This illustration was made in between some editorial assignments that were thematically aggregating to be, true to the zeitgeist, depressing and grown up.

I created this work of a bath time as a means of escape to the familiar. The scene is a nostalgic diorama hopefully recognisable to others and a romanticised ideal childhood and its importance. This was set before the realisation that adults didn't know anything and were just lying children pretending to know what they are doing. The composition is chaotic, but it was a simpler time, and there's is a lot of energy, elements and things happening because there's a lot of things worth re-imaging and retelling. I'm worried I'm glossing over too much, in fact.

Bathtime back then, as remembered by me, an adult, was something you had to do but had opportunities to misbehave in. Much like illustration today for me you take every opportunity you can to turn it into playtime. I creatively misbehave within constraints and think, what can I get away with here? Most often, for no reason at all.

I find work done in between projects invaluable to my practice and are opportunities to play and experiment to inform future projects and briefs. This work might not be my best work over the past year, but it is still one of the more informative works integral to my practice and the lessons for me here are the importance of play, always prioritise fun and a reminder to take unserious things seriously.

Adults would rather relax than have fun in their bath time and today I'm more responsible: to conserve water I have quicker baths.