“Even if your Word Press site is profoundly profound it requires an adjunct – something that will immediately attract interest and entice the reader to travel further. And that of course is the illustrative material. The internet offers a generous, endless selection of material. But I wanted something different. Something not only original, but something specific to what I was writing, something that was integral to the subject and visually arresting.

So began a discovery, a journey completely unexpected. Graphic design was once the unassailable and expensive territotory of the graphic designer. But as the internet continued its relentless onward progression a rapidly increasing collection of graphic apps began. Simple apps that would allow the proud parent a showground for the photos of their offspring. And increasingly complex apps – again the territory of the trained graphic artist.

I was intruiged. And I needed and wanted good graphics for my posts. So began months of experimentation. A solitary journey replete with splotches and blotches. And brain wracking encounters with technical data about which I knew nothing. But I kept trying. I have always had a creative streak, but with the demands of family and work – the whirlpool that engulfs most of us – creativity mainly found expression in the garden.

This was completely new, unexplored territory. And slowly, increment by time consuming increment I found something quite unexpected happening. On my trusty workhorse of an old iPad and a humble stylus – and stretching a few brain cells – interesting colourful splotch free images began to emerge. And instead of a catastrophic mess that had to be immediately deleted, there were surprisingly creative images. All of which further impelled my desire to explore and experiment… ”

Annette Emannuel: website