UWTSD Illustration student creates the 'People's Choice’ award for the Welsh Book of the Year competition

Mary Bath, a student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Swansea College of Art has created a special award for the ‘People’s Choice’ category in the Book of the Year competition.

This is the eleventh year in a row that a student from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Swansea College of Art has created an award for this category. Mary produced a special painting which was donated as a gift by Golwg360, sponsors of the People’s Choice Award to author Gwenllian Ellis for her volume: Sgen i’m Syniad: Snogs, Secs, Sens.

Mary has had a passion for picture books since a very young age, focusing on narrative illustration, especially children’s book illustrations. In her illustrations, she creates characters and worlds using a digital medium. She explores textures and colours that fit the themes of the stories. Her work ranges from themes of friendship and adventure to horror. In her third year, Mary has designed Welsh picture books for children for schools across Wales.

Lecturer Gwenllian Beynon from Swansea College of Art is proud of Mary’s work.

“Collaborating with Golwg 360 is fantastic and gives our Illustration graduates the opportunity to have a platform for their work in the literary professional world in Wales. This year Mary has focused on her interest of storytelling through drawing and illustration for children.”

“Creating a Book of the Year award that focuses on the students’ work rather than on creating an award gives graduates a great platform to get their work out in the real world and therefore gives them a foundation in their career. Looking back over the past decade, it is fascinating to see that those graduates have succeeded in a number of different fields, whether as teachers, running thriving creative businesses as artists and creating illustrations for books. Hindsight shows that these opportunities were worthwhile. We are very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Golwg360 to create the Golwg360 People’s Opinion award.”

Mary is a former pupil of Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur.  She studied for a Foundation Art and Design course before going on to do a BA Illustration degree at Swansea College of Art, from which she graduated last week.

Mary sees this opportunity as an honour:

“It’s been great to think about my work in another way and consider and develop my work for an award. It looked great in the frame.

“Thank you to Golwg 360 for creating this possibility for our students to create the Golwg 360 People’s Choice award.”

Further Information

Lowri Thomas

Principal Communications and PR Officer     
Corporate Communications and PR     
Email: lowri.thomas@uwtsd.ac.uk     
Phone: 07449 998476