Behind the Scenes

Last October- Inktober 2017

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I decided to take on the challenge last year, as a foundation to the development of a sense of style and composition that I would use as the research to build my Master's Project upon. 

It was simple, everyday on my way to school or back home in the evening, I would observe my route and how the how contrast of shadows shaped the most mundane of scenery.  Taking what would otherwise be overlooked on a daily commute, the view you see everyday that eventually becomes one muddle image in your memory; and picking it apart and giving them a small spotlight. 

I completed all 31 days but here just a few of my favourites. I plan to compile the whole project into a book one day. 

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The Lane - Behind the Book

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I decided one day to walk to school, it's not that far and I would be saving money. However when I started to walk, the wanderer in me started to look around. Coldharbour Lane, a single street that goes straight to my home to school, had a lot to inspire in me. 

So began the beginning of this book, another ode to South London. There is a charm I find always fascinating. The shop fronts, the rows of Victorian houses, the arches with trains rolling by. All coated in leaves as the late Autumn turned to Winter.

I started by creating watercolors of my favorite shops.

I couldn't resist doing some of my favorite line drawings as well

Then one day I had a monoprint workshop and thought this is it! The language I wanted. I could be controlled with my line as much as want but the unpredictability of monoprint would find some way to messed it up, or better yet, Improve it. 

I decided to it was the prefect medium to draw something I saw everyday (for 3 weeks in fact) and always give it new life with every new print.

It was nerve wrecking excitement with every reveal, and I carried on till I had enough images to edit into a book.  The final outcome which I loved because I truly made something that felt completely hand made. I will definitely keep exploring it in my practice.

The State of Nature- Behind the Scenes

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For my final piece, what began as an exploration of gardens and nature eventually became a 'Day of the Triffids'!? 

At the beginning I was inspired by the Barbican Centre Conservatory, it was the place to spend my Sundays in a brutalist concrete box that was filled with tropical plants and warmth that in an odd way felt like home.

But I didn't stop there, I continued to explored gardens in and outside of London, my travels even took me as far as Cornwall to the Eden Project as I wrote about previously. 

 

 

Towards the end of the project after long travels, I returned to my home is South London and fell back in love with the buildings and wanted to find some way to bring this in my current work with nature. So began the apocalypse!

Then it eventually became this!