Laurie King - cyclist, runner, illustrator
Our founder and curator, Tim, introduces the first of the featured artists in Brocken Spectre One.
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Despite having curated the Ink for four whole years now, it was only when selecting the artists to comprise the first Brocken Spectre exhibition that it felt like proper ‘curation’.
How do I go about choosing an artist? Well sometimes it comes down to luck, sometimes patience, sometimes it’s who you know and just sometimes, it’s a chance to complete a circle.
Inviting Laurie King to contribute to Brocken Spectre was very much the latter.
I first met Laurie whilst bedding down next to him in a VERY wet tent in the wilds of Wales, at the 2012 Do Lectures. The seed that became Adventurous Ink was planted here in the fertile Teifi valley.
Laurie and I spent three spellbound and sodden days listening to a roll call of luminaries, thinkers, entrepreneurs and do-ers invoking us to live the lives we were supposed to.
In the years that followed we remained in distant contact, each following parallel paths towards a more rewarding existence, which for both of us meant moving closer to the natural world: literally in Laurie’s case as he moved from Surrey down to Dorset, opening up a host of local running and cycling options.
Two years ago Laurie turned his passion for illustration into a little dream come true, launching his own line of distinctive art prints.
From the outset I was delighted by his delicate line work, detailing rolling roads and hills dotted with matchstick cyclists puffing through the scene.
So there was no competition when it came to choosing someone to take inspiration from Anna McNuff’s tale of cycling along the spine of South America: with his mix of colourful undulating landscapes and tiny cyclists, it had to be Laurie!
Laurie is already a subscriber to the Ink, so was sworn to secrecy as an advance copy of October’s Ink slipped into his letterbox in plenty of time to marinade in Mr King’s creative juices.
Initially the breadth of Anna’s 6 month tour proved a stumbling block. “It’s so EPIC” retorted his rapidly filling sketchbook as Laurie pondered over which specific instance to document.
Through a series of pen and ink sketches, he dilligently distilled the essence of Anna’s adventure down to this colourful gouache and ink rendering.
Laurie's work went down well with his muse, Anna delightedly shared her copy on social media with a suitably excited
"By far the most adventuresome print I've ever received!"
Who could fail to be seduced by the lethal lure of Bolivia’s Death Road when it has such colourful allure?!
Purchase ‘Ebb and Flow’ here.
Join us at 8pm on Friday 27th to discuss his process and inspiration further with Laurie, along with all the contributors to Brocken Spectre One.
