Katie Smith (She)
My name is Katie Smith, I am an illustrator based in Glasgow
I am an Illustrator whose practice is predominately spent drawing the things that I love. I make work that is colourful, uplifting and fun through a practice of both digital and analogue techniques. In my fourth year at Glasgow School of Art I’ve focused on narrative, as well as pottery and 3d work.
Cask 88 x Katie Smith Illustration
This year I had the pleasure of working with cask 88 to create an illustration that will go onto a limited edition whisky bottle in collaboration with Glasgow School of Art. The design is based on the ‘roaring twenties’, both in 1920 and the current decade, highlighting links between them. Cask 88 really care about protecting wildlife and species and the eco friendly work that goes on behind the scenes when making whiskies. So we made a design that encapsulates this. There are many plants in the UK that are threatened by manmade changes to our ecosystem and so included in the design are species that are almost extinct. The people in the Illustration are all artists to highlight the Glasgow School of Art, with the infamous Mackintosh windows as a backdrop.
The fruits and ingredients on the table are from the tasting notes of the whisky. I also wanted this design to feel really punchy, fun and decadent. After a tumultuous start to 2020, people are now wanting to spend more time together and these times are cherished. I wanted to make an Illustration that feels joyous and a look forward to the future.
Christmas at Rogano
This year I’ve focused on narrative. My book ‘Christmas at Rogano’, explores an imagined past, present and future. Every year my sister and I have Lobster and Chips on Christmas Eve at Glasgow’s most loved restaurant- Rogano. Since the restaurant closed in 2020, I want to play homage to the restaurants history and explore the idea of who me and my sister would be if we had lived in each decade the Rogano was open. From 1930-2030, my twelve-chapter book interweaves themes of class, society, and friendship. The book explores Glasgow’s rich history and a love for tradition.