This is my very first post, and thankyou for finding me! Please bear with me whilst I begin this exciting journey on this blog.
My work has always been narrative, as I have always yearned to tell stories with my images, even with my larger paintings and prints. Now, I am lucky enough to be a student at Cambridge School of Art, studying a Masters in Children’s Illustration, which has been a dream of mine for many years now. My aim is to use this blogging process as time to take my recent works out to the world, as it feels a rather scary thing to do.
And so to begin….I am presently revisiting and reviving work from my Diploma Project back in 2014 as I was so engrossed in the storytelling, and the form of lines vs colour and texture, they developed in a linear form. I was often taught that it is often good to leave an image, or set of images aside – to let them breathe and give one’s self creative distance. After a year, I am aching to revisit these images, and to bring them to life with all the knowledge I have, and skills I have learned over the past year or so.
This is a double page spread from Carina and Ava ~ a tale about a friendship between a girl and a bird, and their adventures together (real or imagined). Here, they are curled up together in bed planning their adventures but also having fun, making art and playing games.
Loveliness personified! Wishing you only good things, always.
Thankyou James! 🙂
Dearest Jane,
Your “Hello World” is beautiful, both in concept and artistry. Absolutely lovely but what else would we expect from you? Beauty comes from the soul Jane. That statement has become transparent here; your own beauty is transposed on to the page.
Actually, I adore the black and white images (as you are aware from the marvelous piece I have of yours hanging on my wall); your images here are so evocative and magical but who am I to suggest anything to you that does not feel right to you in your heart … I know that you enjoy color in your work too.
I think there will be many children who will want to escape into the wonderful world of Carina and Ava; one of those books that they will remember into adulthood, a book of influence for the good, an exquisite environment of wonderment.
With much, much love,
Maggie
Gosh, thankyou so much for your kind comments Maggie, they mean so much to me. It so lovely to know that the magic within my images is so appreciated. I know what you mean about the black and white of the images – I too adore them, which is why I think I pushed and pushed the drawing in the images until the very end. But for children I think the addition of colour is needed. I think however, it will be a restrained use of colour and perhaps a limited colour palette. Colour sends out so many messages and I want to get the right tone and atmosphere. Would love to show you the whole book sometime. xxxx
Lovely cant wait to see the finished product. I love the drawings and the sheer pleasure you art brings to us all. We await more more more. XxxX
Thankyou Vicky! That means so much – it was wonderful watching you read the book (shhh about the twist) to the twins – Bryony’s response was adorable x
I agree with Fi. The single page spread invites the viewer to be a part of Carina and Ava’s friendship; evokes an intimacy of which the viewer is instantly a part. I remember these right at the beginning of semester three, was it? Love these and where is the one of the flight over….London, was it?? Looking forward to the next blog entry.
Thank you Annie….. that was exactly the effect and mood I was seeking to create. I hope the colour, when added manages to emphasise the closeness of these friends. It was actually created in Semester 2, way back in the Spring of 2014! My goodness, that felt like a long time ago. Semester 3 was my dancing birds (they look so bereft without their tails though…I think at one point someone likened them to flamingos, lol). But yes, you are right, they take a flight together over London (no spoilers I promise, but one question…is it all a figment of her imagination?, that is for the reader to decide)
Hi Jane, this is fantastic! I particularly like the single spread because it captures expressions clearly and the details in the illustration.
I would like to know more about Eva and Carina also look forward to seeing your next post.
Fi
Thank you Craftetty. You are my first ever commenter….. I am so glad that you feel it captures the expressions, its so important in this book. And yes, the details. I from the start I knew I wanted to create a picturebook crammed with details, as so many of the children I have met and taught over the years all love detail, myself included. The edition of the Flight Weekly magazine was in tribute to Amy Johnson who came from my home town. Thank you once again…. best go and do more work for the next blog!