This exhibition STRICTLY COMMERCIAL featured illustrations, collage & craftwork from my published books, plus lots of related material, preparatory drawings, designs and printed books. The work on show came from over 200 publications — fiction and non-fiction, craft books, pop-ups, puzzles and magazines.
As the exhibition title suggests this is very much the work of a commercial artist!
It was my full-time job for well over 30 years. Plenty of strict briefs and crazy deadlines, but an amazing creative time full of personal challenges AND as the work reflects,
lots of fun drawing and making the most unlikely things!
It was my full-time job for well over 30 years. Plenty of strict briefs and crazy deadlines, but an amazing creative time full of personal challenges AND as the work reflects,
lots of fun drawing and making the most unlikely things!
I started out illustrating other people’s stories, working in Caran D'ache pencils, then Dr Martins watercolour inks. When I was asked to develop projects for craft books I used collage materials to create the artwork and models as the simplified results looked far more achievable, especially to young children. I then developed my own painted collage papers to illustrate
story books for young readers, and now I'm working on my own dual-language stories
using these techniques.
story books for young readers, and now I'm working on my own dual-language stories
using these techniques.
Working in this industry over several decades it's inevitable that one collects boxes and boxes and more boxes of archive material.
The exhibition was the positive outcome of an agonisingly lengthy but necessary sorting process, which most artists have to face at some point in their career...
And it's all done & dusted now!