The following are illustration pieces for this year's Book Illustration competition with the Folio Society and House of Illustration. The aim was to draw 3 scenes and a front cover from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, a story about a young girl from a working class background sent to live with her wealthier relatives in Northamptonshire.

What I wanted to do, was to keep some aspect of that time period (early 18th century), but make the illustrations a bit more contemporary, using a stencil-like figures.

"She wondered that Edmund should forget her, and felt a pang. She could not turn her eyes from the meadow, she could not help watching all that passed." (Chapter 7, page 64)

"The first use she made of her solitude was to take up the volume which had been left on the table and began to acquaint herself with the play of which she had heard so much" (Chapter 14, page 128)

"Self-willed, obstinate, selfish and and ungrateful. He thought her all of this. What was to become of her?" (Chapter 32, page 295).

Front cover design, in the style of a front gate with a silhouette of the main character's head at side profile. The space at the left hand side, was to be left for the cover hinge, and so entrants were told to leave that space free. 

In conclusion, I feel like I have come up with a visual language of my own, through the use of mid tones, limiting the use of colours, and highlights; I had fun making these on the whole. And although I wasn't longlisted, I still feel I worked hard on it (but there is always room for improvement).