The Inkvent Project
A collaboration with Diamine Inks
The first ever Inkvent Calendar was created in 2019 together with Diamine Inks, my long-term clients and collaborators. It contained a brand new, specially-made ink for every day of December, and had never been done before. It sold out in weeks.
To celebrate the existence of my dream advent calendar that year, I created a piece of work every day throughout December, using that day's ink colour. You can see them all on my Inkstagram and TikTok.
My rules were:
- One take only - no practising or repeating
- Only use the ink provided
- No digital faffing!
The originals were all sold the following January with proceeds going to The Trussell Trust, and prints available.
In 2021, the Inkvent Calendar was produced again with 25 brand new, unique ink colours - and again in 2022. It's now an annual feature in the global ink lovers calendar, and I'm overjoyed to be at the centre of the action with my ink-wizard colleagues at Diamine!
Why do daily artworks?
The Inkvent Project provides an opportunity to play with ink within a handful of parameters, but with zero attachment to the outcome. I'm doing more than trying out the ink - I'm flying by the seat of my pants, freestyling, making decisions as I go along.
I'm also testing my skills on camera - can I make something legible and aesthetically pleasing with that camera on me, knowing I have to post it whether it works or not?
Additionally, I'm allowing myself the freedom to respond to the day's news or events, vibe or mood - so very little if anything is planned ahead.