How it all began…

Hello everyone, I’m Jon, The Grey Earl, illustrator and card publisher, making work somewhere in the hills of Scotland.…. And here’s me, 35 long years ago, sporting a bowl cut and tracksuit fitting for the times.

I was quite a quiet little chap back then, who favoured the communicative medium of drawing over that of too much talking.

From superheroes with capes to Mexican wrestlers in brightly coloured lycra pants, I would sit quietly, with my pack of trusty crayons, and draw these larger than life personalities, expressing myself on paper in a way that I would have otherwise found difficult in real life.   

I would write stories to go with each character and would nervously run them past my teacher for approval. Apparently, I had a knack for levity (not the precise word my teacher used… I was only 6), both in the drawings that I made and the narratives around them.

I sent pictures to Tony Hart, submitted stories to Blue Peter and sent illustrated cards to my heroes (Nick Park, Jim Henson, Neil Buchanan and even Phil Collins!)…. This continued right through my schooling career (probably when I should’ve been learning algebra).

In short, I had found a purpose and confidence in what I was doing and more importantly a way of expressing myself to others.

….and today, I find ways of helping others express themselves, be it through a celebratory card to lifelong pal or a way of reaching out to someone who might be going through a difficult period in their life. 

I create cards which communicate how you feel, with warmth and humour, designed to bring smiles to your favourite people, whoever they are and wherever they are in the World. So if you need to elevate someone’s mood, improve the bonds between family and friends, or simply celebrate a great mate, then look no further.

I have designs fit for all occasions and that cover all  manner of sentiments (possibly some you may not even have thought of!)

I’ve worked with some top clients too (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Glasgow Museums, Stirling University to name a few) and even had some top flight celebrity fans over the years: Phil Jupitus, Peter Mayhew (aka Chewbacca) and one of my cards was spotted recently on Nicola Sturgeon’s mantlepiece!   

In an ever increasing digital age, the hand written card creates a connection unlike any other, relegating the smiley emoji back to the virtual dug out where it belongs (take that you abhorrent combination of putrid pixels). 

I love to see the reactions that my cards have and it’s what keeps me coming back to the drawing board (so to speak) and making work, that hopefully keeps the smiles coming for years to come. 

It feels like now more than ever, we all need a laugh, right? 

Here’s to life, here’s to laughs!