some of my recent work

One Hundred Years of Solitude- Penguin Book Cover Competition 2010

Through my research of One Hundred Years of Solitude it became apparent to me that a key theme of the novel was transient themes and characters within the town of Macondo. A constant element in an ever-changing place is the chestnut tree that is made reference to consistently within the story. I aimed to depict the age rings of the tree trunk to represent the seven generations of the Buendia family. The age rings are separate elements within the trunk to signify the new people and technologies that enter the town through the generations. Furthermore I incorporated the aspect of alchemy, which is a strong theme, and is said to be the ‘elixir of longevity’. This relates to the aspects of time, life and death that run as a constant themes throughout. I sought to capture the essence of the traditional theme of the book, whilst juxtaposing it with a more modern geometric twist. 

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James and the Giant Peach-Puffin Book Cover Competition 2010

The essence of the book is playful, with exciting and vivid visual references throughout. I aimed to capture a range of elements that appear within the book and portray them within a child friendly, yet sophisticated and modern way that could appeal to a range of ages. A key part of the book is when the peach runs over James’s aunts and they are described as ‘as flat as paper dolls from a cut out book’. This inspired the visual identity of the design, which lends itself towards a cut and paste collage style. The aspects that are included relate to different aspects of the journey, without revealing too much of the story. Furthermore the lines that lead from the peach represent the journey theme that is pivotal to the story. Overall I believe the design creates an original, playful child friendly interpretation of a classic novel.

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