THE Cumbrian countryside has never looked as colourful as it does in this new exhibition opening over Easter.

Ulverston-based illustrator Amy Whelan will be showcasing her digitally-created artwork at the Coach House, in Ford Park, from Sunday April 1, featuring many familiar local landmarks as you've never seen them before.

She will be introducing her fun, warm and humorous characters from her new Happy Days Collection, as well as some of the Lake District Fun range depicting the local area and its attractions.

Amy, originally from Buxton, in Derbyshire, has lived in Ulverston for almost a year, and is looking forward to presenting her first solo show.

She says: "I'm very excited to see my work up on the wall as a collection. I currently sell framed artwork at fairs like Prom Art in Grange, which I’ve found very successful, but never as part of an exhibition.

"I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to show my work at the Coach House - I live around the corner from Ford Park and can’t describe how fantastic the food is!"


Having trained in Illustration with Animation at Loughborough University and then a Masters in Puppetry and Theatre design in Cardiff, Amy set up her own greetings card and illustration business after graduating.

Making the transition to become a full-time artist, she is currently creating a new collection for the Springboard section at the Progressive Greetings Live Show in London - the biggest greetings card showcase of its kind.

Some of her latest pieces that are included in the Ulverston exhibition include images of sheep on the platform at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, and dogs flying kites on Hoad, which overlooks Ford Park.

Amy says: "Hopefully people will be able to relate to the scenes and remember fun times they have had in and around the area.

"I’ll be exhibiting work from my Lake District Fun Collection, including Ulverston, Lakeside and Haverthwaite and Grizedale forest scenes. They're all local scenes which I designed last year to sell throughout Cumbria and at shows. As well, I will be exhibiting new work from my Happy Days Collection.

"My work is all created digitally on an Apple Mac. I use an app called Astropad to transform my iPad into a drawing pad and I can draw and colour directly onto the computer using an electronic pen.

"I always start off with rough sketches and then build the image in layers on the computer. I love this way of working as nothing is ever set in stone.

"I can add characters, move scenery or change a colour whenever I like.

"All my work is currently for the show in London, where I’m producing a general collection of greetings cards, with the hope of getting my cards picked up by retailers throughout the UK."

Amy Whelan's work will be on display at the Coach House from Sunday April 1, and will be free to view during its regular opening hours.