Book Review: Soppy

Rice, P. (2015) Soppy. Great Britain: Square Peg, imprint of Penguin Random House

I recently visited the college library and, in the Illustration section, came across this rather charming book; Soppy by Philippa Rice. I took it out immediately (after browsing some other books, that I will review in due course) and flicked through it during my lunch break. What I really like about this book, described as a graphic novel, is the very limited colour palette of red, black and white as well as the adorably illustrated main characters - a boy and girl, based on the author and her boyfriend (both illustrators themselves), who fall in love at a print fair and eventually move in together.

The illustrations highlight the ups and downs of adjusting to a new life when living with a new person and discovering how to balance alone-time and togetherness to make it work. Rice uses a mixture of black india ink, Letraset Promarkers, Sharpies and brush pens to create her highly-saturated blocks of contrasting colour. The illustrations themselves use basic shapes and forms to convey characters and environments, but it is the mark-making and patterns that are really special to me. Dots, dashes, squiggles, cross-hatches and circles work harmoniously with the flat expanses to create beautifully simplistic pages of varying visual language and detail - portraying movement, environment and emotion.

The page layouts are similarly of interest, with no two-page spread being the same. Rice plays with both borderless and bordered illustrations comprising of 2, 4, 8 and 16 pictures to a page. It is this variation that also makes turning each page a delight. While I do like the smaller illustrations, I much prefer when Rice takes advantage of a two-page spread to illustrate one image. With my visual impairment, it is much easier for me to see - and Rice really shines when adding more landscape detailing.

Crit: Level 5 & 6 Summer Sketchbooks

This afternoon, I looked at the summer sketchbooks of Level 5 and 6 students to give me an idea of the skill level of my peers who are in the middle of, or finishing up, their degree work. I was immediately drawn to this sketchbook, illustrator unknown, based on the idea of Vanity as Vulnerability. The illustrator worked tirelessly to experiment with many different materials and processes, including; painting with gouache, watercolour and acrylics, coloured markers, pencils and pens, fine liners and coloured paper. Many of her works featured mixed media or collage techniques centred around the portrayal of young women in regards to fashion, cosmetics, hair, media and the idea of confidence.

My favourite pieces included the artists' exploration into today's need for instant gratification, through online apps such as Instagram and Snapchat, especially editing oneself through filters, stickers and level adjustments. It's thought-provoking, relevant and current. I also liked the idea of looking at hairstyle and colour as identity; when we're all dying our hair bright reds, pinks, purple, greens and blues to mimic Tumblr trends of nebulas and mermaids - are any of us really that unique anymore? As well as this, the interpretation of the contour process of blending foundation, concealer, bronzer, highlighter and blush as tribal markings is simply ingenious.

While I absolutely adored each page of this sketchbook - especially the colour palettes used, the knowledge and range of media, the style of the illustrations and the content and themes behind them - the main criticism I have to make is that there weren't enough experimental pages where the artist used some pages as a playground to let loose, to investigate and to enquire. Each image reads as a final piece and finished result, with no journey or background information as to how she reached that point in the creative process. I believe a good sketchbook should incorporate both small-scale pieces (that can later be worked into a final illustration) and also experimentation; quick sketches, observations, studies, mixed media and material experimentation, things that haven't quite worked and things that have worked explored further. This is something I will be taking into account when using my own sketchbooks this year.

Study Task 1: Image, Idea and Context

For this study task I chose "Be Brave. Be Strong." by Helen Dardik, created in Adobe Illustrator with a Wacom Cintiq 22HD graphics tablet. I chose this image specifically as it is one of my favourite pieces from Dardik's portfolio; I even own the original print which I purchased recently from her Etsy store.

The image itself is the quintessential epitome of Dardik's work; with a highly-saturated and vivid colour palette, a simple use of shape, form and pattern and an overall childlike aesthetic with nostalgic undertones partnered with playful, happy characters. As with many other of her works, there is no clear outline defining the elements within the image, presenting a much softer tone of voice without a harsh angle. This provides a much simpler, naive look. The variations in tone present a clear contrast of lighter and darker areas without too much of a stark difference between hues and tones. Dardik predominantly uses secondary and tertiary colours, with minor use of primaries to ground these shades, meaning that many of the chosen tones balance together and work in harmony, of equal parts warm and cold. They are closely linked  - yet distinct - variants. This results in a friendly, congruous final piece that flows together nicely. Rotund shapes again allude to a soft, non-defined and feminine approach to the illustration. Providing much visual interest is the subtle use of mark-making and pattern paired with smooth fill areas of colour. The patterns again allude to the past, with a sense of nostalgia, due to the fun and lively nature of the motifs - florals, waves, stripes and raindrops - borrowing heavily from Scandinavian Folk Art. The illustration has a strong structure without many blank areas on the canvas. Compositionally, the main character is facing to the right; looking towards her future, perhaps! She is depicted as doll-like with stringy, yarn hair and big blushing cheeks - full of innocence and honesty - yet fearless, in control, reigning in a powerful animal, at one with nature and ready to go forth into the unknown of her colourful environment. Even the custom font reflects my previous analysis; again using simple shapes, forms and colours to create an atmosphere of fun, energy and vitality.

The idea of this illustration, from my perspective, is to provide inspiration in a charming and insightful manner to an audience of both mature and juvenile viewers. It is highly reflective of childhood and happier times for the adults and encouraging and eye-catching to the younger ones. In its' original context, the piece was created to be sold as a print as part of Dardik's wider portfolio on her online Etsy shop. I originally found the image through Helen Dardik's blog, which I frequent regularly to browse through newer and older pieces for inspiration, which linked me to the store.

What works about this illustration? Personally , I favour the bold, curvaceous shapes, the custom-made font, the fun and energetic atmosphere that has been created, the sentimentality of youth, the pattern and mark-making techniques and the character design. It is a visual feast, but with a firm balance - without too much of any one dominating element.

Official Site | Blog | Etsy Store

Freshers Week: Ladybeck Alternative Arts Night

The standout event for me during this year's Freshers Week was the 'Alternative Arts Night' at Lady Beck, Mabgate. The night featured an open mic preceding performances from electronic musicians, a cappella singers, performance art and comedy sketches. As this is officially the year of pushing myself to do new things, gathering the courage to go back to college and earning a place on this degree program being the main things I have accomplished, I wanted to give this a go! I have done many speeches, presentations, Q and A's and Meet and Greets as part of my charity work with Guide Dogs, the RNIB, Henshaws, Action for Blind People and Great Ormond Street Hospital - so I am used to speaking in public for a lengthy amount of time.

While I am more than happy to share my story of being born premature and having a severe visual impairment, struggling at school with little support but ultimately overcoming my challenges and obstacles, I find it hard to share my work with people - whether this is my illustrations or my writing. They feel too special and I like to hold onto them, longer than I probably need to, and I need to get over this if I am to undertake this course and partake in regular crits!

---

You Can See Me
You can see me
but I can’t see you
Is this fair?
Is this a game,
Or a test of my patience and resilience?

You can see me
but I can’t see you
I don’t know your reactions
or your expressions
only your voice and the clues it provides

You can see me
but I can’t see you
Is it me who you are talking to?
Or someone behind or beside me?

You can see me
but I can’t see you
Are you there across the room
or have you gone?

You can see me
but I can’t see you
there is no need to wave or smile
and yet... I still catch them
I can feel your warm personality
and can laugh at your jokes
and join in your conversations

You can see me
but I can’t see you
there is no need for sympathy
or pity or condolence
None are of any use to me

You can see me
but I can’t see you
This I have accepted
I am friendly, approachable
independent and confident
ask me questions - learn to understand!
I am happy to share my world with you
don’t feel awkward, I am your friend

You can see me
but I can’t see you
we are all on the same journey
from beginning to end
passing through life
and learning of its treasures
though some have it harder
and need time to adjust and adapt

You can see me
but I can’t see you
This is who I am
and everything I have to give

You can see me
and I can see you
You are all you can be
giving love, light, happiness and friendship
sharing knowledge, ideas and understanding
collaborating and learning and growing

The world is full of love
...and I can see that clearly

---

Reflection
I feel that sharing a very personal poem, that I wrote especially for this event to share, was really beneficial to me as a person and as a practitioner. It was certainly the first step in helping me to open the door on sharing my work with a larger audience, than my immediate family or friends, and the very positive feedback was reassuring to continue down this route. I would love to attend more performance art and open mic night events!

Introductory Post

Hello and welcome to my PPP blog! To kick off my blog and give context to where I've come from and where I'm wanting to head next in my practice, I thought I would make an introduction post. This will enable me to reflect on where I'm at and consider options for the future.

• Where have I been?
I'm fresh off the Access to HE course where I achieved distinctions in all modules. I'm a hard worker and am passionate about art and creativity, believing it transcends vision and encapsulates the human condition, emotion, expression and our wanting to connect with others. Before being at Vernon Street for a year, I volunteered at sight loss charities including Henshaws Society for Blind People, Action for Blind People, Guide Dogs and the RNIB. Campaigning with the RNIB on the behalf of other young visually impaired and blind people across England, I had the privilege of speaking at both UK Parliament and European Parliament to MPs, MEPs, researchers and press to highlight key issues surrounding accessibility. I gave speeches at events for the other aforementioned charities and helped with social media content. I was the RNIB's Young Illustrator for the Year in 2014 which helped me to receive widespread attention for my emerging practice - receiving commissions from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, UK Scouts Magazine / Get Active! supplement, Foster Care Associates, Henshaws and One Man's Vision. I won the Gillian Lawrence Award in 2014 for being an inspiring role model and soon after was matched and trained with my Guide Dog, Tami. Tami presented a new opportunity to get back into education and, after being accepted onto Access, here I am wanting to embark on my art degree!

• Where am I now?
I've currently moved away from my home in Manchester and now live in Leeds. I've stayed for weeks at a time away from home with Tami while undertaking campaign work and advocacy, so I am not phased by living on my own permanently. I am, however, nervous for starting a new course with new people who are going to be much younger than what I've been used to on the access course; designed specifically for mature students. How will they react to my disability? Will I make friends easily? I have the benefit of knowing the guys in the student Union as I've been a Student Rep and Student Ambassador for the Access course and will be performing new duties as a Student Governor meaning more Exec meetings with these awesome guys! I have just lost my grandad, my best friend, over the summer to Pneumonia and heart failure so his loss is propelling me forward to achieve my dreams.

• Where do I want to go?
After I have completed my degree course, it is my dream to become a children's book illustrator. I want to be able to connect with an audience of children, both fully abled and disabled, and share with them the magical memories I have of picture books as a child - giving the sense of wonderment and excitement to a new generation. I want to demonstrate through illustrations the morals that underpin us as good, honest and hardworking people as well as a big focus on accessibility, inclusion and equality. We are all the same despite our differences.

• What do I want to achieve on this course?
While studying on the illustration course, I want to be able to develop a better understanding of the creative industries and contemporary illustration as a practice as well as to learn more about successful illustrators and their work ethic, how they juggle the uncertainly of having this kind of job and how they keep projects fresh and exciting. What influences them and their aesthetic? Their choice of projects? I would like to learn more about different kinds of illustration such as editorial, reportage and book illustration - in particular.

• Why did I choose LCA?
After making the decision in early 2015 that I wanted to get back into further education, I looked into various art colleges up and down the country. Manchester was the closest to me as well as Bolton - but on open days their campuses didn't inspire me and I felt like a hinderance in asking for help and support. LCA was recommended to me by someone I worked alongside in Henshaws, as she completed her foundation here many moons ago, so I booked onto the open day and sorted out my train tickets. After visiting and listening to Adam's lecture (who would go on to be my tutor) I knew this was the place for me. The facilities are fantastic and the staff and technicians want nothing more than to ensure I'm happy and comfortable in a busy environment. I love the guys in the Student Union too as look forward to spending more time with them this year!