localpeople Art and Soul: Rebecca Evans


Words and portrait photograph by John Allen Other images courtesy of Rebecca Evans


Rebecca Evans is a talented young lady who has just graduated from


University. Her skill is in


producing stunning pieces of art that incorporate unique typography, amazing drawings and beautiful colours.


I met up with Rebecca and she told me about her world as an Illustrator.


Why did you choose


Illustration as your subject? I did a little bit in college. We had a short illustration brief, over a couple of days, and I enjoyed the freedom of putting my own interpretation on it. Because it’s your take on something; and you’re visually communicating your ideas. At college I didn’t really enjoy sculpture and although Art History was interesting it wasn’t practical enough. So I looked into Illustration: I went to a couple of Uni Fairs, and saw some of the work and thought, I’d love to do something like that!


And Illustration can be applied to so many different things: magazine editorials; book illustrations; packaging; typography. There’s quite a lot that comes out of it, and it’s all under that same umbrella.


Do you come from an artistic Rebecca, are you a local


person? Yes; I grew up in Chapel Field in Harlow, and I went to Pear Tree Mead Primary School and then to Brays Grove. After that I studied Art and Design at Hertfordshire Regional College in Ware for two years, before going to the University of Lincoln where I studied Illustration.


It’s one of the few universities that teach that subject, and it had a good reputation. Lincoln is a lovely city, a nice mix of the old and the new. But I also chose it for its atmosphere, and because it’s quite a studenty place. I studied in a chapel next to the cathedral, but I lived down the bottom of the town, so I had to walk


8


family? Not really, although my uncle was a photographer and my grandfather was a draughtsman. But nobody in the family paints or draws, just me. I suppose for me it started in nursery.


I enjoyed painting, and I


was always being told I was good at it, and if someone tells you that you’re good at something then you just want to do it even more, don’t you? My teachers at Brays Grove were brilliant; my art teacher, Mr Scholtes, he was great. He always encouraged me.


Brays Grove was a good school; it was old, but it had all been renovated. I was away at Uni when it all came crashing down. When I came back it had gone, but of what I’ve seen, the new building looks good. It’s just a shame they’re calling


To advertise call 01279 410345 And now that you have


graduated? I’d like to be paid to do illustration work, but it is such a competitive world, and I can’t afford to not work. So at the moment I’m a librarian. I’m a peak relief worker for Essex County Council. I work at different libraries all around Essex. The people are really nice and it’s quite a nice job because it’s so fl exible, they just call you in when they need you.


I’m also really interested in Arts Administration. I’ve applied for a couple of jobs in the Curation departments of some major museums. Obviously it’s just admin work to start with, but then you can always move around the different departments. I’ve applied for


a


lot of jobs, but it’s so hard to fi nd something these days. I’m lucky to have whatever because for a lot of my friends from university, none of them have got an art-related career. A lot of them work in bars or shops just to tide themselves over, but that’s just the reality for graduates. Some were lucky enough to get work experience, but that’s not very frequent, and not very long – two or four weeks. I just need to be sensible about it.


I understand you have a blog


and a website? That’s right. My blog has been up for two years, but the website is only a couple of months old. In fact, of the two, I prefer my blog. I think it’s more personal. It gives me the opportunity to show some of my work and to explain it more fully. It’s also nice when other illustrators are interested in your work and follow your blog. It gives you a buzz. And that’s happening – I’ve got thirty-fi ve


up the hill every day. But it was great and it kept me fi t.


the new school Passmores and not Brays Grove.


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