Illustrating and storytelling is first and foremost in my mind, even when I sleep my imagination conjures up stories that just have to be recreated on paper. I like to push the boundaries of storytelling and stereotypes, to me the more personal and surreal a story, the more innovative the illustration. A fairy doesn't have to have wings; a magician a hat and cloak or a Fairy Tale a gallant protagonist and so I like to think outside the box and draw something 'new'. My guilty pleasure is fantasy art but I am drawn mainly to figurative work. I look to feed my illustrations with legitimate sources, whether it be ancient myths and legends, the works of the 'Grimm Brother's' and 'Hans Andersen' or the Gothic novels of Bronte and Shelley. Perhaps, it could it be said that I use drawing to escape into a magical world of my or another authors creation but that is how I immerse myself and create empathetic illustrations.
For me, drawing is about spontaneity, my pencil case is packed out with crayons; felt-tips and Pro-Markers, graphite sticks and thick-fine-liners, the perfect utensils for creating a quick, bold, observational drawing. I look to capture humour, emotion and atmosphere but most of all I look for character, a trait I believe can be found in even inanimate objects. I would label myself an impatient artist; I greatly appreciate detailed work like that of 'Jennifer Eachus' and the 'Pre-Raphaelite' paintings but am also drawn to the simplicity of Rackham's silhouette cuttings. However, I am what I like to call a 'scribbler', my inspirations may be varying in accordance with a new obsession but generically I try to 'notice' everything because, occasionally, I notice something was worth drawing and that's when it gets interesting.
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