AN award-winning animal portrait and wildlife pencil artist is set to release her first book after signing a deal with one of the world’s leading arts and crafts publishers.

Lisa Ann Watkins from Ruardean said, before flying out to the US for a sell-out workshop tour, that 2019 had seen “some amazing things happening” in her career.

In July, she finished her giant portrait of a lion, called ‘Dandy Lion’, for the Invitational collection of the Sketch For Survival – Explorers Against Extinction exhibition and auction later this year at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

And the same month she signed her first major book deal, which will introduce her work to thousands more.

“In March I was asked to be an official ambassador for a couple of leading companies, including Faber Castell, and this led to demonstrating their products at the National Exhibition Centre,” she revealed.

“While I was there, a very fortunate meeting occurred with a lady taking the time to view my work and ask me a few questions.

“You can imagine my amazement a couple of weeks later when this same lady emailed me with a proposition I could only have dreamt of.

“The lady was Katie French, editorial director of Search Press Ltd, publishers of the world’s finest art and craft books.

“I could not believe the words of praise she said to me about my work. Fast forward to July and I signed my first major book deal with them.”

The working title of her book is Drawing Animals in Colour and will focus on both Lisa’s own story and her work and include tutorials for others to follow and create from.

Graphic design graduate Lisa only started drawing again seven years ago after a 20-year career in the costume and bridal industry.

“This was on my buc-ket list as an artist to achieve, but was not even on my horizon just yet, and definitely not with such a major publisher,” added Lisa, whose award winning picture of Hee Haw the donkey was hung above the fireplace at the Miners pub in Sling.

She said other fantastic news has been her online social media following reaching more than 50,000, while she is so busy she has “sadly” had to step away from private pet portrait commissions, as her ‘Draw with LAW’ workshops and online teaching channel have taken off so much.

“I now have almost 350 students that I teach monthly as well as being a guest tutor for some of the leading art schools and companies in the UK and Europe,” she said.

Last month, she was “absolutely delighted” to also be awarded Reserve Best in Show at the UK Coloured Pencil Society World of Colour Exhibition for her portrait of ‘Aura: aka Fluffy Cat’.

September also saw the release of Lisa’s own Artist’s Signature kit with major art brand PanPastel.

“I have been working with them for several months putting together my own selection of their products,” added the artist.

“To see my name and my face and artwork on a product that I have used in my artwork is just unbelievable.

“I’m still pinching myself.

“And Colored Pencil Magazine has just published a six-page feature on the release of the set and tells my story of using the product.” 

Next year is looking to be even bigger, with at least one more US workshop tour, DVDs and her printed tutorials starting to roll out. 

For more information, see her website animal artbylaw.co.uk and her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Animal ArtbyLAW