Meet our cover artist, carolyn gavin

Hi Carolyn, tell us about this gorgeous cover. Hello! I’ve always been inspired by patterns and things en masse. I love dots, stripes and squares all together. This pattern is made of squares randomly put together – the imperfection makes it more interesting. What media do you usually work with? This ‘Checkers multi’ piece was made in Procreate, but lately I’ve been doing more work with paint: watercolour, gouache and acrylics. What was the last thing you put in your sketchbook? I painted an abstract with lots of colour and texture, with the other side being a quote by Monet: “Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” What do you listen to when you’re creating? Mostly the silence; the birds. Sometimes an audiobook, podcast or music. What’s the best way to get your creative juices flowing? Travel, travel and more travel! Do you have any advice for young artists and illustrators? Put in your 10,000 hours and don’t expect things to happen overnight. It takes years and years. Sorry to be blunt, but honestly, it’s no party out there. You gotta put in the time. What’s your dream illustration project? I would love to see my work take on a more meaningful message and make a difference. A mural highlighting climate change or billboards with vegan messages of positivity – creating food for thought, without being indoctrinating. Animals are my passion and I want to make more noise for them.