She won an international competition to design the front cover of a novel by Canadian wiriter Sean Dixon, The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal which is released on July 1.

She said: "I entered the competition on the internet. We were given sections of the book they wanted us to focus on and read reviews to base our work on.

"It turned out that I was the right target audience for the book so I just did something I liked."

The book is set in Montreal, and Becca had several ideas before settling on the finished image.

She said: "I'm very excited about seeing it. I thought now was the right time to seize the moment and I'm going to focus on illustration now full time."

Becca is giving up her part-time job as a groom to work on her career.
She studied illustration at Falmouth College before moving to Rutland with her boyfriend Rowan Dejardin who is a pencil artist.

She mainly focuses on lino cuts and mono prints. She said: "They are more likely to sell and are relatively easy to do. They also look good next to printed words.

"Working outside a lot, I sometimes take pictures and use them for imagery. I love the shapes of trees, clouds and landscapes, and as I tend to use one colour the shapes are very important."

Becca and Rowan are opening their house as part of the open studios event and although they took part last year, this is the first time they have open their own home. Becca said: "We opened as part of the sculpture garden in Wing last year as that is where Rowan's family live.

"Most people didn't know we were there and they had come to see the garden and stumbled upon us.

"I am looking forward to it and it will be nice to be in our own space. I will go and visit other studios if I can and have the opportunity to see what other people are doing."

Becca and Rowan can be found at 57 South Street and are opening their studios on the third and fourth weekends, July 5, 6, 12 and 13.