If you’ve been following Kingdom & Sparrow over the years, you’ll know that at Christmas the team are treated to special gifts by local makers and craftspeople. And this Christmas was no exception.
For Christmas 2021 we worked with Falmouth-based artist and illustrator, Bex Bourne to create bespoke artworks for each member of the team.
Bex uses gouache, colouring pencils and whatever else she has to hand to make her beautifully characterful collages. She often uses spacers between paper layers to create dynamic 3D scenes for book illustrations, ‘tiny room’ artworks and, as in our case, portraits.
From our Project Manager Bobbie tending to her allotment, to Designer Holly resting on cliff face post-climb, to Director Sophie out on her daily dog walk on the beach, Bex captured everyone’s personalities and lifestyles in such a joyful and charming way, with incredible attention to detail. We were all overjoyed and moved to receive such thoughtful and highly personal gifts – especially as they were created by a fellow local creative!
Bex’s epic studio space is in a disused granite quarry, surrounded by nature and other talented craftspeople, from blacksmiths and potters to musicians and rum distillers. She says “My surroundings heavily influence my artwork. When I’m not sat working at my desk, I’ll go and admire my four wonderful chickens (such characters!), contemplate whether we need to acquire some studio ducks to help with slug control in the veg garden, sniff and pick some sweet peas, have a chat with someone passing on the bridleway… At some point I’ll take our ridiculous hound out for a walk in the fields surrounding the area, then go past a friend’s studio to demand a cuppa. I’ve never enjoyed busy city life – the slow pottering of a country place is what I need.” We couldn’t agree more.
