Anna Wilson Studio

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Anna Wilson Studio

I am an illustrator and designer currently mostly making childrens books!

I am is inspired by people and places, love storms and snow and am happiest running in the mountains, drawing in the streets, or creating atmospheric worlds.

30/10/2026

Autumn in Edinburgh is so precious. For such a brief little moment in this stony city everything is so colourful and I am determined this year to make sure the seasons and their colours come out in my work. So here are some more sketchbook pages to celebrate the magic that is autumn. The first ones drawn this morning with wonderful Emily MacKenzie We sat in the meadows amongst the autumnal trees and watched everyone stream past us heading in and out of the city.

And the others drawn from my window during the weekends storm. I tried to capture the trees blowing but they definitely don’t look as windy as it sounded as it whistled through the gaps in our windows in our flat high above the village.

22/10/2026

I was sitting at our new window seat the other day and the rain was pummelling the glass. I had my knitting and was listening to a book and the sound of the rain on the window made it all feel perfect. I realised I had no idea how to draw the sound of rain on a window, so I gave it a go. And this is what happened. And then I realised it is like so many other pictures I’ve already made… I need to work out how to try again, and not draw something I’ve made before. So many images seem to be imprinted inside my brain in my subconscious that they seem to come out time and time again even when unplanned.
Expect another attempt at the sound of rain on a window soon!

20/10/2026

I usually say I like winter best. But I don’t know, some days, especially walking out in the hills, autumn definitely wins. Still some flowers around, up here in Scotland there is still even the odd blueberry to snack on as we wander. And the light! So golden! And so much drama when the inevitable stormy dark skies also move in. Another little painting inspired by the joy of autumn and climbing mountains and a few photos from golden hill slopes of Arran a couple of weeks ago

14/10/2026

A little painting based on my recent trip to the Isle of Arran with a wonderful friend – I call it ‘Autumn picnic’, because it might be the best time of year to sit outside with a friend in the beautiful colours. Suz was Dave and my housemate when we lived in Kathmandu. We shared so many rooftop post-work picnics there. Most days after we got home we would climb onto our rooftop, share a b**r and some chips and watch people do their evening rooftop chores – hang their washing, do gardening, play with kids. At the same time the light would get low and eagles would soar over us. Sometimes we could sit and see the gigantic snowy peaks of the Himalayas. It was amazing. So it was so lovely to go away again with Suz and walk and sit in lovely places and have more picnics. Sometimes it was freezing and sometimes still almost warm. All moments sitting outside, nestled into the landscape together, were treasure.

17/09/2026

Feeling so very lucky to be back exploring this gorgeous city with other people who love to draw! I think there’s not much better than sitting out in the streets chatting to a friend and listening to strangers and soaking up this stunner of a world.

Enjoying panels at the moment. Feels like a good way to ease back in to these busy fabulous scenes…

Drawn with the wonderful Emily MacKenzie and Fi McCurdy - such a delight!

04/08/2026

If you happen to be in Melbourne on 16th August, come and join us to celebrate this beautiful wintery book at the wonderful Readings Kids Bookstore in Lygon street. It's free but you need to RSVP at - https://www.readings.com.au/events/the-festival-of-ice-and-snow-by-angie-cui I'd so love to see you.

04/08/2026

Exciting day today as the first book that I’ve illustrated that is actually published in my home country, Australia, is out in the world! It is a story of ice and snow written by the wonderful Angie Cui (aka Yanting Cui) 崔彦婷 (pronounced as Tsui) - beautiful piece based on memories of time shared with a beloved grandfather in her childhood, and published by a very lovely team at UQP

When I was asked to do this book I couldn’t help but say yes as it is set in northern China which just happened to be the first place I ever saw the world freeze. In 2005 I lived in northern China for a year and couldn’t believe my Australian eyes when one morning I woke and everything had completely frozen. The canals were frozen and the lakes were solid. I could slide everywhere. Icicles hung from buildings. My eyelashes froze. And people dug holes in the frozen water to swim with someone constantly sweeping the top of the water to stop it refreezing while they were in there. It felt like magic.

And from this moment on I have chased the cold. I have tried to spend as much time as I can living in places where the world gets covered in white and winter brings a deep freeze. So I was delighted to celebrate this book that brings such joy to a wintery world.

Here are some favourite spreads and details from this book, as well as a photo of a fox in northern Japan that I took in the depths of winter. It just sat and stared at me and I used this as inspiration for the fox character that I decided to add to this story. And one of me immersed in wintery happiness on the Baltic Sea!

This book is out today at bookstores across Australia!

01/06/2026

I’m down in Cornwall at the moment waiting for a home in Edinburgh… and in addition to waiting am also working and running and sometimes drawing the sea. There has been rain, and wind, and sun, and even a wildly warm week… and I have been feeling so lucky to get this time, with family amidst a ridiculous amount of flowers and lambs and seals and clifftops and the beautiful turquoise or sometimes green Cornish sea! I think I could draw the sea forever and never quite get it right…it’s also different every time I look at it, and which keeps it always being such a drawing delight.

18/04/2026

It’s hard to describe the wonder and beauty and intensity of the days spent in Bologna for the children’s book fair. There’s really nothing like it - the joy of being surrounded by an incredible city, friends from everywhere, a whole world (literally) of children’s books, and so many dreams and possibilities all swirling in one place. What an exhausting delight! Makes the world feel like an utterly wonderful place, which is so needed.

Address

Tallinn

Website

http://www.annawilsonstudio.com/, https://abottlefullofrain.substack.com/

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