Joanna Calderwood | The making of memories – The story behind postcards

The latest project from Caen-based illustrator Joanna Calderwood is La fabrique à souvenirs (translated as The making of memories in French); a graphic novel based on a collection of postcards she discovered whilst walking around a thrift store. The treasurable postcards depict imagery of the Rhône Alpes region, featuring amazing landscapes of lakes and rocky mountains, with beautiful handwriting on the reverse.

Joanna tells us; “I like to purchase second hand goods because they have a real story behind them, I love imagining what that story could have been. And particularly postcards because they live through time and carry the memory of a journey, of an adventure in a new place.”

The aim of La fabrique à souvenirs is to depict the story behind these postcards. One of the postcards ignited particular interest for Joanna; a photograph of an older and a younger person, from afar, climbing up the Alpes. “From this black and white image, I imagined the story of a father and a daughter who wanted to reach to highest point of the mountain,” says the illustrator.

Her creative process started with an analysis of the territory she was going to draw. She conducted research on the types of plants and birds that live in the Rhone Alpes region. Joanna comments; “I like childrens’ books that describe nature in a precise way, that educate on which plants and which animals live in certain areas.” She then proceed to make a storyboard, discovering more ideas whilst doodling. “For me, the whole process in an exciting adventure into unknown land, its about taking paths and not knowing where they will lead us to,” states Joanna. She then elaborates small imprecise drawings to work out where she is going to place the elements on the pages. Joanna draws on watercolour 300g Canson paper, layering various techniques including oil pastels, colour pencils, ink, and pens.

We’re looking forward to seeing these completed illustrations and learning more about the journey of the two characters!

@_edalya_
www.joannacalderwood.myportfolio.com

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