Original Artwork
This commission was to design a commemoration of five Yorkshire lads who gave their lives in the First World War. The design was to become part of the Whitbread Memorial Bridge in Great Ayton, which was commissioned by George Whitbread (Under-Manager of the Ayton Ironstone Mines) in June 1919, in memory of his colleagues who did not return from the Great War. The footbridge over the River Leven was erected by the mine workers themselves, and now provides access to public footpaths and the Waterfall Park area of Great Ayton.
Researching the narrative was a fascinating and thought-provoking process. I really wanted to do justice to their sacrifice and to mark the loss felt by the mining community that knew the fallen men: Private Lawrence Johnson, Private Ernest Pearson, Robert Theobald, Private Arthur Wilks, Private Charles Wildman. It was really important to me to connect their sacrifice in another country, to their lives before the war, here at home. Memories of home are something we all look to in dark times, and it links them back to those they left behind, who wanted to remember them in ways more permanent than our human lives.
Iterations:
Whether creating for fun or with the purpose of a commission, I always get absorbed in the processes that lead to an idea. I want to explore the subject until I find some kernel of the story that resonates most with me and, I hope, those who view my work. I enjoy working digitally, with vectors (infinitely scaleable lines and shapes) which create a look similar to screen or block printing, and overlaying raster elements (which use pixels) for more painterly effects.
If you have a project or want to commission an original piece of artwork, I’d love to discuss it with you. Drop me an e-mail with as much detail as you can provide about what you are after, and I’ll get back to you as soon as posible (usually within 48hrs).