Bethany Dartnell Illustration

Birmingham based - Drawer, printer and painter. Exploring my architectural finds within the city centre that have made me become attached to them. I sell my own illustrations but also take commissions!

It was whilst studying Fine Art in Coventry that I discovered my love for Architecture and my City, Birmingham. From the start of University until now my practice had explored the buildings around me. I discovered Psychogeography, which is the effect of location on that person's emotions, and everything really started to click from there. Since university, my practice has grown a lot and I have become more comfortable within it. I've switched from being predominantly a printmaker to practising more of a mixed media of drawing and painting. I've also had the opportunity to exhibit in some fantastic shows and then to also sell in the Etsy Made Local event in Birmingham. The only thing that hasn't changed, and probably won’t ever, is my love for architecture.

My more recent work has been about me branching out of Birmingham and viewing more and more buildings across the world that come under the umbrella of Brutalism. For Inktober 2019 I set myself the challenge of drawing a different building every day outside of Birmingham and every building except one was a Brutalist build. Brutalist architecture is definitely a lot like Marmite, it's loved or hated, but like Marmite I absolutely adore it. There is a simplicity about Brutalism that is so beautiful.