I wanted to make an image that suggested both fun and chaos. It's a magic castle, but no-one seems to be in control of it - there's all sorts going on, and the chaps who live there are just running around mopping up after the raincloud, looking out for monsters, tripping over stuff. I used scraperboard and pen and ink to draw all the different elements of the picture, and then I stuffed them all together until I ran out of room. I'd been looking at a book about Norwegian Folk Art when I made this picture, and I think that shows through a bit maybe. - Joe
Joe McLaren is an artist and illustrator living and working in rural Kent. He graduated a few years ago from the University of Brighton’s BA Illustration course and illustrates for the Financial Times, Monocle, Contact and others. He has designed book covers for Hodder Headline and Portobello, and produces handmade picture books.
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