Breed – Maisy Summer’s favourite project
Personal best – Maisy Summer
A further episode of the new series where we ask Breed artists to select a piece or project of their own that holds a special meaning for them. It may not necessarily be the most successful or even their favourite, simply one that stands out for them as important in some way. We’re intrigued to see the choices made and the stories they may lead to.
So, what will Maisy select? She has a good deal to choose from, in her time with us working for The Sunday Times, the V&A, bloom magazine, lifestyle brand TOAST, The Observer, and Kew Gardens, among others. Her illustrations can combine pencil work with gouache, pastels, and paper cutting, and she has created books, animations, branding and wallpaper. What will she choose?
What piece have you chosen?
I have chosen a mural I created for Bookshop Day in October 2023.
Why is it special to you?
The timing of this project makes it a memorable one. Earlier that year I had left Manchester and moved to London. Manchester had been my home for the past eight years – from studying to starting my creative career, which was a mix of lecturing on Illustration with Animation at Manchester School of Art (where I’d studied myself) and freelancing. This project gave me the perfect excuse to return and catch up with friends and family.
My friend and creative collaborator Sarah Wilson helped me install it, which kept morale high as, true to form, Manchester delivered its trademark mix of weather.
Working outside also brought something I don’t often get in the studio, interaction with the public. That exchange and the energy of passersby – from chit-chat to little bits of Manchester lore – made the days pass quickly and kept us in good spirits. Taking illustration off the page and onto the wall for the first time in a while offered a fresh and exciting challenge.
What’s the story behind it?
The piece aims to capture the vibrant spirit of independent high street bookshops and the imagined worlds that spring from reading – from storytelling buses and book clubs to dressing up as your favourite characters.
My black-and-white design was printed onto the large hoarding, turning it into almost a giant paint-by-numbers. We came equipped with a trolley full of Daler-Rowney exterior paints and started by blocking out the larger areas, finishing with the more detailed parts, like the characters, using Posca pens.
How did you come to create this piece?
I was approached by Isobel Deevy at Build Hollywood who invited me to create the design. The project was also shortlisted in the advertising category for the V&A Illustration Awards 2024.
Additionally it was beautifully captured by Joe Smith through photography, video, and timelapses, which the client used for marketing. It was lovely to have the process documented and see the piece evolve through these images.