I have been interested in the city of Kingston upon Hull since I first learned about its history at school so I was delighted to be asked to create a collage of the spectacular Humber Bridge. This commission was intended for the boardroom of John Good Group’s new headquarters: Quarry House in Hessle.
Beginning Stages: As the John Good Group emphasises the importance of the environment and creating a sustainable future, my artwork ticked all their boxes in terms of recycling and re-using materials. I photographed the Humber Bridge from their boardroom and also the nearby viewing point, using my images for reference and to remember small details in the landscape.
Materials Used: I started with the sky and created a sense of movement by its swirling pattern of colourful recycled papers, some of which were provided by the John Good Group. The many trees in the scene were produced from pieces of magazine paper and also old Christmas cards from previous years.
A local shop in Hull had given me some used scratchcards from which I cut thin strips for the structure of the bridge and hole-punched pieces for the grass and path.
The fence looked quite rustic when I made it from strands of rope supplied by the company. I was also provided with colourful fabrics which I separated into fibres and twisted together to form areas of land. Dried moss was later added to form patches of green in the foreground. The river became a more complex combination of transparent plastic and thin beige fabric, applied over layers of foil.
Finishing Touches: After it was professionally framed, I delivered the artwork in person to the company. CEO, Adam Walsh was delighted with the results and the original now hangs in pride of place alongside a window that gives a clear view of the actual Humber Bridge.
When visitors enter the reception area of Quarry House, they will notice a Giclee print of this collage. Displayed in other parts of the building are two large prints of my nature art entitled “Woodland Walk” and “At Twilight”. Through my art, I am making a statement about the environment and single use products. My “At Twilight” design was also delivered to 10 Downing Street a few years ago when I became a COP26 One Step Greener ambassador. The important message for the Prime Minister I met at the time was: “At Twilight, but not too late in the day we hope to save the planet.”
