View from the Zoo

This is part 2 of 3 of the interview with Rob. I really enjoy Rob’s imagery especially his personal work. Above we have selection of commercial and personal illustrations.  Check out his new portfolio of character design on his blog. 

Q: How and why did you start to draw animals?

A: I’ve been interested and sympathetic feeling toward all kinds of animals my entire life. We lived out in the country so there were plenty of opportunities to explore and discover things. My childhood dreams of wanting to be a zookeeper or veterinarian evolved into an environmental consciousness when I hit my teens. Art has been the other passion obviously. I was disappointed that my studies in Fine Art (BA painting, MFA sculpture) led me to conclude that “serious art” had no business depicting animals. You could talk about landscape but not the organisms that were part of its ecology. That has changed but I think in general, animals are often used in an ironic or symbolic way in order for the art to be about itself rather than the subject it appears to be about. Anyway, luckily, I discovered the work of Morris Graves and a few other artists that depicted various animals in a sympathetic light. In order to experience animals in art, I just had to expand my search criteria a little: children’s books and Disney films, comics, other design and illustration art.

Erica Perrot, former costume designer and sewing instructor, says that she always wanted to create a line of soft toys, so she had two children first! Her unique dolls and animals are made by hand in limited editions in Montreal. I first saw her animals (shown above) at the Souk, the alternative crafts show in town, last December. According to Erica, «raplapla» comes from the French and means «flat» like her toys but also means «blah», unlike her dolls, which are exuberant with their big smiles and electric hair. You can see her collections on her site and buy her dolls online at Etsy.

Sarah Richardson, an international trade lawyer (focusing on sustainability), has opened a beautiful gallery boutique in Montreal called CO. Her mission: to offer to Montrealers «beautifully designed objects from around the corner and around the world, which benefit the environment, the people who make them, and the people who ultimately enjoy them». Sarah has a great eye for art and design – among my favorites are the bowls and pencil holders (shown above) made by Wola Nani in South Africa using labels from food products. CO also has a wide price range from a few dollars to several thousands (the amazing furniture, for example). You can visit the gallery online here.