Arthur and the flowers of Covent Garden.

(2020)

My entry for The Covent Gardener Magazine's cover-competition.
RUNNER UP - FEATURED IN ISSUE 20

The brief: ‘A celebration of all that is Covent Garden, past, present and future’, for the Winter 2020 Issue.
Jeannine Saba, editor of The Covent Gardener, reguarly updates the magazines instagram page on Covent Garden's goings-on, and this is where I took my inspiration. At the time of designing my cover the UK was in it's first lockdown and much of Jeannine's photographs were of a very deserted Covent Garden. She also included many photographs of those that work to keep Covent Garden running, and looking it's best. This is where I found Arthur Montgomery - maintenance man for Covent Garden - and the photograph of him watering the flowers (below). He had such a lovely demeanour,
I believe that he (along with all the other hidden people keeping Covent Garden alive) is one of the most important parts of Covent Garden, both in it's past, future and, perhaps most importantly, in these very strange present times. People like Arthur keep Covent Garden alive.

Elements of my illustration have been painted with beetroot, incorporating Covent Garden's historic fruit and vegetable markets.