Art Works: Sarah Yates

This is a pen and ink illustration of the famous Annie's Burger Shack in the Lace Market. I made it by firstly taking pictures of interesting architecture around Nottingham, then I used the photographs as a reference to draw from and applied water, wash and ink technique, finishing with pen and touches of watercolour pencil.

After moving to Nottingham from Lincoln, I wanted to capture images of this vibrant city and build parts of my portfolio around architectural points of interest around the place. I was particularly interested in the atmosphere of the Lace Market and the buildings that make it up.

After a guided tour around the Lace Market, I was inspired by architectural points of interest, such as Annie’s Burger Shack and the buildings around it. So, in January this year, I made Annie’s. It took me a day to take the photographs and around three hours to complete in my studio.

I’m an illustrator, printmaker, workshop leader, skills trainer, and support worker. I create artworks in my spare time, alongside my day job, and send my work off to publishers. More recently, I’ve been teaching artwork as part of my new skills training role. I did an illustration degree at the University of Lincoln, which has opened many doors for me in terms of deciding which avenues of illustration and visual communication to pursue.

I enjoy it because I draw my inspiration from the world around me, and take my time to ensure the uniqueness of the world is captured, adding a hint of personality to the subjects or scenes that I paint. When I’ve shown Annie’s to others, they’ve told me it was atmospheric, and that I captured the Lace Market well.

I’ve exhibited my work at the Sam Scorer Gallery in Lincoln before, back in June and July of 2015. Plus, I won Cygnet INK’s Lincoln Cathedral Competition in January; you can get a print of the winning entry from the cathedral’s shop.

In October, I’ll be exhibiting in Alley Café, so keep your eyes peeled.

Sarah Yates Illustration website