The brief was to create a cover for a local creative-writing focused publication Pushing Out The Boat. Since there are maritime undertones with the publication's metaphorical title, I settled on a storm lamp as the focus. I elected to use watercolours and pen (black and sanguine) and illustrated it in a style inspired by Quentin Blake.

Unfortunately, the cover was not selected.

A visit to the Aberdeen Maritime Museum provided a wealth of inspiration, conceptual ideas and sketches. The pencil and watercolour sketches were all done in situ.  However, I discounted many of them simply because they were too obvious and not distinct enough. Finally I settled on the storm lamp and worked this up later into the final image used on the cover.