The fantastic thing about my job is the variety of work i find myself doing.
In February, I was commissioned by Wimborne BID (Business in Development) to create a design for a wall printing project for the underpass in my home town of Wimborne, Dorset. A 15/20 metre cut through which i used as a child on my way to school; it hadn't been updated in all that time. The tiles were still the original beige and brown tiles from some 30 years ago... dated and ultimately unwelcoming to any visitors.
I think it was that sort of area that people didn't give a second thought to, as they hurried through on their way into town. The BID, along with town councillors, agreed that it needed to be freshened up, to be made more inviting and informative to both locals and tourists alike. Once the concept as put to me, I came up with the idea to have a selection of images on one wall and 2 huge panoramic shots on the other, offering an insight into how close everything is within the town. I was granted special permission to go up to the top of Wimborne Minster's West tower (which i was fortunate enough to go up some years earlier) so as to capture the panoramic images.
I wanted to show people that the Minster is very much at the heart of the town and that most things on offer within it, are close by and accessible. By stitching 26 images together to create each Panoramic shot, i was able to show exactly that. The beauty and breadth of my wonderful home town.
I realised early on that my own design abilities wouldn't do the project justice and i had just the right person in mind. Kyleigh Orlebar of Kyleigh's Papercuts, is a master designer, with many years of experience under her belt and a fantastic attitude to boot! Between the two of us, we created the vision i initially had, with Kyleigh adding her own creative twist - thus making it 10 times better than i could have hoped for. The delicate 'paper-cut' effect Kyleigh created is perfect not only for the design, but for the town as a whole.
Initially my brief (with regards to photography), was one of free-artistic-rain. Soon, however, we realised that the photos needed to be representative of what the town has to offer from a business POV. Ultimately, the scheme is funded by the businesses in the town and we felt it only right to present them at the forefront, not artsy photos that didn't really offer any information.
The end result, after a few tweaks, is something we can all be proud of. It has enhanced a forgotten envelope of the town and brought about a more pleasant atmosphere for those passing through on their way in or out of the town. I hope the people of Wimborne, and it's visitors, enjoy it for many years to come. Working with Community Clean, the design was printed out, stuck to the wall and then shrink wrapped into place. It is highly resistant to dirt and graffiti, hopefully adding some longevity to its' life.
If you are in the town at any point, please take a look at the underpass beneath Hanham Road - see what you think.
I'd like to thank Wimborne BID for getting me involved, Dorset County Council for allowing the project to be printed on their site, to Community Clean for such an outstanding job and of course to Kyleigh Orlebar who is a gem to work with and who 'gets' peoples drive and ambitions.
