My collection of vintage annuals started with a single book, found on holiday about 10 years ago. The book was falling apart, so I salvaged some of the pages to use as collage material. From then on, when I came across an old annual, as long as the price was right I bought it. I wasn′t prepared to pay too much. I cleared some shelves in the guest room and, once these were full, I promised myself I would stop collecting. I didnt stop but I did slow down. I have photographed the covers of some of the best ones and have created a photo album to share. I will also put some of these on Pinterest where I am sure they will be discovered by others who love the colourful, quirky, nostalgic illustrations.
New book: Still Life
I've got a new book coming out in October 2021... I have built my reputation as an author by writing dozens of books on knitting, crochet and sewing. This time the subject is art: drawing and painting. I loved writing this book, especially when it came to creating ten still-life pictures for readers to follow step-by-step. Also, I was able to use a variety of materials: pencil (graphite), charcoal, pen and ink, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils and watercolour paints. I've included plenty of tips and tricks that I have learnt over the years when teaching art at a local adult education college and I hope that readers will find the book useful, whether they are beginners or fairly experienced at drawing and painting.
There is a little while to wait until the book is published but it can be pre-ordered, from Waterstones or Amazon and probably a few other places.
Here's the Waterstones link:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/still-life/susie-johns/9781784946173