"The Cardigan Fox"

“The Cardigan Fox” is one of my all time favourites - And also my most often “confused for a fawn” piece! I’ve done quite a few fox illustrations over the last few years, but I believe this was my first. It was done in 2019, the year after I first moved back to PEI and I was feeling very much in the mood to draw all things PEI. 

When I started this, I was in my first real year of going to markets and selling art prints. I was spending each weekend at The Cardigan Market, and added to this piece bit by bit while I was there. I’m sure anyone can guess that its where the name came from. 

The piece began with a very rough pencil outline. I didn’t have a whole lot sorted before I started in with black and white botanicals. I used Sakura Microns in varying widths - and I felt very wary of the overall shape of the fox being lost in this. To overcome the challenge and risk of losing the fox’s shape, I used thicker pens and made thicker lines for some of the most important outlining parts. 

I used a lot of different techniques within this one- stippling, crosshatching and linework. It felt very experimental and at the same time, it feels very in line with how I create a piece even now, 5 years later.

Looking back, “The Cardigan Fox” marks a one of my favourite moments in my artistic journey. It captures not only my love for PEI but also a period of growth and exploration in my work.