Continuing the annual tradition of me putting together a neverending post with all of the small drawings and painting created over the year. It has been a strange one, and even though as a person I mainly struggled this year, as a creative I can confirm that a global pandemic helped to spike my productivity as painting has become a 'thing to do' when no other ways of letting steam out were possible. Y'know what I mean?
A little Valentine's day tribute.
At many points I just needed to draw and get some random shapeless thoughts out of my head onto paper.
In March covid-related situation started worsening in London. The vibes weren't good but the weather was getting better and better! This is a watercolor study from a cycling trip to Epping forest in East London - one of my favourite studies ever.
An everlasting desire to paint/draw hair. Lots of hair.
Ode to practice.
A little collab with Thom Wong - a series of little drawings themed around lockdown and things that keep us going.
This was a part of Thom's newsletter about life - check it out.
Quarantine inspires all kinds of projects - this was one of the DTIYS I ran on Instagram (draw this in your style challenge) asking artists to visualise themselves as homes and houses and living spaces.
We were listening to a lot of vinyl during the first lockdown.
Apparently Mermay is a thing (May + mermaids) so this little watercolor was created to serve the topic. Mermaid in this realm, human in the mirrored world. Parallels.
An important time when black voices started getting heard all over the world. I have created the following piece about the importance of safety and raised £300 for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Another character study from this year.
A tribute to the importance of taking a mental holiday. We all need one this year.
Purchased in a gift shop in sunny Portugal a couple years ago, and destroyed by some heavy rain a day after it was bought (Portugal, you are cruel!). Instead of throwing it away I decided to use it to tell a tale, one about sorrow, denial, acceptance, wetness and interaction.
My escape to Lithuania in the summer inspired some interesting painting where garden berries and forest mushrooms face each other leading to a battle.
Not a lot of energy to commit to a large painting or a lengthy project so little paintings were a perfect format of letting some creative steam out.
And just like that, autumn came after the quickest summer ever, and the longest winter of my life was yet to follow.
By the end of the year I got really really tired of my own company. This watercolor comic helped me share that feeling.
My favourite japanese cafe a day before closing its doors to visitors for a millionth time this year. It inspired a fun little painting called the 'Onigiri Thief'.
My love for mushrooms, and the queen of mushroomy motherhood on a watercolor postcard.
No mushrooms go to waste in my house. Noodle soup is the best solution.
The final blow this year was a gift of Covid for xmas. I have only just recovered from the shittiest festive break, and am full of energy to keep painting and pushing forward.
