I was sitting at home shortly before New Year, wondering what my next project was going to be. News of the recent lockdown was setting in, and that, coupled with the negative media coverage of the fallout of Brexit, meant we were entering even more desperately uncertain times.
We would need to pay close attention to our mental health if we were going to survive this new normal, and it was certainly a time for some ‘colourful language’ to say the least and some travel in the mind to escape pressures.
Below: stills from 'A Greener State Of Mind' animation short.
Faced with the prospect of the same old same old, I set out to create a series of digital art based entirely on colour - having recently been inspired from a film short on the power of colour at Chanel. This would be used to lift mood and spirits, and inspire some much-needed positivity into the hearts of people.
Colourful Language was born.
Rainbow meets rainbow
It wasn’t long after completing the images that a friend introduced me to Rainbow Junktion - an organisation working tirelessly through all weather, to feed the hungry through their ‘Real Junk Food Project’. They do this by intercepting food that would otherwise go to waste from supermarkets, restaurants and other sources, and turn it into healthy, nutritious meals for anyone and everyone on a pay-as-you-feel donation basis. This is where rainbow (colours) meets Rainbow (organisation) - a perfect fit to support a worthy cause.
I set about creating a series of animation shorts for social media to get the word out, each with a purpose to evoke a sense of positivity through a range of images paying homage to their colour. I incorporated digitally altered imagery and illustration from the realms of high fashion, fragrance, lifestyle, food & drink, beauty, luxury and typography. The result is constant movement to fire the imagination.
Below is "A Greener State of Mind" animation short for the colour green, with the caption "Green Is Good"
The six pieces of stills art produced namely Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple, each with an uplifting, specially created message, will form a unique set of postcards. At 6” x 4” inches, they can be kept and framed, or used as an excuse to start a conversation with loved ones through lockdown 3.
£2 from the sale of each set will be donated to Rainbow Junktion.
The art is also available as signed limited edition fine art prints in 2 sizes - 20 x 30cm and 30 x 40cm, with a run of only 20 prints per piece.
20 x 30cm prints are £20 incl P+P (£5 of which will be donated) and 30 x 40cm prints are £25 incl P+P (£6 of which will be donated).
The project has brought a great deal of motivation and satisfaction, a sense of purpose, and more importantly, is helping to contribute to a worthy cause.
So without much further ado, find your own 'Colourful Language' to smash lockdown lethargy, and help others in the process.
Below: stills from 'Symphony in Yellow' animation short.
Rainbow Junktion's main aims are
• to reduce food waste
• to reduce food poverty
• to build community
Read more at:
http://rainbowjunktion.org.uk/
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Regards
Luke x