Meet Mercedes Toon, a rising artist whose love for drawing has turned into a passion for textile design. She just won the Art and Design Award at the annual REACH Awards at York College & University Centre, an award we were excited to sponsor! This event shines a light on 'Students of the Year' who have shown incredible dedication, overcome challenges, or made a real difference in their communities.

As Mercedes gears up to start her undergraduate degree in textile design and thinks about launching her own freelance design business, she’s also dreaming of a more vibrant artistic scene in York, pushing for more public art displays and collaborative initiatives. Read on to find out more about her artistic journey and what she hopes to achieve in the future!

‍

What inspired you to start making art, and what do you specialise in?

From a very young age, I have always enjoyed drawing, and it was always my favourite hobby growing up. As soon as I had the opportunity to choose Art for one of my GCSE subject options, I took it. Art was my favourite subject in school and I always excited when I had an art lesson that day. At York College I studied an Art and Design Diploma, and this course allowed me to explore every area of Art and Design, to then find my passion in Textile Design, in my final year on the course. Having that combination of drawing, printing, experimenting with textures and materials and the concept of my designs on a range of different products, really fascinated me. Which then led me onto applying for a degree in Textiles Design.

Who or what are your biggest influences in your art?

My environment is one of my main influences for my artwork. I live in the countryside, so all my surroundings are full of nature. Nature is a huge influence within my work. For example, my overall theme for final major project for my diploma, was Seasons. I gather a lot of primary research on a daily basis, photographing and sketching anything that I find visually interesting and to gather inspiration. My family is also another influence because they know I have a talent for Art, and they always encourage me to never give up on what you love and to dream big. They all have made a huge positive impact on my progress with my work and their support and encouragement, has tremendously boosted my confidence within my artwork.

How did it feel to win the REACH Award?

Firstly, I was massively grateful for even being nominated for the Reach award. When they announced that I was the winner, I was first in shock and very surprised. I was very proud of myself and finally felt like all my hard work had paid off. I am very grateful for my tutor, Penny, who nominated me for the award and all the support and guidance she has given me throughout my final year of college. And of course, my family, for always encouraging me to pursue my talent in Art and Design.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, I hope I have completed my undergraduate degree in Textiles Design. Once I have graduated, my goal is to be a freelance designer and create my own design business/shop, specialising in Textiles. Even though that is a very ambitious goal, I have learnt from past experiences, if you really enjoy something and are passionate about it, then go for it, yes, it’s a lot of hard work, however hard work pays off and it is very rewarding, when you reach your final goal.

What creative projects or initiatives would you love to see more of in York?

I think it would be nice to see more art displayed around York, adding more colour and vibrancy to the city, creates more positivity. Also, organising art clubs for the youth, possibly having a weekly market solely for artists and designers to sell their work and even start societies, for artists to come together, show their work and gather inspiration and ideas.