Extra! Extra! Hot off the presses Paul Kidby news!

The wheel has turned and the New Year stretches before us like a blank page. It's time for resolutions….

Here are mine:

Take more time out to ‘sharpen the sword' – visits to exhibitions and galleries always inspire me and I work with extra speed and enthusiasm when I get back to my drawing board.

Try to find time to produce more of my own non-commercial work; I have some ideas for new sculptures and paintings, which I would like to coax into reality.

Exercise more so that my back and shoulders don't seize up from all the hours I spend at my easel.

Get better at my profession, I am always blown away by the talent out there and it spurs me to keep up my quest of developing and improving my own techniques and approaches. It's a challenge to produce illustration that can hold its own against all the computer-generated art, but I'm up for it!

World of Warcraft gamers may be aware that the new trading card game, Worldbreaker is now available – so far I have spotted five of my new designs:

I am now finishing off the final image for the 2012 Discworld calendar. It has been a fun project and I'll look forward to seeing it in its published form later this year.

I will be spending the next few weeks producing a cover for French publishers L'Atalante, and pencil drawings for the Talpress double edition of ‘Reaper Man' and ‘Witches Abroad' by Terry Pratchett.

My art dealers Books Illustrated will be exhibiting a selection of my original artwork and bronzes on their stand this January:

Tatton Park , Cheshire 7th - 9th

The National, NEC 12th

Mere Golf and Country Club, Cheshire 21st – 23rd

For free tickets please email Mike and Hilary at www.booksillustrated.com

I wish you all a very Happy New Year full of opportunities and adventures.