It’s a funny time we now find ourselves in in 2020. The life of an Illustrator is often spent in more isolation than most, but I would never have expected at the start of the year that the rest of the world would soon be joining me in that isolation.
Lockdown felt like less of an adaptation for me for that reason, but it still came with many of the obvious challenges felt globally – distance from loved ones, fears about health, work-life and finances to name only a few.
The upside though (and there has been more than one) has been more time to spend on personal projects.
Some illustrations I drew last summer and never found time to colour. Others have come about during this time but all seem to feature a lot of plant life – my main source of inspirations when taking my daily walks around my neighbourhood.
These Dolce & Gabbana illustrations I first drew last summer seem refreshingly cheerful, elaborate and optimistic in a time of much uncertainty. There’s this wonderful excess of colour and decoration in their clothes, which makes them so fun to draw.
Watching plants slowly growing and having an even slower pace of life has meant more focus on details and the world around me.
And also inspiration from the past, including my first visit to Chelsea Flower Show in 2019 where I saw the most amazing collection of cacti and succulents. Seeing my neighbourhood gradually come in to bloom I felt like I wanted to capture the quiet beauty of the (sort of) every day house plant.
carmenjohnsonillustration 