Ear to the ground & head in the clouds

I’ve been going on auto-pilot-zombie mode, following the monotone rhythm of work work work while being out of school for two months now. I’m feeling a bit rusty. I made an “inspire to work!” type playlist to pump up my spirits to return to the routine of art school homework. However, no Polyphonic Spree could save the day.

I was feeling at a loss until I was able to harness a form of inspiration by means of where I work. Harbouring an unmeasureable fondness for children’s books, it only seemed suitable and obvious to gather some ideas from my surroundings. My soul belongs to Kidsbooks, and I’m okay with that sad fact. I wear my name tag proudly, gobbling up compelling narratives, and meandering page by page.

I’ve only received a papercut on a single occasion.

For such a project requesting image manipulation, I found some great inspiration from a handful of gorgeous picture books. The first two images can be found in Imagine a Day and it’s companion, Imagine a NIght written by Sarah L. Thomson and images accompanied by Rob Gonsalves. Highly recommended.

Another fun book to breeze through is If… by Sarah Perry. We didn’t have any at the store unfortunately, so I can’t share the unsettling image of a grinning child with toes replacing the teeth. I shiver at the thought. However, this is the cover:

Even though I’m not exactly sure of what I’ll be doing yet, I’ve jotted down some emotions I want to evoke with my project. I’ve noticed that grazing through those books offers a wide range of emotions which are captured so playfully. They range from melancholy, bizarre, and tender to witty, shocking, and engrossing. I’m considering working with the concept of cautionary whimsy, tampering with danger in a childlike manner. We’ll see.