Hidden talents abound in the greetings industry – you never know what paved the way to cards
They do say “all the world’s a stage” and, while many Citrus Bunn cards will have taken centre stage at celebrations with founder Clemency Bunn’s talent for combining illustration with pun-based captions attracting the public’s attention on the card front, she balances this with her other life as a scenery and props artist for film, TV and retail.
Becoming a greeting card publisher isn’t a vocational calling, yet the industry is peppered with amazing people who have taken multifarious pathways into this wondrous industry, bringing their hidden talents and previous experiences with them.
In this latest hidden talents feature, Clemency takes PG Buzz behind the scenes… “I’ve worked on loads of really cool projects. I actually had lots of fan mail once as a strange turn of events led the Whoovians to believe that Clemency Bunn was a new alien enemy for the Doctor!
“On Doctor Who Series 7 we were painting a set for the episode entitled The Name Of The Doctor. We constructed a huge alien graveyard and the crew were asked if they’d like their names painted on the gravestones. The programme is shot in Cardiff so there are lots of Aleds and Dafydds on those gravestones, but the only name deemed alieny enough to be in the foreground was mine – Clemency Bunn!
“As a scenery and props painter I’m able to replicate any surface with paint and texture. Most rooms in film are made with plywood and MDF. It’s my job to make it look heavier and more realistic. This means I’m able to create lots of fake textures including – but not limited to – mahogany, crumbly old plaster, mould, panelling, stonework, etc, as well as being able to signwrite, and illustrate on props. My job is to make the scenery blend in so much that the audience don’t know it’s scenery in order that they don’t lose focus on the actors.
“My most exciting projects have been working with Wes Anderson on Isle Of Dogs, painting lots of miniatures and tiny details for one of his visionary films. I also really enjoyed my time more recently on Pinocchio, painting all of the cuckoo clocks for the opening scene, they were all Disney-themed and I had a blast! Most recently I’ve painted relics for Indiana Jones 5 and giant floor maps for Napoleon, the new Ridley Scott film for 2023.
“Citrus Bunn originally started as a side hustle to my scenery painting career, but more recently it’s the other way around. Who knows…as long as I’m painting something, whether it’s greeting cards or props, I’m a happy Bunn!”
This Hidden Talent featured in the February issue of Progressive Greetings magazine, which can be read online here, or you can subscribe here to receive the magazine by post each month. If you have a hidden talent, PG would love to hear about it, please do email Jakki at jw@max-publishing.co.uk.
