Seeing Spots

When I was a little girl I really loved freckles and was sad I didn’t have any. Just a small scattering across my nose would have been perfect. Of course, it was not until much later that I discovered freckled girls often viewed their sunkissed spots as blemishes that needed to be blotted out at all costs.

My February calendar page features a very cute illustration by Nancy Mungcal of Pretty Little Thieves. This freckled girl looks sad, although many of Nancy’s characters are rather pensive. This melancholic look is offset however by the casual lines and brushwork. The artist works with ink, marker and graphite, an appealing combination of mediums that together with a contemporary colour palette and repetitive symbols or patterns suggest a fresh, modern approach.

Happy February.