A year in the life... and what's next?
Where I attempt a rapid fire run-down of the ups (and some downs) of my creative practice this year and reveal what's just around the corner.
Hello! Welcome to all the new subscribers to my little corner of the internet and thank you to those of you who are still here, despite my not writing much here in the second half of this year.
Let’s get straight into it, kicking off with just some of the ups…
5 highlights from 2024
1) Painting a whole building
My second largest artwork yet (the biggest being last year’s Aardman mural)… this 95sqm artwork is a full building wrap-around mural, handpainted on the revamped 19th century pub The Jolly Boatman on Lewes Road, in Newhaven. The mural was commissioned as part of the Look Again Supergraphics Festival. Titled “Our Community” I designed the artwork as a celebration of the people of Newhaven and what brings them together, through a collection of vignette illustrations which you can discover as you look around the building. Take a look at more photos, including the rest of the mural - yes, it wraps around the other side - here.
2) Working alongside talented painters
For all of my mural projects I invite local mural painters to assist me in getting the job done. This year’s erratic UK weather has meant it’s been even more critical in taking advantage of any sunny, dry spells with an all-hands-on-deck approach. Have a watch of this small tribute video I made to my community of painters. Special mention to Upfest for all their support too on my work with them this year for their Bristol festival and Weston Wallz.
3) Creating a mural featuring Zog, the Stick Man and the Gruffulo mouse
I’ve been reading my children many Julia Donaldson books, wonderfully illustrated by Axel Scheffler. So, it was with great delight that I was granted his blessing and permission to paint some of his well-loved characters on a new mural opposite a children’s play park in Bristol. Read all about it here.
4) Learning how to do pottery
I’ve been wanting to learn how to do pottery for ages, in fact I mentioned it in a previous newsletter. Over the Summer, the stars (mugs?) aligned in the form of a friend opening a new pottery not far from my home. They commissioned me to add the above mural to their space and, in exchange, I’ve been slowly learning the art of throwing. It’s incredibly challenging, but I’m enjoying learning something new. I highly recommend The Community Pottery, should you want to take this up - they’ve a range of courses to suit whatever stage you’re at - in my case: complete novice!
5) Continuing working with the AOI
My freelance role with the incredible AOI team has continued this year. I love overseeing the growing roster of illustration meet-ups, working with so many amazing illustrator hosts. Check out what some of the meet-ups have been up to here.
I’ve also hosted six AOI intro sessions and worked with Derek Brazell on the Inside Illustration Creative Practice Course. This has seen me host eight fascinating industry talks with leading practitioners on areas covering illustrated book covers and the wide-reaching world of fashion illustration.
It’s not all been great
OK, I think it’s important to note that there are “downs” to any year and it’s not all plain sailing.
The start of 2024 was particularly slow, with low enquiries and stalled projects. I had to grit my teeth and trust that work would come through. Helping me along - and something I always do in slower periods - is chip away at personal projects. The above fruity trio is one such set of images I put out during that time. In fact, these illustrations helped land a job with a new publishing client.
There were some not-great wall surfaces to paint requiring extra patience, time, money and approach. Every mural job throws up new challenges and I’ve learnt to do my best to embrace and solve the problems. Again, I’m grateful to my team of painters who’ve been on these tricky painting journeys - battling bobbly surfaces and wild weather conditions.
I always keep a folder of projects that I’ve not been successful in landing. By this time of year, it’s interesting looking back through this folder and reflecting on why I might not have got those commissions. It’s easy to feel down about jobs lost, but I try hard to learn from the knock-backs and note feedback from those moments.
Finally I want to encourage you to keep your family and friends close. I couldn’t have got through this year without their support. Whenever I’ve felt overwhelm, more often than not, it’s the people around me that have pulled me through.
What’s next for 2025…
Doing an end of year round-up is almost non-sensical in someways, as there’s a number of projects that I’ve worked on during 2024, which I’m not yet able to reveal publicly. For example, there’s a huge mural in Filton to officially launch in the Spring, a publishing project dropping late March, a bespoke print-release and two site-specific artwork to unveil later in the year.
Please keep an eye on my Instagram and Linkedin where I tend to post new work first.
For 2025, I’ll be continuing to push myself creatively and be playful - remembering to experiment and not get comfortable with the way I create images. The above bird was from a set of illustrations for a private commission I undertook this year, where I was able to explore a more textural approach to my image making.
I’m also keen to do more learning. I attended the ‘Illustration and Heritage’ symposium last month which filled me to the brim with wonderful knowledge and fresh approaches when tackling commissions relating to history.
Thank you for making it to the end of this newsletter. I’d love to hear about your year’s highlights and how you’ve got through the tougher times. Take care
Appreciated this reflection. Thank you Dave! All the best for 2025.
Loved this round up Dave, and I think the Pottery mural is my fave! I'm hoping to do more personal creative projects in 2025, and explore some pottery too.