Art and illustration portfolios, techniques and inspiration of Linda Mayoux

Burnt apocalypse 1
Watercolour and Quink on paper

I am a photographer, artist and writer based in Cambridge, UK.

Image-making is my way of living, experiencing life and discovering new ways of looking at the world around me. Some of my work is political. Some emotionally dark. Other more ‘human’ work aims to help myself and others laugh and ‘look on the bright side of life’.

 I work in a range of media. The basis is generally photography or sketching and painting from life in natural media or on my iPad. These images may then be collaged as the narrative basis for further development in different drawing, painting or printmaking media, digital software or animation. Some of my work is more experimental and abstract, exploring the range of intentional and accidental effects that can be achieved in different media, then adapting these and pushing the range of styles I can produce in other very different media. I am also interested in different forms of narrative. Some of my images are brought together as books, on-line experiences or moving image.

Much of my work has been around journeys and social and political issues in Africa and Asia connected to my professional work as consultant with international development agencies. My current work increasingly focuses on issues nearer to home – the social and environmental challenges we face in Europe and my own responsibilities within that. Alongside my own artistic practice I hope to support processes for international collaborative art, photography, video and web communications as part of peoples’ own documentation of their lives, building on participatory methodologies I used overseas.

Zemni Illustration blog brings together my illustrations and drawings in physical and digital media.

Site currently being re-designed and updated.

Other blogs and websites

This blog complements and links to my other creative and professional blogs and websites

  • Zemni Images professional website that houses high resolution images of my Visual Communications portfolios and my photography portfolios and archives.
  • Zemni Images blog a portfolio site that showcases the best work from my previous and current Visual Communications courses.
  • Visual Communication for Development  looking at issues in my professional work in international development  for the OCA Visual  Research course.
  • Zemni Printmaking being developed and updated from my OCA printmaking courses.
  • Zemni Photography from OCA photography courses I tool as a leisure student
  • Zemni Moving Image blog for OCA personal development module Moving Image 1 animation.
  • Gamechange Network professional consultancy blog that houses and links participatory pictorial methodologies and other outputs from the different international development projects and partners I have worked with.

Recent Posts

  • Charcoal Drawing

    I really like the dark moody tone of charcoal. In the past I have used a range of techniques. Using willow/vine, compressed and condensed charcoal on different types of paper. I do have to be careful though using charcoal as I have a lot of problems with the dust. One way of overcoming this is…

  • Pencil Drawing

    I really enjoy using pencil in different ways. Line and sketching I also collect all the sharpenings from graphite sticks in a small container to use as graphite powder for shading – taking care not to inhale this. Some earlier drawings using this technique Drawings for Hybrids. Inspiration for pencil technique I want to significantly improve…

  • Glue Drawings

    I had often earlier used PVA glue with ink because I like the random ways in which it mixes to create interesting textures for landscapes and abstracts. Some drawings from my earlier OCA courses are given below. While doing the Invisible Cities Assignment I discovered glue drawings as I was looking for something ‘sticky’ for…

  • Peter Kuper

    I am trying to bring myself back to the smiley face. We desperately need to have artists who will tell us about the world, to describe the beautiful world we live in and try to give hope. Be kind and be positive. We live in an inspiring world. Peter Kuper is an American illustrator and cartoonist.…

  • Gouache

    Combine watercolour and acrylic techniques. Work dark to light or other way round. Washes and detail. all about edges. Can work back in. use mediums and then wash out. Print with kitchen towel and other surfaces. Lift off and blot out. Sgraffito. texture and transfer effects.   See also post Jonathon Leyton Vera John laws Youtube…

  • Coloured pencils

    Google coloured pencil artists Water-soluble Polychromos

  • Cambridge writers

    Experiments with illustrating: Historical sources on Cambridge: http://www.localhistories.org/cambridge.html Literary sources on Cambridge: Virginia Woolf: A Room of One’s Own http://seas3.elte.hu/coursematerial/PikliNatalia/Virginia_Woolf_-_A_Room_of_Ones_Own.pdf Rupert Brooke: ‘The Old Vicarage, Grantchester’ (1912) Text: https://www.bartleby.com/232/701.html and go  to Rupert Brooke Museum in The Orchard Tea Garden ) In terms of style and technique I will focus on ink, watercolour and gouache. Saying Goodbye to Cambridge…

  • John tordoff

    www.facebook.com/100005933112042/posts/1126412774233149

  • John tordoff sketchbook

    www.facebook.com/100005933112042/posts/1130585617149198

  • John tordoff concertina sketch

    www.facebook.com/groups/uskcambridge/permalink/2347278702224760