Draw-dropping!

This summer saw an explosion in artistic creations by, and of, our people. As part of a lockdown creative challenge, Orpington postman Jonnie Temple has been painting views he photographs on his delivery route.

When colleagues said how much they liked the pieces, Jonnie challenged himself to paint every route in Orpington. ‘It’s at least 100 routes, but I’m keen to complete it,’ he said.

The postcard-sized works, which are a mix of gouache paintings and pen drawings, are on display in the delivery office.

Jonnie has been showcasing his work on Facebook – search jtempleartist – and has recently had a customer commission him. ‘Funnily enough, it was a drawing of a house on my route for a 65th wedding anniversary,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Aberdare postwoman, Terri Camplin (pictured), was the muse for a poster about social distancing. The local artist behind the piece is her sister, Nina.

‘Nina saw how hard my colleagues and I are working, and wanted to do a piece on Royal Mail,’ said Terri. ‘It’s on display in our delivery office. Our team has been really supportive of one another throughout the coronavirus crisis. They’re all really impressed with the poster.’

‘I wanted to create pieces around key workers,’ said Nina, who is a professional mural artist. ‘I made a stencil of Terri and cut out pieces from Courier and other materials for the background.’

Go to tinyurl.com/postwomanart to watch the collage of Terri take shape.

In Manningtree, Essex, postman Tom Parsons has been creating artwork relating to the science and anatomy of the human body.

Tom, who has a master’s degree in medical art, uses digital and 3D modelling programmes to create his work. He’s currently working on a commission for an e-book on neuroscience.

‘I worked as an occupational therapist for the NHS for about six years,’ said Tom. ‘So, I have a background in healthcare. Medical images fascinate me, so it seemed a perfect next step.’

Tom works on his creations after finishing his shifts. He says customers have been really supportive throughout the pandemic, displaying artworks of their own in windows and driveways.

‘There have been lots of positive messages supporting postmen and women, alongside the NHS and other key workers,’ he said. ‘The rainbow-themed artwork in people's homes has really brightened up my round.’

To see more of Tom’s work, visit his Instagram page: instagram.com/parsonsarts.