Katie May (she/her)
Hi, I’m Katie May, an Illustrator living in Staffordshire. In addition to illustrating and designing stationery, I’ve worked as a photographer in Turkey, before my lifelong love of books and children’s illustration inspired me to study for my MA.
I am interested in the narratives found in everyday life, the seemingly insignificant details that are often missed and in finding beauty in unexpected places. I love to draw by hand, using sketchbooks and working from life to create a believable sense of place.
Travel has always informed and influenced my illustration practice. During the MA I found inspiration from my childhood memories and enjoyed creating wordless narratives. These offer total immersion in imaginative storytelling and opportunities for the reader to become a co-creator.
I love working with mixed media, particularly pencil crayon and soft pastel, drawing using tone and shape to create atmosphere within the constraints of a limited palette.
Website: www.katiemayillustrator.co.uk
Instagram: @matiekay
Email: katiemay.illustration@gmail.com
The Postman
‘The Postman’ is a wordless graphic novel depicting daily life with some of its ups and downs. It intends to provide an insightful glimpse into the working life of someone providing a service most of us take for granted. The narrative is inspired by my surroundings and love of observational drawing.
Mr Octo’s Ice Creams
‘Mr Octo’s Ice Creams’ is a wordless graphic novel that tells the tale of a sinking ice cream van, which once underwater creates a livelihood for an entrepreneurial octopus. This narrative was inspired by my childhood memory of a similar van cut off by the tide on a family holiday.
Kedi about Town
‘Kedi about town’ is a wordless concertina book, which follows a Turkish cat on an expedition though his town from dawn until dusk. Having always been fascinated by wordless sequences this personal project was an investigation into simultaneous succession and the flow of time within a narrative.
