Collages a creative process for Shropshire artist in lockdown
Keeping on top of the daily news cycle has taken on a new meaning for one Shropshire artist during the coronavirus outbreak.
While in lockdown, Les Jones from Woore has decided to keep his creative juices flowing as he creates collages of daily news articles and headlines as the crisis develops each day.
Les, who works as a creative director and runs the magazine Elsie, said he wanted to stay creative while in isolation so started making the collages with a mix of paint and cut outs.
"As covid-19 started to get really serious and it started to look like we were going into lockdown, I had an idea," he said.
"I wanted to stay creative. I had an idea of buying newspapers everyday as the crisis developed – each day getting a new set of articles and headlines.
"I am creating collages using whatever that days papers are. I have been doing two or three each day. It is an interesting creative exercise.
"They also have abstract painting and drawings in them as well. I find them very interesting and creatively stimulating and therapeutic."
Les said the creative process has helped while being in isolation.
He added: "There is something therapeutic about getting paint on your hands and never knowing what things are going to look like in the end. It is instant decision making process.
"I have only been doing it about eight or nine days. They will definitely feature in the magazine at some point.
"It will also be interesting to see how the collages might change throughout the period of crisis. It is interesting how different newspapers cover it as well.
"I have been buying broadsheets, some mid-market titles and then tabloids as well like the Daily Star. One Daily Star headline read 'BoJo the Bogroll Bandit' because they thought he had been hiding the loo roll.
"All I am doing as an artist is working with what I've got. I am not being the judge of that I just respond to what is visual. I am just trying to capture each day what is happening within the crisis."
