best policy as they say! I also met the dainty and quirky-gorgeous Ella Catliff , a CSM grad fashion blogger from Sussex, Ella I loved your style and had such a giggle, looking forward to meeting up again. I also met the demure and long-locked lovely Cambridge grad journalist/blogger Morwenna Jones along with her fascinating buddy international reporter Oliver James . Look forward to seeing you both again too!

I don't want to give too much away because I'll only spoil the surprise but here is a drawing of Bateman's, East Sussex. Bateman's was the home of author and master of children's books Rudyard Kipling. The 'Jungle Book' (1894) is one of his most famous stories and was inspired by Kiplings immense adoration for India having been born in Bombay where his father was in the army. My drawing is complte with monkeys trawling the roof enjoying a bit of reading time, the decoration and patterns are taken from Indian textiles. Kipling had a difficult childhood; he was sent back to England with his 3 yr old sister as a young boy to school and suffered asbuse at the hands of his guardians, the Holloway's, a couple living in Southsea, Portsmouth. Kipling wrote of his horrid experiences during this turbulent time, acknowleding that the ill treatment and neglect he received enabled him to escape into an imaginative world, giving him a creative mind that would enchant many for years to come.

Good morning! 40 drawings are complete for my first book. I'm managing to complete 2 drawings a day which is more than I anticipated, I'm on a role! I have a small summer house in the garden that I call 'The Shed ', it has windows on most sides, its hexagonal, wooden and with a felt roof so even on a chilly day gets nice 'n toasty. I cover the walls at all times with the lastest drawings so I can see how the order of pages in the book will look, I want each page to be different, exciting and surprising, cant have you all getting bored! To me some drawings are ever so slightly stronger than others; I might love a detail on a drawing compelted 5 days previously or the overall perspective I thought was ace so having it near to me is important, identifying strenghts will ensure that the book retains quality throughout. Its very important to be self critical..... there isn't too much time on my hands to think about this though so I'm having to put pressure on myself and in many cases be harser than usual. Twice a week the drawings rotate; once the walls are full I remove the oldest and put them away on the 'Delivery Pile' for The National trust & Pavilion Books, I always keep the drawings in order so I have a little reshuffle and begin working on the next few pages, putting those up on the walls too once complete. Let me introduce to you 'The Shed'........

Hello Folks! Oh dear, AJ has been very naughty and neglected her blog for far too long, I think when you read what exactly all the excitement has been about in the past few weeks then you might forgive me. I have just signed my first book deal with the National Trust and Pavilion Publishing ; its been a dream for 5 years now to work with the National Trust, I feel very lucky and am grateful to my agent Charlie Brotherstone at Ed Victor Ltd, Katie Bond Head of NT Publishing & Peter Taylor, Senior Comissioner for Pavilion/NT Books. I've always had huge respect for the amazing buildings rescued & managed by the NT. The book will feature my pencil drawings of both the interior & exterior of NT properties, I have to undertake 90 drawings by August, thats a HUGE amount but just about achievable. As welI as being a fine artist I am a keen writer and researcher of historical architecture, it fascinates me and courtesy of my chimney & door loving grandmother & my childhood spent with her curb crawling manors, I get all excited over finials & galvanised steel to name but a few. The book will include my historical notes on the buildings; a little of the building's story and the drawing's concept. The past few weeks have involved careful planning. Last week I carried out extensive research of NT properties, I've read up on nearly 150 of them, firstly the most visited by a staggering 4.1 million supportive members and not to mention millions of non-members, the most visited have 50k or more visitors every year. I've made sure the book features a property from every county in the UK & Northern Ireland so nobody feels left out! I believe in the underdog building so once I'd studied the famous and most loved I was keen to delve into the stories of former inhabitants & design of lesser known NT properties, looking for details that I believe are worth highlighting and promoting, and of course there are elements to the exterior or interior that I thought stunning or that are going to enable me to create an inspiring visual work of art. My witt is also playing a role which makes this job especially fun for me and I hope when the book is released in March 2016, will make it all the more enjoyable for you to own. Pardon, but I must go and draw now! AJA

The most recent pencil portrait is complete and has been presented to the client, they adore it, which is brill news. I delivered the portrait to the framers today where Oliver is awaiting to essemble the groovy bespoke red perspex frame supplied by sculptor Dan Chadwick. Here's me doing the final touches to the piece.......

The answer? NICHOLAS HILLIARD: Official miniturist to the hottest people around, that is though in Elizabethan England. Here is Hilliards portrait of FRANÇOIS, DUKE OF ALENÇON AND ANJOU, the only foreign suitor to have courted Queen Bess in person. I've always been aware of Hilliard due to being a Tudor obsessed child, his vast array of surviving paintings give us a clear vision of 'The Golden Age'. He completed his apprenticeship with the Queens royal jeweller Robert Brandon but a court painter was required and so he was snapped up & appointed 'limner' (miniturist) to Elizabeth 1 in around 1571/2. In 1576, Hilliard left England for France, he mixed in French artistic and royal circles for 3 years, it will have been during his stay that he captured Duke Francois. I have no idea if the miniture I adore here is actually by Hilliard, I'm suspicious due to the more classical & decorative painted surround, the portrait itself however is true to an original Hilliard, either way I dont mind because I LOVE this combo of crazy brights with the usual sanity of a N.H! The bright & fun Indian colours caught my attention; a carefree, hand painted surface design fills the frame and the implied leaf-swag oval surround in turqoise-green reminds me of tactile 18th century stone masonry. The conservative and traditionally executed oval portrait miniture you'd think would be lost against a lashing of colour but instead we are drawn to the sitter like a bright light in a wealth of ebony cloth & white lace. Its overall very flamboyant & girly, very French indeed.

The pencil portrait commission I mentioned a few weeks ago is underway. Preparatory drawings have been produced, here's a little snippet. I'm deliberately hiding the rest of the portrait, it's going to be like no other I've produced before, my portfolio is going in a awesome direction. I'll give you 2 hints to visualise, it will include cartoon trees & playing cards! I've created various montages to configure a unique composition. Re-scaling has meant that I have been able to manipulate form and perspective and add amusement...... the piece also has narrative, there are little fun elements that are meaningful to the client. Fundamentally, like all of my work, the piece involves real draughtmanship but its brought alive with play on form and perspective, there is a whimsicle feel to it and I hope it can be enjoyed as entertainment. Like reannaissance painters' work such as one of my biggest crushes, Hans Holbein the Younger, there are many details. If you look again you might notice something else you didnt previously, more likely in this case a link may become apparent between something prominent going on in the foreground on the right hand side with a miniscule detail in the background.......... it's constantly evolving. Once I have permission, I'm looking forward to sharing the final piece with you next week!