You Power in Japan has just launched their Fall catalogue this week. They have selected images from the Animal Kings, Kid Zoo and Modern Ark collections to create photo frames, photo albums, blackboards, wall art and cute little glass plates. Thanks to my agent, SCT, for being the matchmaker!
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.
My first illustration in Japan has just been published – the cover of the annual Auto Camp Guide of Japan. It was a great opportunity for me to work on a new pattern of tents and trees that can be seen in the background. I quite enjoy the commercial quality of the Japanese characters on the cover. Below is one of the crazier sketches that I proposed.
I discovered these intriguing and original creatures at the Souk Christmas show in Montreal last December. Made of exotic woods, they charmed me immediately and I knew I had to have them for my art toy collection. Plus I had some leftover birthday money to spend! Alexandre Lafleur, a former cartoonist, explained his concept: «They are ambiguous – they are forest sprites, animals, robots, whatever you want them to be. Wood is a living and incomparable medium. The infinite variety of textures, colors and patterns give a unique personality to each of my toys, even if they are produced in series.» Inspiration? «I love traditional Japanese art, comics by Tezuka (considered the father of the modern manga), sculptures by Henry Moore and Niki de Saint Phale, toys by Australian Nathan Jurevicius (of Scarytoy fame), classical Indian music, a hot cup of tea…»
Interested in getting a sprite for yourself? «I’ll be opening an Etsy shop soon but, in the meantime, you can e-mail me at kijemanito@yahoo.ca» Thanks, Alexandre, I have my «monkey» and my «caterpillar» right up there next to my Japanese wooden dolls!
