Posted on
This year we have released 11 new jigsaw puzzles in our White Logo Collection, our range of design-led jigsaw puzzles especially for adults who are looking for more contemporary designs rather than traditional puzzle scenes.
To celebrate, we’ve been talking to some our fantastic artists who designed the gorgeous illustrations. Today we are talking to the talented Claire McElfatrick, the artist behind our brand-new There is No Planet B jigsaw.
What was your inspiration behind this image?
Having spent most of my life living in the countryside I have always had a strong passion for nature and wildlife, which is often reflected in my illustrations. I have also travelled further afield and been lucky enough to see some wonderful animals in their natural habitats, such as the beautiful Orangutans in Borneo and Asian Elephants in Thailand. In recent times it's been truly heart-breaking to hear of so many beautiful species now being on the brink of extinction. Climate change, pollution, wildlife crime and destruction of natural habitats are major contributors to endangering species and harming our planet. I wanted to create a piece of artwork as a visual statement to remind us and our children how wonderful our world is and how each of our planet's amazing creatures deserve to be protected and saved. I'm hoping this will inspire more people to take action in any way they can.
Order There Is No Planet B here
Can you share a little information about your creative process while working on There Is No Planet B?
As with all my artworks I started by researching my subject matter by reading lots of information from various organisations and sourcing photographic reference. I wanted to include mainly animals that are widely recognised and loved but also a few lesser known species and importantly those that are most at threat. These days I tend to sketch on my iPad in Procreate instead of a traditional sketchbook which I find much easier for any alterations as I am always tweaking things! Once I was happy with the final sketch I worked up into colour in photoshop on my mac using various brushes and textures including those which I hand paint. Working on my mac gives me more flexibility and enables me to experiment more with colours and scale.
This image obviously has quite a heavy impact. What was your intention behind that for our puzzlers?
Now is the time for our generation to take action against climate change and endangered species. No matter how big or small there are many ways to help protect and save our planet Earth and its species...as there is no planet B! My intention behind this impactful artwork was to do something positive to help raise awareness and to get people thinking more about our world and what changes we can make to protect it. Puzzles can be a great way to engage in mindfulness and take time from busy lives to stop and reflect. Hopefully, whilst enjoying piecing together this puzzle, people will also be inspired to do something to help, like raise more awareness, donate, volunteer, change habits, plant trees, read more about these issues and perhaps even inspire some budding conservationists!
How did working on this image differ to your previous jigsaws with us?
Illustrating puzzles for Gibsons is always a real pleasure and I truly enjoy creating each one. 'No Planet B' was no exception, however, working on this piece left me extremely saddened after researching each endangered species featured and learning how few there are in existence. On a more positive note, I also felt hope from the things that we can do to make a change. I read many wonderful stories of how the hard work of conservationists is continuing to save many species with their actions.
You can find out more about Claire McElfatrick and her other work she has designed for Gibsons in our exclusive interview we did with her in February 2021.
You can order There Is No Planet B here.
To view other designs by the talented Claire McElfatrick, click here.
Claire is also on Instagram, where she frequently posts about what she is currently working on. You can follow her here: @claire.mcelfatrick.designs
Do you have a question about one of our products? Feel free to get in touch with us and a member of our team will be more than happy to help!
0 comments