Quentin creates 'portable rainbows' as free e-cards
Monday 20th April 2020
Quentin has created a series of brand new, totally free rainbow e-cards for people to send to loved ones they cannot currently visit, to show they are thinking of them at this difficult time. The ten, individual 'Send a Rainbow' e-cards are available to download from today (Monday 20 April 2020) from the 'Fun & Free' section of Quentin's official website
He explains: “It seems like a time when a few straightforward jokes might not come amiss; so that as I know that people have been putting rainbows into their windows to express solidarity, I took the liberty of borrowing them. You will see that I have supposed that they are real and portable, and I hope they are optimistic too. I can imagine myself submitting them to Punch magazine 60 years ago in the hope that I might get onto the colour pages. Perhaps I don’t need to add that they have much more meaning for me now than they would have had then.”
The images play with rainbows as three-dimensional objects, exploring what you might turn the shape into. In one, a man delivers a rainbow on a trolley, and another uses it as a colourful hairstyle. The images express not only the characters’ delight in the rainbow itself, but everyday pleasures: walking on a breezy day, the bond of affection with a dog, the view from a roof, a treat on the table or a cosy place to read.
Interviewed by Nicolette Jones about the drawings in yesterday's Sunday Times newspaper, Quentin further explained that although he hadn't realised the 'rainbow' association with the NHS when he created the drawings, he intends to auction the originals in due course to benefit NHS charities. The e-cards, however, are entirely free to use and send.
The images are also showcasing virtually at House of Illustration in London's King's Cross, and appearing every day this week on the social media channels from Hastings Contemporary in East Sussex. Quentin is a staunch supporter of both of these celebrated arts venues, which, like other museums and galleries, are exploring new ways to engage their visitors with digital content during the coronavirus lockdown.