Sunday Times Home on Working From Home
What you were making and where you were working during lockdown - a studio? at home? - and whether you used the time to develop anything new?
We created a semi wework / shared studio space at home. It was great to have lots of different create minds flying around the house. My older sister who is a contemporary artist and my brother who is an aspiring screenwriter and works in film production. Luckily for me being an illustrator, the scale I work to is usually around A3, so moving my work space to home was pretty painless.
The change from working in London to the countryside has done wonders for my creative process. Not being distracted by the fast pace of London has allowed my mind to focus in on my work.
Being surrounded by nature and watching the changing of the seasons has been pretty special. From Winter to Spring and now into Summer, being able to watch the progression of the leaves coming back and flowers blossoming is something we forget to notice in the rat race of usual life.
Have you enjoyed a difference pace of lockdown?
Yes, I’ve surprised myself as I’ve adjusted to this slower, less immediate pace of life. Before I would get itchy feet if I wasn’t doing something. Now I really can appreciate time to myself, whether thats reading, yoga or walking.
Its hard to ignore the impact that lockdown at home has had on my style. The colours of the garden have been seeping into my new designs. Vines, blossom and flowers are the main focus of the murals I’ve been painting around the house.
I also think with these dark times I wanted to create things that would make people happy. When I compare my work to before lockdown, it definitely feels freer and happier and more expressive.
