As he prepared to exhibit his work at Perspectives, the 2013 WAES summer arts exhibition, Graphic design student Glen Ross gave an insight into what inspires his work.
Tell us how you got involved in your area of art.
As a long time comic art fan I drew from an early age, steadily growing my styles and techniques to infuse art from all different art forms and philosophies believing that drawing anything and everything is the only way to improve. I started with pencils, watercolour, oil paints and sculpted small clay models, eventually expanding to encompass computer arts.
Before studying at WAES I had some success in doing freelance designing of posters and leaflets for a number of clients but I felt I needed a better understanding of the principles of graphic design. Plus, having qualifications in your chosen field gives an employer confidence in your ability.
"I'm inspired by people like Leonardo DaVinci and Thomas Edison who, by imagining bigger and daring to go further, achieved their dreams..."
What’s your proudest moment so far as an artist?
In the late 90s I read a lot of comics, and while working in retail (during the day) I got the chance to create, write, and illustrate my own short story for a smallpress magazine which was sold in my local comic shop. This was my first published work and gave me encouragement to continue believing that people might enjoy what I do.
Who or what inspires you?
My main source of inspiration comes from invention and inventors - people like Leonardo DaVinci and Thomas Edison who by imagining bigger and daring to go further achieved their dreams, by combining scientific endeavour with a vivid ability to bring their amazing visions to life.
What was the inspiration behind your featured piece?
The project was to design a set of 4 stamps which represent London in some way. I based my ideas on the 150th Anniversary of the London Underground. The idea was to depict the past through to the future using associated images and a range of techniques. The stamp designs were created using a variety of traditional freehand art and computer based packages. Good imagination, research, and design theory all play a part in every design I create.
'4 stamps' (pictured above, right) by graphic design student Glen Ross
Stamp 1, ‘The Time Traveller’, focuses on the images of yester-year and today and the changes which have taken place through the passage of time. Stamp 2, ‘Words and Lines’, looks at the relationships between the names of the tube lines and how they cross and intersect. Stamp 3, ‘The Journey’, uses photographs I took at Pimlico tube station, arranged as if to be a snapshot of life which those who travel the underground know well but take for granted. Stamp 4, ‘Pulsate’, is the view from below gives a some-what majestic resonance and combined with the 3 dimensional constructions which lends itself to a feel of a dynamic transport system at the heart of the city.
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