I wanted to attempt a competition entry this year on my own.
The theme for Tatton 2024 was "Make a Statement". I did this over 3
days.

The first idea that came to mind was a drag queen, as they certainly make a glam-filled statement. Due to the ongoing oppression, some people come up against, I felt it would be a good topic to explore

I investigated peacocks, as they are so flamboyant, and have beautiful colours but felt this lost its meaning.

I developed this further into the LGBTQ+ rainbow, as this in itself is a statement symbol. This rainbow is a symbol and statement of hope in many cultures, so I felt it fit the brief well.

Rainbows are made by the refraction of light off of individual rain drops, so I started my creating swathes/drifts of raindrop shapes.

I explored different planting layouts, but stuck to the staggered swathe as this depicted my idea and concept the best.

I developed further by including “the white cliffs of Dover” as an architectural statement taken from the song “Over the Rainbow”, symbolising the walls, struggles and climbs this community can face in today and past society.

I had also wanted to include the bluebirds as moving/flying pieces on the wire, but sadly, due to my haste, I forgot to include these in my final render. I did include the inevitable pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, however.

Unfortunately, I was not selected for this year, and I was not given any reason as to why.

It could be that the images looked a little rushed, and there were no people in the visualisation to aid with scale. In hindsight, I feel that I included far too many plants. Maybe the subject itself was too political.

But regardless of this. I was pleased with what I managed to accomplish in such a short space. This is all valid experience.