City Reflections: Bringing Southampton’s history to life

Ali Roberts

I’m Ali, a local artist based in Eastleigh. I’ve always loved painting and drawing, but as a wife, mum of two and primary school teacher for nearly 20 years, creativity often took a back seat. During the 2020 lockdown, I finally had the time to explore my art properly. Creating became a way to process the uncertainty around me – and it reignited a passion I couldn’t ignore.

I gradually reduced my teaching hours to focus on building my artistic career, running calligraphy and watercolour workshops and creating wedding stationery. As demand grew, I made the leap in 2025 to become a full-time, self-employed artist. Having the freedom to focus entirely on my work has helped me develop my own distinctive style, and I now teach adult workshops, offer live wedding illustration, take on portrait commissions and collaborate with local businesses – including seasonal illustrative window displays.

I grew up in London and moved to Winchester at 18 to study Primary Education at the University of Winchester, where I met my husband. Eastleigh has since become our family home, and I love being able to work creatively within the local area.

I’ve always loved drawing and any spare moment you can find me illustrating what has happened in my day. I am obsessed with capturing memories and small details – whether that’s people, buildings or events. I think I’ve always been like that really – Art allows me to switch off from the noise of everyday life, process experiences, and celebrate meaningful moments.

One of my recent highlights has been working with Southampton Forward on the City Reflections Trail map. It’s been fascinating to learn more about Southampton’s history and interpret it visually through my artwork. When I saw a call-out for artists to take part in the project, I knew it was the perfect fit. I love illustrating buildings, especially historical ones, and the idea that people would use my art to navigate the city really excited me. I was thrilled to be selected to create the map – a project I’m proud to include in my portfolio! I have completed other maps for other businesses across the UK previously and to have this opportunity in my local area was fantastic.

To design the map, I researched historical Southampton maps and drew inspiration from traditional borders, compasses and layout styles, reinterpreting them in a modern way. I chose a limited colour palette to maintain a contemporary feel while retaining a sense of heritage. The illustrations were created digitally, using photographs of each venue to ensure accuracy in my signature style. I also included surrounding buildings in a subtle, historical OS-map style to keep the focus on key landmarks.

I was especially excited to highlight buildings that people might otherwise overlook – landmarks hidden in plain sight. I also wanted to include a reference to Southampton’s history as a naval city and port, incorporating elements of the quay and waterfront into the design.

Southampton has a diverse culture which is interesting to observe and capture – I feel the map really does celebrate the culture of Southampton by remembering and celebrating its history by honouring its architectural beauty.

Projects like City Reflections play an important role in building community pride.  They encourage people to slow down, explore their surroundings, and reconnect with the history of the place they live. Having the opportunity to spend time walking the route and seeing the historical significance of the area you live in is powerful – I’m really looking forward to walking the trail and using my own map to guide the way!

Beyond this project, I’m excited about upcoming workshops, commissions and live illustration work. Consistently sharing my art has opened doors to new collaborations and opportunities to bring creativity into everyday spaces.

If you are interested in working with me or finding out more about what I offer, you can visit my website: https://www.alisonjanecalligraphy.com/