Art Matters...

Who would have thought that citizens of the free world would be in a Government lock-down and the daily reporting of near to a thousand deaths a day (and more in some instances), would be the daily reality; it seems more like a script for some movie, but here in 2020 with the Covid19 Pandemic this as you are probably aware is sadly, very much the reality. 
So in these unprecedented times of stress and anxiety as we try to adjust to a different type of reality, it might seem a bit frivolous to discuss or be thinking about Art...as an artist it is something that I have run back and forth in my mind, is it appropriate to still be sending out artwork or talking about design?  But then I came across two items which resonated, one was a social media post, where the post suggested to all those people who think that Art is irrelevant, for them to consider living through lock-down without music, books, poetry, movies and comforts of home ...for behind, all of these things lies the work of an artist/designer in one form or another....the second item was in a newsletter that I received this morning from artist agent Jennifer Nelson where she writes " Art is a magical thing. It allows us to connect without words; without even being close to one another.  Art connects people around the world " and I thought Yes! this is so true, you only have to think of the people in Italy who came out onto their balconies to sing, bringing light into the darkness, and not only was this experienced at a local level, we too in the global community were able to witness this emotional yet uplifting event - so whilst it may not always be immediately obvious - art really does matter and can have such a positive impact on our lives.

It's that sense of community, that is also important.  You may have heard of the Association of Illustrators, the UK's professional body for Illustrators, who since the early 70's have championed the rights of illustrators, campaigning to enhance, protect and support the profession of Illustration and the rights of artists; offering advice and resources to it's members from around the world,  and never more so than at this current time - if you are an artist / illustrator looking for a little guidance on how this  affects you  there is some useful information relating to Covid 19 and Illustrators here.

Or if you are in the market to commission an illustrator or license some artwork, you can check out lots of illustrators work on their site including that of yours truly! It's important to note that the AOI are not an agent but a place to see great illustration / artwork in all it's forms and glory...