Rose Richardson, local Artist and Musician is exhibiting her ‘Map Art’ in three local libraries for the first time.

I have a unique background....I went to Design School and worked as a lighting designer and then a Graphic Visualizer. After 6 years I decided to leave the design world and become a freelance musician. I love this job and have never been happier but I missed drawing, hence deciding to create a new area to my life - Map Artist. My previous experience and passion for lighting design has helped me truly understand the powerful nature of light + dark and this I believe is reflected in my work.

I now teach and play the violin and currently play for Forest Philharmonic Orchestra and teach the violin for Camden and Hackney Music Services. Despite leaving the world of professional design, the creative side in me has never left and one day, two years ago, I started to sketch again. I found a fascinating map of Ancient London and that was it, I was hooked! My map art has continued to grow from then on.

London is one of those vibrant cities that is always changing and evolving. Throughout history, snapshot of the city have been taken to plot its roads, buildings and open spaces.

I have created striking images of London using ancient and modern maps plus my unique knowledge of light and dark from working as a lighting designer to create images that enable people to experience the beauty of London from above.

My art is accessible to anyone, it's affordable and all sorts of people have bought and even commissioned individual pieces of art from me. I have found that people love to have a something in their home, workplace, or really any space that shows where they currently live or have lived in the past.

I am very much a local girl. I grew up in Hollywood Way, Woodford Green and studied at Highams Park School. I have created map art of local areas such as Highams Park, Chingford, Wood St and Walthamstow. People are proud of living in Waltham Forest, it's a diverse and growing borough and this is reflected in the growing numbers of people interested in local art produced by local people. I have created Art of all shapes and sizes. The biggest piece of art is a map of Highams Park which can be viewed in Hale End library. I also create smaller maps for people that don't have a lot of free wall space!

I create the maps by first sourcing the base map - either from internet archives or from satellite views of present day London. I then sketch the outline, then using enamel paint I fill in the roads and buildings. The negative space left behind on the black paper form the parks, rivers and other outdoor space. The maps are mainly black and white but I tend to use gold and silver for ancient maps, it just adds a little character. Maps have always interested me and I especially enjoy looking at 17th and 18th century maps of London. Several hundred years ago, the urban areas of London included just the City and the West End. The remaining spaces were fields, open spaces and small villages, a complete contrast to how it is today. Arguably the most memorable image of London is that of the curvature of the River Thames. I find it fascinating how differently ancient cartographers have interpreted the shape of this iconic river. I am a member of E17 Designers, which are a group of Artists and Designers based in Walthamstow. I also took part in the 2014 E17 Art Trail and plan to take part again in 2015. Look out for me in the Trail Guide!

At times it feels like I have two full time jobs (art and music.) It can be hard work, however the rewards are massive and I get a lot of enjoyment from both aspects of my life. I feel lucky to do the work that I do. I have displays in three of the borough's libraries – Walthamstow, Wood Street and Hale End in Highams Park. Admission is free, please just drop in when the libraries are open, all are welcome!

Each display is available to see up until the beginning of March. Over the upcoming year the plan is to draw other UK cities. I am also happy to take private commissions for those that would like a map tailored to specifically to them. Feel free to get in touch!

For more information on my work visit www.rosemapartist.com Based on information supplied by Rose Richardson.