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The winner of the 2024 festive competition is, Elida Fidler!
Elida Fidler, illustration student
‘Collating wire, fabrics, felt and utilising dipping inks and watercolour elements, I collected plants from my homes garden as a source of reference, drawing and cutting out each element individually. I then combined all the elements to create this wreath, a symbol of Christmas and my home.
The wreath is a decoration placed on my front door, the entrance to my home and a reminder of the beauty of the countryside around my family and I. If you look very closely you will see images of rubbish tips, a girl from an Asian factory (denoting slave labour) and a collage of expensive brands. A juxtaposition and reminder that the natural beauty of Christmas costs nothing, there is a dark side. Behind the façade of Christmas cheer and extravagant brands lies a harsh reality. The festive season, often associated with joy and generosity, is also a time of exploitation and ecological ruin. To me the Christmas home isn’t superficial, it has substance, truth and deep spiritual meaning.’
Faye Bardo: Capturing a warm family memory of the children playing in the garden in onesies and wellies, when sticks were swords. Painted in oil with vibrant neon hues to enhance the imaginary playtime.
Iro Dimitriou: This still life painting is inspired by everyday home life. It features a combination of objects typically found in a hallway, where people seldom stay for longer than a few minutes. It may evoke those fleeting moments when we mechanically pick up our bags, take off our shoes, or say ‘goodbye’. — I’m Iro, originally from Greece and now living in London since 2016. I hold a degree in Architecture and am currently studying for a BA (Hons) in Painting with the Open College of the Arts. I am drawn to the interplay of light and the illusions it creates, which have the power to transform the ordinary into something magical through the alchemy of painting. Sometimes, I feel that each painting generates a universe of its own. Currently, my work aims to capture these moments in time while allowing space for alternative narratives to emerge.
STAVROULA (VIVI) CONSTA: Pomegranate for me represents this festive season of the year because we use it for decoration at home; we break pomegranates during the New Year at home for good luck and prosperity (a custom in Greece). The red color of the pomegranate represents love and warmth, where you can always find it at home. Home means family. I used the red thread to give it life and make it more vivid. Pomegranate has a sweet and sour taste. This is home with its good and bad moments. The seeds inside the pomegranate represent unity and strength. The medium used is watercolors on paper and red thread. I like simplicity and red color.
Yvonne Pethullis: My practice makes use of the everyday discarded items that are overlooked and undervalued. This Christmas tree is made from 32 tissue boxes collected by family and friends and proves that even the most ordinary can be made to look extraordinary.
Abbie Vidler: For this piece I used watercolour, ink and using digital techniques to enhance the image. I wanted to create my sense of home at Christmas, staring and the Christmas lights as a kid with my dog by my side. I will always cherish those moments…
Magdalena Kucharska: People make this holiday so special.
Christin Penz: My artwork reflects on the theme of home, inspired by thoughts of those without a home during the Christmas season. I hope they can still experience safety and peace. Using the Kitchen Etching technique, I created five layered designs and completed eight unique prints.
I combined these slightly different prints into a GIF.
Kay Julie Hutchings: I’m currently studying Fine Art and my love of surface pattern design has a great influence on my practice. This Christmas pattern, made using a digital program, features all the things I love most about this time of year: a cosy home, giving gifts, drinking endless cups of tea, winter walks and decorations.
Hilary Lawler: This artwork is a mixed media piece consisting of a paper collage illustration that was then scanned into Procreate and layered using a variety of photo collages. Procreate layering and textures added with brush pens were adjusted to give a depth to the image. The story behind it relates to ushering in a new year, but somewhere between Christmas, the years meet, and reflect on the passing of time. It hopefully echoes that sense of suspended time that we often feel during the holidays, as we pause between worlds and wait for a new year to begin. It can evoke many feelings.
Tricia Burton: ‘Kintsugi Cocoon’ is a concrete poem celebrating home. In winter, home is a cocoon of warmth, salved by love, where the cracks of my past are mended and life transforms into something more beautiful and whole, like the delicate art of kintsugi. I am an interdisciplinary creative practitioner, a lover of words, a blossoming sculptor and visual poet.
