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Mudlarking
I am a licensed hobbyist mudlark on the River Thames in London, searching the foreshore for artefacts that have been lost over thousands of years. Once out of the mud, I clean, conserve and research my finds – some of which are recorded by the London Museum. As many are recovered in fragments, the artefacts benefit from context to understand how they would've appeared and functioned as a whole in their past life. Inspired by archaeological practice, I produce reconstructive illustrations drawn around an image in Photoshop using custom-made stippling and outline brushes. I also like to bring my finds to life using other mediums, such as coloured pencil or graphite. 

Reconstructive white dotwork illustration of running Roman animals on a black background.
Close up of a reconstructive white dotwork illustration of running Roman animals on a black background.

Reconstruction: Roman Hunt
Cup Animals
A flattened out depiction of dogs chasing hare/deer around a Roman drinking beaker known as a 'hunt cup'.
- Photoshop drawing and photographs (2024)

Reconstructive white dotwork illustration of a merman from a piece of Roman pottery on a black background.
A piece of Roman Samian Ware pottery found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Roman Samian Ware
A fragment of Roman samian ware pottery decorated with a mythological merman known as a Triton.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2024)

Reconstructive white dotwork illustration of a medieval pilgrim badge depicting the five wounds of christ on a black background.
A small fragment of a medieval pilgrim badge depicting the five wounds of christ found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Pilgrim Badge
A c.15th century pilgrim badge depicting the Five Wounds of Christ.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2024)

Reconstructive dotwork illustration of a medieval Kingston Type Ware jug with a face.
A face from a medieval Kingston Type Ware jug found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Medieval Jug
The face of an unknown king from a c.13th-14th century miniature ceramic jug.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2021)

Reconstructive dotwork illustration of a 16th century pilgrim badge.
A 16th century pilgrim badge found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Pilgrim Badge
A partial early 16th century lead alloy pilgrim badge depicting the Virgin and Child.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2020)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a Victorian clay pipe depicting Mr Punch.
A Victorian clay pipe depicting Mr Punch found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Punch Pipe
A c.19th century clay tobacco pipe bowl likely depicting Mr Punch.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2020)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a Roman hunt cup sherd depicting a running hare.
A sherd from a Roman hunt cup depicting a running hare found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Roman Hunt Cup
A fragment of a Roman 'hunt cup', a type of drinking beaker, depicting a running hare.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2020)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a prehistoric belemnite fossil.
A transluscent prehistoric belemnite fossil shining in the light.

Reconstruction: Belemnite
A fossilised rostrum from a belemnite, a type of extinct squid, dating to the Cretaceous Period. This was found on a beach in Folkestone, Kent.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2021)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a Roman clay Venus figurine fragment.
A fragment of a Roman clay Venus figurine found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Roman Venus Figurine
Part of a Roman pipe clay figurine of the goddess Venus. 
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2024)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a Roman oil lamp decorated with a Greek-style theatre mask.
A partial Roman oil lamp decorated with a Greek-style theatre mask found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Roman Oil Lamp
A partial Roman oil lamp decorated with a face depicting a Greek-style theatre mask.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2022)

A reconstructive dotwork illustration of a 13th century pilgrim badge depicting the virgin and child.
A folded 13th century French pilgrim badge found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: 13th Century
Pilgrim Badge - Version One
An illustration speculating how the hidden details may look on a folded 13th century pilgrim badge depicting the Virgin and Child from Le Puy, Southern France.
- Photoshop drawing (2023)

Reconstructive white dotwork illustration of a 13th century French pilgrim badge on a black background.
A 13th century French pilgrim badge found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking shown before and after it was unfolded.

Reconstruction: 13th Century
Pilgrim Badge - Version Two
An updated illustration speculatively filling in the missing areas of the unfolded pilgrim badge.
- Photoshop drawing and photograph (2024)

A poster design in black and yellow depicting hands holding historical artefacts and featuring the words 'MUDLARKING EXHIBITION'.
The illustrator Charlie Dixon standing next to a black and yellow poster with the words 'MUDLARKING EXHIBITION'.

Totally Thames Festival Exhibition Poster
Design for the poster that attracts and guides visitors into the annual mudlarking exhibitions run by the Thames Festival Trust and Hands on History, as part of the Totally Thames Festival. I chose to draw classic and recognisable mudlarking finds and used bold, contrasting colours to ensure it was readable from a distance.
- Photoshop (2024)

A photo of a medieval tile with a raven's footprint surrounded by pencil drawings of ravens.

Reconstruction: Raven Print
Imagined depictions of the raven that left its footprint in a medieval/post-medieval tile.
- Graphite in Moleskine sketchbook and Photoshop (2024)

A realistic coloured pencil drawing of hands holding a lit Roman oil lamp and wearing a black bracelet on a black background.

Reconstruction: Roman Oil Lamp and Shale Bracelet
Illustration depicting my Roman oil lamp and shale bracelet finds in use. The lamp is based on a replica by mudlark and artist Mark Sowden and the bracelet based on a replica made by myself.
- Coloured pencil (2024)

A digital illustration of the repeated pattern of medieval decorated floor tile.
A fragment of a medieval decorated floor tile found on the River Thames foreshore while mudlarking.

Reconstruction: Medieval Floor Tile 
A Photoshop drawing showing how a decorated 14th century floor tile would've been arranged as a repeated pattern on the floor of a church or other high status building.
- Photoshop drawing (2022)

A realistic coloured pencil drawing that reimagines a 17th century Metropolitan Slipware jug decorated with the words Harlow Town.

Harlow Town Metropolitan Slipware Jug
A coloured pencil drawing of a fictionalised Metropolitan slipware jug. This type of pottery was produced in my hometown of Harlow, Essex in the 17th century and is often found on the Thames foreshore in London. The pottery would've actually often been emblazoned with large puritan inscriptions such as ‘FEAR THE LORD THE GOD’, ‘FAST AND PRAY’ and ‘REMEMBER THY END TRULY’. The text in this drawing was inspired by a custom font created by Harlow-based designers Snootie Studios.
- Coloured pencil (2021)

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