About time, too...

Mozart's Magic Flute

These next two pieces are from my final Uni project, based loosely (very..) on Mozart's Magic flute. I wanting to create imagery responding to the themes in the text. I found I liked the character of Papageno the bird catcher and decided to use his design as a starting point. As my ideas developed, I decided to turn him into a type of cat – a bird catcher

Cat Love?

I also decided that Papageno’s later partner, Papagena, should also be a cat. Unlike the muddy grey/brown of Papageno’s later designs I gave her more definition with black and white to make her appear more attractive. By turning these two characters into cats, I had more freedom when choosing colour and pattern, allowing me to break more conventions than if these were human characters.

Cheltenham Illustration Awards - Tree time tales

This piece doubled as an entry to the Cheltenham illustration Awards ‘Tree Time Tails.’ I used the idea of the mysterious realm of the Queen of the night to create the illustration, as I felt it was a broad concept that could be playfully twisted. I thought about the idea of Papageno as a bird catcher, and therefore decided to twist it so he is confronted with a giant bird in a forest setting. 

Penguin Book Cover competition - One Hundred Years of Solitude

After reading the book I decided to create a cover illustration that conveyed the themes and atmosphere within the narrative, rather than portray a specific part of the story. The yellow flowers on the cover are a reference to those that fall on Macondo after José Arcadio Buendía’s death. The decorative pattern of leaves and branches are a reference to the setting within the South American Rainforest, representing the remoteness and solitude conveyed within the narrative. Similarly, the representation of leaves and branches is stylised, suggesting the plot’s surrealism.