My lockdown art this week is by artist and illustrator Sarah Godsill.
As we all know when the first lockdown was announced on March 23rd, everything seemed to grind to a halt.
Sarah found it increasingly hard to concentrate on work and ignore news bulletins. So she decided to use the strange circumstances as a way to connect with friends and family by asking them for photographs of themselves in their most typical lockdown activity for a painting.
This is what she has to say about her painting shows people at work and play, round the table, cooking, reading, gardening, getting out for walks or stuck at computer screens. They come from all over the UK, Spain, USA, Canada, Chile, Venezuela and Singapore.
"I started to envisage a Zoom screen full of everyone’s images. I didn’t know how many photos there would be and I had originally planned to do individual paintings, but on a practical level it was easier to grid a canvas into 64 slots and add the images as they were sent to me.
As I worked on each individual image it was comforting to think about the people represented, whether they were far away geographically or just around the corner here in Frome. We couldn’t meet in person and hug - we still don’t know when that will be possible - so it was a lovely way to feel a bit of a connection with everyone.”
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Spring Lockdown by
Sarah Godsill
oil 100 x 120 cm
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“It’s been a challenging year for most of us and especially difficult for those who have been affected by Covid19 or are shielding or caring for vulnerable people, but it’s also highlighted the most valuable things in life and all that we’re grateful for.The resulting painting has now been accepted for hanging by
The incredible weather made it more manageable in the first few months and that really stood out in lots of the photos I received; I never used green in my paintings before this year.”
- the Annual Open exhibition of Bath Society of Artists at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, which opens online on November 2nd.
- the Annual Exhibition of the New English Art Club - where you can see it on the wall. I'm thinking it must have been spotted back in November by Peter Brown who is also a member of the Bath Society of Artists
The spinoffs
Once the lockdown composite painting was almost completed Sarah also started posting them on her Instagram page and the positive response made her wonder whether it was something she could offer whilst her work as an Events Illustrator is on hold.“My work drawing at weddings isn’t a possibility for the foreseeable future but I’m still keen to record people’s special moments from photographs at least, whether it’s a significant event or a positive memory from this strange year.”
Portraits for NHS Heroes - @tomartist32 thoughtful initiative to suggest artists offer free portraits for any NHS worker nominated - just published in a beautiful book by @BloomsburyBooks
— sarahgodsill (@sarahgodsill) November 13, 2020
All royalties going to @NHSCharitiesTogether.#portraitsfornhsheroes #huntingravenfrome?! pic.twitter.com/QKJ5KBD9S7
About Sarah Godsill
You can find out more about Sarah Godsill on http://sarahgodsill.co.uk/ (plus see her other websites / social media below)- a figurative artist - for exhibitions and commissions
- an illustrator
- an Events Illustrator - being the guest artist at weddings and other events. (see www.eventsillustration.co.uk for more details)
- Events Illustration: http://www.eventsillustration.co.uk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/godsi11/ and https://www.facebook.com/Events-Illustration-199007580110739
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahgodsill and https://twitter.com/idrawatweddings
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockdownlimner/
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