Little Hotch

Lisa Manning, Illustrator and Designer behind Little Hotch…

“Why Little Hotch?” you might wonder.

Having graduated with a degree in graphic design and illustration back in 2005, I have been working as a graphic designer and love anything creative. Painting has always been in my life and by mixing the mediums and experimenting with both paints and digital illustration I really enjoy creating something unique.

Sadly, in May 2017 my mother-in-law died unexpectedly. It obviously hit us all very hard, but

then it also made me realise that life is definitely too short for the ‘what if’s’. I decided from that point on I was going to set up my own business concentrating on wildlife illustrations. The name Little Hotch is partly taken from my mother-in-laws upholstery business, which was called Hotch Potch House Upholstery.

Why I waited so long is a mystery? I’d like to think a Little Hotch card will make someone smile; a Little Hotch print, hung in a hallway, will provide some pleasure before you step out the front door; or a hot cup of tea in a Little Hotch mug will warm your cold hands and produce a small sigh of contentment. If my work through Little Hotch makes you smile then Little Hotch and I have done our job.

I create my illustrations using mixed media: first, I sketch out my design using pencil and paper, then scan and import the drawing into Photoshop to add the detail and bring it to life. Finally, hand-painted watercolours, scanned into Photoshop and overlaid by the illustration provide the backgrounds.

Please keep checking my website as I’m always looking to extend my skills and develop my product range. I’d love to work on customer led commissions or projects demanding different subjects and styles and I’d love to hear from you if you have any specific requests.

If you would like to hear more, please contact me or follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Thanks for reading and I hope your day has been brightened by a little bit of beautiful!