FEATURE ARTICLE
It ’ s an unorthodox canvas , but there is so much symbolism to be embraced when your design flows within a circle . In my St George design , the dragon , horse and knight are all entwined together , illustrating the infinite battle between the three .
WAS IT DAUNTING BEING ASKED TO RE-IMAGINE ONE OF THE WORLD ’ S MOST FAMOUS COINS ?
When I was briefed , the focus was not so much to re-imagine the Benedetto Pistrucci design , but to create our own interpretation of St George and the Dragon . This project was an exciting prospect for me . This was a story that countless artists had depicted throughout history that I now had the opportunity to design .
The next step was to put pen to paper , splashing out concepts and compositions to discover what worked and what didn ’ t . I then narrowed down the rough designs into three distinct concepts , each with their own strengths and weaknesses and presented them to my team . In this instance , the chosen concept was the simplest but strongest design .
HOW WOULD YOU CATEGORISE THE FINISHED WORK ?
Much of my art draws influence from ancient Greek sculpture , but I also use techniques and styles picked up from my generation ’ s contemporary illustrators . My aim was to create a universal interpretation of the legend that would speak to all . I hoped that this method would create something timeless and classic , yet modern .
CAN YOU OUTLINE THE CREATIVE PROCESS ?
I read about the legend of St George and the Dragon to gain a full understanding of its importance in history . I researched different artists ’ renditions , from historical murals on church walls to modern story book illustrations . I wanted to study how other artists had interpreted the story .
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