Things are Getting Brighter
I’ve tried to stop putting pressure on what I make, I finished my fine art degree in 2019 and spent a while panicking that I had to have something big lined up.
Now I just make illustrations that make me happy, if it’s something I’m feeling that day or something I find funny I draw it and upload it.
During 2020 I saw a therapist for most of the year which was so beneficial to me, I am pretty open with talking about my mental health and I don’t think I had quite realised how common it is to deal with anxiety and depression. I have found being more open with how I’m feeling has meant on more positive days I can really celebrate my small achievements, making a lasagne, replying to my emails, looking after my plants (they have put up with a lot but are somehow still here!). I like to try to celebrate small victories in my illustrations because they are important!
I think this pandemic has really shown me how important light relief is, I have some of my prints around my house and sometimes when I’m stressed I catch a glimpse of “it’s all going to be ok” which doesn’t fix my worries about gas bills and a global pandemic but it’s a small push in a positive direction.
My influences are a little varied, I love artists like David Shrigley and Grayson Perry but I also really enjoy early 2000’s girl culture. Getting an eye infection from the free eyeshadow from Mizz magazine just to feel a bit of glamour, all of the cheapest jewellery from Claire’s Accessories and can’t we all learn a lot from The Sound of the Underground. Growing up in the early 2000’s has made me love this era so much, I love how everything was trying so hard to look modern and digital and the height of glamour was an inflatable chair and a flip phone. For me, there’s a lot of fun from that time that I very much enjoy reliving now.
I upload my illustrations to Instagram and sell my prints on Etsy, it’s really nice being able to engage with people and it’s such a nice feeling when someone really likes what you’ve produced. I want to keep making and drawing, I would really love to make a colouring book or something that can be used as some kind of stress relief
I create my illustrations digitally and they are usually text based involving humour or positivity. I always use bright colours, I will never be a minimalist (no matter how many time I’ve tried) I just like everything at once. You can find my work on Instagram @by.saffron or Etsy saffronewartstudio.
Saffron Ewart