At the Private View for Poster Prize for Illustration

At the start of February I packed my bags and jumped on the London bound train to attend the private view of the Poster Prize for Illustration 2019. This was my second time that I had been nominated for the exhibition and I was excited to go and check out the great entries. 

For those who don't know, the Poster Prize for Illustration is a prize run annually between the Association of Illustrators and the London Transport Museum. It's an open competition, meaning illustrators from all over the world can enter. In the opening night speeches, Ren Renwick, director of the AOI said that there had been over 1500 entries this year, 100 of which made it into the exhibition.

The theme of this years exhibition was London Stories and I decided to take a reportage slant, focusing on the Number 35 bus which I take when I go to visit my brother. There are so many people from all walks of life on the bus, it's a great space for people watching. You can read more about my entry here and in this blog. 

There were some absolutely beautiful images on display, and it was really great seeing how every different illustrator had approached the brief from a different angle. I really enjoy weaving narrative into my work where I can, and although it's not obvious in this image, every character I created for this piece has their own little backstory. 

Going to events like this make me realise how important it is to get away from my desk and to meet people face to face. I had a great time chatting with lots of other illustrators and I've returned to my little attic in Cornwall full of inspiration. 

Talking of inspiration, this is the place that inspired my illustration. Taken from the window of, you guessed it, the 35 bus. 

So what next, well, I'm working on an exciting development that has come off the back off this exhibition which hopefully I'll be able to announce soon. In the meantime, if you've visited the exhibition drop me a line to let me know what you thought.