THE MAYFLOWER
A concertina book on the Pilgrim's crossing from Plymouth, England, to America
2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' crossing from my home of Plymouth to the New World – America. To commemorate, I created this concertina book in gouache.
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From the bustling fishing port of Plymouth we see our voyagers waving goodbye to everything they know and braving the stormy seas of the Atlantic, with only an hourglass to measure the long hours. A nod to the magical creatures brought to life in sailors' tales, through the rocky outcrop and the Mayflower finally reaches land, where the Pilgrims are greeted by the Native American Wampanoag tribe.
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Though they weren't the first to colonise America, the Pilgrims' story with the Wampannoag people is famous. The Native American tribe helped the Pilgrim people by bringing food in their first harsh winter. They celebrated with a feast - the first Thanksgiving.
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"More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew aboard the Mayflower when it landed in Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts," according to the Mayflower's 400th anniversary website.
WHEREVER THE WIND TAKES US
Back to school for the first time in over a decade, my lovely teacher asked us to create a zine that would instantly tell the reader something about us.
It could be anything we wanted, any form of art, as long as it was a zine.
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It had been so long since I'd been properly creative that this just came spilling out of me and I drew the whole thing in an afternoon, almost without thinking about it.
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To me, it's a very personal story of the time in my life which led to where I am now. I hope others can find some meaning in there too.