Within These Wild Walls
“Any place you love is the world to you.”
~ Oscar Wilde
I was delighted to be asked to partake in the Illustrators Ireland exhibition ‘Affinities’ as part of Irish Design Week 2025. For this show Illustrators Ireland asked 23 illustrators to interpret an activity or place that helps calm their minds to create the space needed for creativity to emerge. What links our creative consciousness? What feeds our collective output? Away from modern life and the onslaught of global information, our minds draw inspiration from the spaces around us as well as the spaces within…
So, where do we begin? After receiving a brief, it can be both daunting and overwhelming to try and discover an idea that you’re happy to proceed with. I try to break down a brief to simplify it as much as possible. What space inspires me? What activity fuels my creativity? Upon answering these two questions, I found two potential ideas - crafting/sewing, and gardening. Both are two hobbies away from illustrating that help my mind relax and also regenerate with a fresh approach to creativity. While trying to decide which hobby I would depict, a spark ignited within my imagination - why don’t I combine them? When I thought of this I immediately imagined a garden whose design is reminiscent of an embroidery sampler. The simplicity of shapes and composition, along with a limited colour palette were the perfect pairing for this concept.
I began sketching very rough thumbnails to find a composition and idea. The linear abstracted landscape of vintage embroidery samplers was a suitable starting point to create a space that reflected my creativity. I wondered, how can I divide this space decoratively? So I begin researching visual references, such as garden plans and vintage samplers. I also referenced my own photos of gardens that I have visited over the years. A shed was a perfect ‘space within a space,’ a sacred place where we can gather our thoughts while potting-up or sewing seeds. I love the protective nature of this building - we can shelter here when it rains; and still work, or simply take a breather with a cuppa and a long gaze out the window. This idea of protection led me to create the ‘wild walls’ of my garden design.
I love visiting walled gardens. It’s fascinating how gardener’s are able to divide a large garden space into ‘rooms.’ These rooms are full of life and intrigue. Whether it is a hedgerow of various fruiting shrubs; an old brick wall covered in cordon pear trees, or a wildflower border; a garden can host a wealth of flora and fauna. It’s not just us who inhibit this manmade space, but all the little creatures who call it home. I wanted to depict a range of garden styles and activities. These ranged from the humble garden shed, to elaborate topiary-arched hedges, vegetable plots, a wildlife pond, and an apple orchard.
Along with the simplicity of the composition, I wanted to keep the colour palette quite restrictive, as if I was indeed colouring with embroidery thread, or screen printing the design. I used four main colours - green, orange, ochre, and red. From these colours I added a secondary colour, either toned down or lightened. This helped to add contrast and definition. I mirrored the illustration, but also included extra details to keep the design interesting and fun for the eyes to wander through. For example, I drew different items on either side of the shed, along with a variety of animals within each room of the garden. This technique really worked out well as the deadline was very tight, and I felt a bit under pressure! If you feel like you don’t have enough time to complete a brief, find a solution that suits you, without compromising the final result. The limited colour palette also helped me to stay on track as I didn’t have to add more time with choosing more colours and adding extra details.
‘Affinities’ is a group show by the members of Illustrators Ireland in collaboration with The Space Between and generously supported by the Design and Crafts Council Ireland for Irish Design Week 2025. This exhibition will also play across 100 digital screens/billboards nationwide through Micromedia. Come check out the exhibition until December 4th, 2025. Thanks for reading, Rachel x
