The Japan Auto Camping Federation once again asked me to illustrate the cover of their annual guide. Between three concepts, they selected this typical North American scene showing life on a campground with a big black bear supporting the cause.
3×3 has just announced their winners for this year’s edition of the Children’s Show, a juried collection of illustrations and books for children. Just to get in, the majority of the eight judges have to vote for the piece. I’m very happy to announce that three of my entries were selected – one for a newspaper illustration about relaxing activities for kids during Spring Break, a second for a poster showing the handmade Bambino sled and, the third, for the ADzif line of blackboard wall decals «Memo». Congratulations to La Presse, goslide.ca and ADzif!
All the winners will be published in the upcoming annual No.7. 3×3 is a magazine of international contemporary illustration, published in New York. In addition to the magazine, 3×3 organizes three juried shows each year and publishes an invitation-only directory.
Once again, Ritzenhoff gave me a bear project. This time the brief was to customize a ceramic piggybank in the shape of a bear. I chose several approaches and this cool urban girl was picked. She’s dressed in jeans and a hoodie covered with hearts. All the Teddybanks come in this very fancy gift box that turns like a carousel to open. In the background you can see one of the eggcups (a robot) and a teacup (with bees) that I also designed for Ritzenhoff in the past.
I don’t smoke but I do like cigar boxes, labels and Ritzenhoff ashtrays. The challenge for me was to come up with an animal character that expressed masculinity, elegance and not be too cute. The black bear is native to our Canadian forests (I tried a fox as well) and dressing him up in a tuxedo gives him that classy look. The golden cigar (yup, it is printed in gold) makes the image rich and luxurious. This is a second ashtray design that I did that has been produced by Ritzenhoff, the first one being a Churchill-like smoking bulldog. You don’t smoke either? Well, this makes a great tray for pocket change and keys.
The graphic design at the lower right was another idea that I had submitted at the same time as the bear.