2016 was quite a year for me, not least because it was the year I got married. It was also a great year for me career-wise, and I can’t believe how many exciting opportunities I have had in the last 12 months.
If you’re interested you can read all about my wedding here and my honeymoon in Mexico. We’ve been married nearly 8 months now and I have to say married life is definitely suiting me. We absolutely loved going to Tulum for our honeymoon and this year we are heading back to Latin America to spend a couple of weeks in Peru.
My most exciting job of last year was being invited to the Château de Stylist in the Loire Valley. I was invited along with other bloggers and influencers to spend two days with the Stylist team in the incredible Château Jalesnes learning how to bring a bit of French chic to our lives. It was so exciting to be able to travel with my work and paint on location and I met so many wonderful women. A photo of me even ended up in the magazine.
This year saw me doing lots of live illustration at events, working with clients including Oasis, Jigsaw, Reiss, We Built This City and The Global Gift Gala. It was really exciting to become a part of the Live Illustration London Collective this year. I love working with Willa and Niki, and we’ve got lots more exciting events coming up in 2017.
This year I also did a lot of workshops and I taught hundreds of students how to brush letter and paint with water colours. For the last few year I have been teaching with Quill, but this year I will be teaching my own workshops independently. You can find out about my upcoming workshops here.
Being able to work with brands as both an illustrator and a digital influencer has been a really exciting development of my career, I’m particularly proud of the lovely campaign I worked on with P&O ferries.
I’ve done an awful lot of different things this yea but the core of my work would always be illustration comissions. This year I worked on several book covers, greetings cards, many pieces for magazines and some packaging design. 
This year also saw the release of a project with Hand in Hand Soap. We have been working on this packaging design together for over a year so it was very exciting to see it released, and to be sold in such a big store.
I am still struggling with my repetitive strain injury and I’ve come to the realisation that I am probably a workaholic. There’s nothing wrong with loving work and being motivated, but if stopping working for a couple of days makes you feel sad and anxious there is probably a bit of an issue there. Having a better work-life balance is something I’m going to try to address in the new year.
I’m really excited about what the new year has in store for me. I’ve got some lovely jobs booked in for January, including two book covers and a trip to Berlin to do some live illustration. I’ve also got a exciting personal project planned and I am planning to completely redo my website. As well as as looking after myself a bit more in the new year, my goals are to travel lots, learn some new skills (basic video editing and sign writing) and keep being open to new possibilities and opportunities.
New Workshops for 2017
A new year is a time for exciting new starts, and in 2017 I will no longer be teaching at Quill and will be hosting my own brush lettering and watercolour class at West Elm. I absolutely love teaching and am excited about sharing these workshops with you. In January I’m teaching a Brush Lettering Workshop on 12th January – 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Brush Lettering is such a fun workshop, and so many of my students now use brush lettering regularly as part of their creative business. I’m also running a Watercolour Workshop on 29th January – 1 pm – 3:30pm. This is a really relaxed, creative class perfect for complete beginners and those wanting to brush up their skills. You’ll have a chance to explore colour mixing and colour theory before moving on to create both decorative designs and painting from life. You’re end up with a finished piece worthy of hanging on your wall. 
In February I’m teaching a brand new Watercolour Brush Lettering Workshop at West Elm, on the 9th February- 6:30 – 8:30 pm which I’m really excited about. This class is perfect for both beginners and for people who have already some brush lettering experience but would like add to their skills. I’m also teaching a Watercolour Workshop at West Elm on the 19th January – 1:00pm – 3:30 pm. 
Cracker Making Workshop at Shinola
Join me in Shinola, Soho for a night of festive crafting. You can personalise and make six Christmas crackers, complete with novelty gifts, and take them home in a gift box. Guaranteed to impress on Christmas day.
Wednesday 7th December, 7 – 9pm
Shinola, 28 Foubert’a Place, Soho, W1F 7PRDetails:Wednesday 7th December, 7 – 9pm
Tickets available here. 
emma block illustration 