I’ve been shortlisted in the World Illustration Awards for my ongoing online GIF project. This Is The Coolest Place is in the Professional | Self Initiated Work category.
I started this project in 2015 as a website to house a series of GIFs of animals from cool habitats doing stereotypically ‘cool’ things. I’m adding to this GIF gang so stay posted for updates.
My colourful animal illustrations are now available on cushions! I have entered the Ohh Deer Pillow Fight competition. Hundreds of creatives have entered hoping to be the next permanent contributor to this illustrative collective.
Ohh Deer cushions are usually £35 but these are only £25 during the competition period. They are available to buy until 4th November. Check them out!
The Sleepy Hippo
The Melancholic Monkey
The Clumsy Flamingo
What’s your feelings on otters? Love them, hate them, ambivalent? Before this year I never really gave them much thought. However when I was researching different animals to include in a children’s picture book, I discovered just how amazing otters are.
They’re highly intelligent with the ability to create and use tools just like monkeys and apes. They also exhibit human behaviour, such as holding hands. They often do this when they’re resting in water so they don’t drift apart.
Enjoy these few pictures and gifs and then check out The Daily Otter for all your otter needs.
These are the two drawings of otters I used in my book. He was meant to be playing ball, but he hit it too hard with his tail. Cheeky thing.
The Fota Wildife Park is in County Cork, Ireland. It’s 75 acres with free roaming animals and you can see from the pictures that you can get close. Watching the monkeys climb, clamber, dance and swing was quite hypnotic and the highlight of my day.
I also got to see a chick hatch from an egg, apparently the first crack was two hours previous and he was hard at work since. I was very fortunate with my timing. I was unfortunate however, in that the day I went they didn’t hold a cheetah run. This is the only place in Ireland to have one. They have a device which makes the cheetahs meal travel 10 feet of the ground up to speeds of 65kph on a wire. This makes them work for their food and is a source of exercise. 
Martina Scott 