Viva Lewes Issue #110 November 2015

this month’s cover artist: sean sims
We’ve broken one
of our own rules this
month, by asking a non-
Lewesian to design our
front cover. But when
we saw Brighton-based
Sean Sims’ illustration
of the town, we thought
it warranted an exception.
The original design
is Sean’s own representation of Lewes, in his
signature style of clean shapes and solid colours.
“I did it as an experiment really,” he says, “because
I’d done a few Brighton ones, but I like Lewes, I
like the way the buildings are all stacked up.” He’s
used a bit of artistic licence with the composition,
bringing in the castle, the station and, of course,
Harveys. “I’m sure people from Lewes will notice
the buildings I’ve missed!” Even though he
doesn’t live here, Sean has always had ‘a soft spot’
for the town, where he chose to get married four
years ago. You might not have spotted the tiny
heart in the window of the Town Hall.
We asked him to design a bonfire version to illustrate
this month’s theme, so he’s shifted the scene
from day to night, with the addition of torches,
the dark night sky and the fireworks. Although
both versions of the print are colourful in themselves,
they each use a slightly more muted palette
than his usual bold, bright designs. “I tried
to pick colours which represented Lewes - more
adult colours,” he explains, opting for browns and
neutrals which he’s seen around the town. “If I
used bright colours, it wouldn’t work as well.”
He enjoys simplifying objects right down to their
basic shapes, just using simple geometry where
possible. One of his prints, Electric Dreams, is a
montage of classic 80s technology featuring a
ghetto blaster, a Sinclair computer and an Atari
console. Another uses old sound equipment, like
a 70s hi-fi, a cassette tape and a reel-to-reel recorder.
“Old technology is an illustrator’s dream,”
he says, “because all of the shapes can be broken
down into squares and circles.” Modern technology
doesn’t hold quite the same appeal.
Both the original print and the bonfire edition
will be available to buy in A3-size, exclusively
from Leadbetter and Good, as of the beginning
of November. Find them at 33A Cliffe High St.
To see more of Sean’s work, visit yellowhouseartlicensing.com
and newdivision.co.uk.
Interview by Rebecca Cunningham
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