To represent perfectly the images and sensations of a heatwave, Lotte draws very quickly with a sense of immediacy and urgency, imagining, quite fittingly, that “everything is melting”. She adds: “The smudgy textures, reflected light, quick mark-making and juicy colours create a sense of this radiating heat.” This texture, combined with her love of using interesting perspectives, gives her drawings a hazy feeling, like a memory plucked straight from her mind. This approach comes across brilliantly in her image Amy, Maya, Bebe and Alex in Clissold Park, the sketchy grass and pink sky creating a dreamlike quality, whilst the top-down angle gives the impression that you’re one of the gang, standing up, taking a photo.
Away from dry land, Lotte’s vibrantly blue bodies of water have a sumptuously enticing quality, inviting you in for a leisurely swim or to simply lounge by the waves with a cold drink. So, why not take a moment away from the sweltering heat – and the persistent refrain of “It’s really hot, isn’t it?” – and have a peruse through Lotte’s wonderful drawings.
London Heatwave is a follow-up to her series Lockdown Days, which documented Lotte’s daily walks and the realities of isolation. After the lockdowns, when things started opening up, the illustrator noticed a change in her drawings. Tones shifted from deep blues and greys to pinks, greens and oranges, and (quite understandably), isolated figures started turning into groups of friends. And so, inspired by the changes she saw, Lotte then set herself on collating and expanding this body of work into encapsulating something that people could relate to – “a hot sticky London summer”.