Capturing Cornwall’s best angles through art and photography
We know just how special our town and county are, so when a creative person is able to capture its beauty in an art form, we are always excited to find out more.
We recently were contacted by local photographer and artist, Wayne Hudson, who has created work with a giant penguin character called ‘Mook’ while featuring Cornwall’s beautiful landscapes, including Launceston Castle and the ‘Nearly Home Trees’.
Photographer Wayne moved to the area from the Midlands with his family just over two years ago, and has since taken inspiration from his surroundings.
He told Launceston Life more about his work: “I’ve always been artistically inspired after every trip down this way, so it is no surprise that this is all coming together now I actually live here. It is something about the area, landscapes, the proximity to the sea, the people and the food that I just love down this way - not to mention the attitude towards art. There is so much good local art down here and you can’t help but be inspired with just a walk through any town or village.”
But where does the connection to penguins come from? And what about that unusual name, ‘Mook’?
“The whole Mook idea came about years back as a story - a sitcom and book that I have been developing for years with some friends, that has also taken on a new life since moving down here and is now largely written after years of just being an idea and a bunch of notes,” Wayne said.
Wayne has incorporated the Pooka myth, which he first came across in an old film, with an imaginary best friend taking the form of a giant rabbit. Instead of the giant rabbit, Wayne has incorporated a giant penguin into his work.
“So from this idea of the giant Pooka Penguin, called the Mook, I started developing art to go with the stories,” He continued. “The silhouette of the penguin came first and it then developed into more elaborate art. I have now turned the penguin into various things from jewellery to a full line of designs for tees and hoodies as well as the prints. After my lad was born, I started to tell him stories about a little blue penguin and so started telling him stories about a little blue penguin called ‘Little Mook’.
“For Little Mook’s adventures I started creating more creatures and I have developed the Gromlings - distant cousins of the Cornish Pixie. They left blue piskie life and took in some sun on the Cornish coast. Absorbing the rays and turning yellow as they took up surfing and they live on the Cornish coast through a portal to the land of Faery but pop back and forth for a good surf and a pasty, so it is inspired by Cornwall, Devon and penguins!”
If you’d like to find out more about Wayne’s work, visit https://www.by-hudson.com/