A MUM of two from Marlow is enjoying success which many illustrators strive for, after one of her designs has been made into a poster to sell at Tate London.

Nicola Metcalfe's poster is for sale in both the London Tate Modern and Britain shops and online and shows colourful London landmarks.

She said: "It is quite a novelty when you go to the Tate's website and there is a list of artists and my name is there alongside Turner and the like."

It came about when Nicola completed a St Ives project she was working on. It was in a similar style with landmarks from the Cornish town.

She sent it to the Tate in St Ives and at the same time copied in Tate London. The Cornwall branch came back and said they only use artists local to them. She thought no more of it then after a couple of months Tate London got in touch and asked if she could do one of landmarks in London.

Nicola, 44, said: "I was very pleasantly surprised. "I went for a meeting at the Tate Britain in London. The deadline was very quick.

"They wanted it done within a month really. "I got on with it and knuckled down. I am one for procrastination so it was probably better just to get it done."

Nicola is also in talks with John Lewis, who are going to sell some of her work, and the RNLI are commissioning some artwork too.

She said: "I have been drawing all my life. I suppose most people say that.

"I was a graphic designer. I was self employed for years, working for corporate clients, then I had children and then I found I didn't have time to work.

"Just in the last couple of years, when they are getting a bit older, I have got a bit more time."

Nicola, whose children are Esme, ten, and Reuben, eight, was born in Surrey and moved to Marlow when she was four.

She is now working on a poster of Marlow landmarks. She said: "I have done Henley, London, St Ives. People keep saying: 'When are you going to do Marlow? We want Marlow.'

"I thought I better get on with Marlow and that is what I am working on right now."

She is going to include All Saints Church, the bridge and she is also going to put slightly more obscure references in too- including author Edgar Wallace, who was a regular at the Compleat Angler and who is buried at Little Marlow church, and Cuthbert John Ottaway, who was the first captain of England football team and who once played for Marlow FC.

Nicola hopes to get it finished within the next month and it will be available to buy on her website and hopefully in Marlow shops.

She also plans to do a piece for Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, of Yorkshire for the Tour de France and of Hull for the City of Culture.

Nicola, who also has two chickens called Yolko and Peanut, said: "It is just having the cheek. I wasn't sure if John lewis would want the likes of me. "I sent it in and they responded pretty quickly. It's just about having a go."

She is going to be working with Henley Regatta for an exhibition in 2015 and she is also at Henley Create in March. So what do her two children think about her success so far?

Nicola said: "They say, if I talk about it, stop showing off mummy. "People are bored of hearing about it. "It keeps you on the level- there is no chance of getting big head."

Go to http://nicolametcalfe.weebly.com/ and http://shop.tate.org.uk/nicola-metcalfe-london-poster/invt/15391

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