It has been a busy August so far.
I set this month aside to experiment
with my work and not worry about creating an end result. Over the two years on the MA in Children’s
Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art,
my work has slowly shifted under the expert guidance of my tutors. However, I knew there was still room for many further changes and picking strawberries kicked started yet another process!
The fear of letting go of a tried and tested way of creative working can be very frightening, especially if it has defined one and also led to past success.
When I returned to illustration
after years away from it, I was certain I didn’t want to continue working in my old ‘style’ apart from the fact it was
dated, it didn’t excite or challenge me. A comfortable way of working can
easily become stagnant or a security that makes us
feel less vulnerable. But playing safe can also be controlling and self limiting. This is
something that really came to light over the last two years on the MA. It is so easy to become self restricting due to fear, comfort or fashion.
My comfort has always been my use of line, generally loose
and spontaneous. I have really struggled to completely let go
of it but I think the time has finally come to let it evolve or even say “
farewell”… well for now! It comes to me
so naturally but equally I am tired by it. I wanted to try something different –
so with a week to myself I set about immersing myself in my work and
seeing where it took me. (click on the images below to enlarge)
It was a
brilliant week working mainly in collage, creating my own textured papers,
cutting, ripping, sticking and layering. This little cat above being my first image and some of the many leaves created, below.
I loved working directly with the materials – never knowing what would happen- accidents became interesting ones! The various papers and patterns shouted out to me how best to use them. I was kept curious and wondering.
Often working late into the night and up early to continue, I was utterly absorbed and energised. It’s a process still in its infancy and I am fathoming out various conundrums. However I feel totally liberated and ignited by the leaps made. I leant so much about what does keep me interested in my working processes and what doesn’t- playing safe doesn't!
I have always needed spontaneity and change in my life or I feel stagnant. The same goes for my illustration work.. as the American author Alan Watts says ....
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
Time to boogie!
I loved working directly with the materials – never knowing what would happen- accidents became interesting ones! The various papers and patterns shouted out to me how best to use them. I was kept curious and wondering.
A snippet of a water scene with a croc!
Often working late into the night and up early to continue, I was utterly absorbed and energised. It’s a process still in its infancy and I am fathoming out various conundrums. However I feel totally liberated and ignited by the leaps made. I leant so much about what does keep me interested in my working processes and what doesn’t- playing safe doesn't!
I have always needed spontaneity and change in my life or I feel stagnant. The same goes for my illustration work.. as the American author Alan Watts says ....
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
Time to boogie!
monkey doodle with collage
