Community

An interview with Millie Marotta

Published

10 years ago

February 19, 2016

‘Wild Savannah’: Millie Marotta’s brand new colouring book

PIONEER for the adult colouring book craze Millie Marotta spoke with The Herald last week (Feb 17), a few days after she released her latest collection, ‘Wild Savannah’.

Millie Marotta is the UK’s best-selling non-fiction author of 2015, the NY Times Bestselling author and her book, ‘Animal Kingdom’, spent a record 20 weeks as the official paperback non-fiction number one on Amazon.

On February 11, the Pembrokeshire-based artist released her third book, ‘Wild Savannah’, which offers beautiful and intricate illustrations of the Savannah grass lands. The colouring book is already being flagged as one of the biggest releases of 2016.

Speaking with Millie last week, she said that she has adored art for as long as she can remember and that she has always gravitated towards creative activities.

After studying Art and Design in school, she went on to do a degree in Wildlife Illustration and then became a teacher at Bush School, where she taught for a number of years.

In 2008, when the economy was taking a down turn, Millie decided to take the plunge and leave her stable, well paid job to become a freelance illustrator.

“I was really scared,” she told us, “People were like, ‘Oh my gosh, are you a bit mad?’ but I felt like it was the right time.

“I always carried on with my own projects outside of my job and my desire grew and grew. Teaching over time and nurturing other people’s creativity made me miss being more creative myself.

“My plan was to do freelance illustration and I had to make it work. I was deadly serious about it – I made sure it was going to work. It was really scary and it was a bold move, but it worked out.”

Millie Marotta: “Colouring is an easy way to be creative.”

We asked Millie whether she planned to create colouring books from the beginning, or if her art style paved the way for her.

Before creating her colouring books, Millie worked on a variety of different projects; textiles, food packaging, book illustrations, editorial… The list goes on.

Millie told us that her publisher’s had seen her work a year before they got in contact with her. The publisher’s had bought a screen print of the artist’s work to give to a colleague who was leaving their office.

A year later, they contacted Millie proposing the idea for an adult colouring book because her style of art seemed perfect for the craze.

“We met for a chat first of all and it seemed like a great idea – it made sense. I took in some drawings, which I thought would be good for the book and we had similar ideas.

“It all happened so quickly. I came away from the meeting and started drawing for my first colouring book the next day.”

We asked Millie whether she plans her books before starting. She replied: “I plan quite meticulously; I don’t make it up on the spot.

“My books are planned really well so that there is plenty of diversity. There are lots of different types of drawings; when you’re drawing in excess of 80 pieces, it’s important to think abou it carefully so that the whole book is beautiful and engaging.”

Millie told us that she is not one to wander around and she works best when she is in her studio. As her work is so meticulous and accurate, the artist likes to work at home in her usual, relaxed environment, at a desk surrounded by materials she loves to work with.

She draws every day, whether she is planning pieces as little thumbnails or creating a very accurate and precise final piece. Drawing is the largest portion of Millie’s day.

All of Millie’s work is nature based, and the natural world is what inspires her. She said: “I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world, it’s an inherent thing and it seems obvious for me to focus on it. I don’t have to think about it.”

Fellow artists who create nature-based pieces are the people who inspire Millie most. The artist loves Charlie Harper’s flat, clean stylised graphics and the intricate and scientific work of Ernst Haeckel. Millie went on to talk about Pembrokeshire artist John Knapp Fisher, whose monochrome style has always been an inspiration to her.

“Why do you think adult colouring books have become so popular?” we asked.

“Overall, it’s down to the fact that we all lead such busy lives. We cram so much into a day and there comes a time when we need to shut out the outside world.

“People need a simple and accessible way to be calm – to concentrate one thing instead of 100.

“Colouring is something we’ve all done as children, so it isn’t a new hobby, it’s inherent in all of us. There’s an element of nostalgia and familiarity.

“We kind of leave colouring behind – as children we love to be creative, but life takes over and we don’t allow ourselves time to engage in creative activities. Colouring is an easy way to be creative.”

We asked Millie what advise she would give to anyone thinking of pursuing a career in art. She told us that the most important thing is to take time to develop your own style.

“The illustration world is a busy market and it’s easy to look at other people and try to work like them.

“It’s important to do what comes naturally to you because your work is then honest and genuine. This makes you stand out and you will produce better work.”

Millie is already working on book number four, which will be released later this year, and is about to release a homeware range, which she tells us is “new and exciting” for her.

The artist is incredibly busy, but she’s happy to be – she tells us she would be doing this much even if she did not have deadlines to meet.

Millie has also recently become a patron for the Born Free Foundation, a charity whose aim is to keep wildlife in the wild. Funding for the charity goes towards stopping the suffering of wild animals and protecting threatened species in the wild.

By selling a limited edition print of the lion piece in Millie’s new ‘Wild Savannah’ book, the artist will help to raise money for the charity, and raise awareness while doing so. The print will be sold exclusively on the Born Free Foundation’s website.

Millie told us that she cannot wait to do more work with the charity in the future.

You can now buy Millie’s latest book, ‘Wild Savannah’ in most good book stores and online, and we at The Herald suggest you do that right away.

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Community

Pembroke Fair praised as well-organised community event

Published

14 hours ago

May 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HORSES, STALLS AND FAMILY CROWDS RETURN TO MONKTON

FAMILIES, horse owners and visitors turned out in force for Pembroke Fair on Saturday (May 23), with many praising the event as one of the best organised in recent years.

Held at the Community Centre Field in Monkton, the annual fair brought together horse owners, traders and local families for a traditional day centred around horses, ponies, stalls and socialising.

Coloured cobs, heavy horses, ponies and horse-drawn traps attracted attention throughout the day, with many visitors gathering around the field to watch the animals being shown and led around the site.

A variety of stalls selling everything from clothing and ornaments to tack and second-hand goods helped create a lively market atmosphere, while food vendors kept visitors fed throughout the day.

Despite overcast conditions at times, the event remained busy, with many attendees staying for several hours to enjoy the traditional fair atmosphere.

Community members later took to social media to praise the smooth running of the event, with several publicly thanking organiser Charlie Price for his efforts in bringing the fair together.

Comments described the day as “well organised” and praised the welcoming atmosphere, with many saying it was encouraging to see a long-standing local tradition continuing to thrive.

The fair once again brought together members of the travelling community, local residents and horse enthusiasts from across west Wales.

A horse drive was also due to take place on Sunday (May 24), continuing the weekend’s celebrations.

Photo captions:

Traditional gathering: Horses, ponies, horse-drawn carts and market stalls drew crowds to Pembroke Fair in Monkton on Saturday (Pic: Herald).

Business

New facilities at Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club agreed

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL by a Pembrokeshire shooting club for more disability-friendly facilities has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club, through agent Andrew Sutton Architecture, sought permission for an extension to existing target shooting club building at The Firing Range, Withybush Road, Haverfordwest to improve accessibility and internal facilities, together with associated landscaping works.

A supporting statement said: “The club’s own published history states it was founded in 1968, moved from the Drill Hall to the old wartime airfield butts at Withybush by the early 1970s, and had developed facilities over time, including the clubhouse by 1999. The established leisure/community use has existed on the site for a number of years and the proposal does not seek to intensify the core activity beyond that already authorised/established.”

It added: “The primary objective of the scheme is to improve inclusive access to the club’s facilities for disabled users and those with reduced mobility. The internal arrangement will provide adequate entrance and lobby space, clear accessible routes and appropriately designed sanitary accommodation, including an accessible wetroom/shower and separate WC.”

It also said accessible parking and surfacing designed to provide a firm, even, slip-resistant route from parking to the principal entrance.

It added: “The Equality Act 2010 places duties on service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that people with additional access needs are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

“The proposal is therefore a positive enhancement to a community/leisure facility and supports wider policy objectives for inclusive environments.”

It went on to say: “The club operates within a highly controlled environment, and the proposed works will maintain and enhance safety and security measures.”

The application was conditionally approved by planners.

Community

RNLI urges beachgoers to stay safe as warm weather hits Wales

Published

2 days ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Lifesaving charity warns of cold water shock risk despite rising temperatures

THE RNLI is urging people planning trips to the coast over the Bank Holiday weekend to choose lifeguarded beaches and follow essential water safety advice as warm weather draws crowds to the seaside.

With temperatures expected to rise across Wales, the lifesaving charity has warned that, although conditions may appear ideal, the sea remains dangerously cold and poses a serious risk of cold water shock.

The RNLI says the safest place to swim is between the red and yellow flags at lifeguarded beaches.

In Pembrokeshire, RNLI lifeguards will be on patrol at Whitesands, Newgale Central and Tenby South Beach throughout the May half-term, operating daily between 10:00am and 6:00pm.

Other lifeguarded beaches across Wales include Langland, Caswell, Aberavon, Pembrey, Three Cliffs and Port Eynon in Swansea; Barry Island, Coney Beach, Trecco Bay and Rest Bay in Bridgend; Llangrannog and Borth in Ceredigion; and Rhyl and Prestatyn in Denbighshire.

The RNLI is encouraging anyone unable to visit a lifeguarded beach to check local conditions before setting off, including tide times, weather forecasts and any safety signage.

Chris Cousins, the RNLI’s Regional Water Safety Lead, said: “There will likely be a huge number of people visiting the coast this weekend and we want everyone to remember Float to Live advice, which could save lives.

“Instinctively, most people who find themselves struggling in the water will begin to gasp, panic and try to swim or thrash about.

“We’re urging people to ignore this instinct and remember to float. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged, relax and try to breathe normally, and move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if needed.”

He added that practising floating in a supervised setting, such as a swimming pool, could help prepare people in case they find themselves in difficulty.

‘Phone, Float, Throw’

The RNLI is also reminding the public to remember the “Phone, Float, Throw” guidance if they see someone struggling in the water.

People are advised to call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard, encourage the casualty to float on their back, and throw something buoyant to them, such as a life ring.

The charity recently relaunched its “Float to Live” campaign, citing new research suggesting younger adults, particularly Generation Z, may underestimate the dangers posed by the coast.

According to the RNLI, there were 193 accidental drowning deaths in the UK in 2024, with men accounting for 84 per cent of fatalities. Men aged between 20 and 29 represented the highest risk group.

The RNLI’s beach lifeguard service is marking its 25th anniversary this year.

For more information on staying safe at the coast, visit the RNLI’s Float to Live campaign.