View from the Zoo

I buy a lot of books about illustrators and illustration. While there are really good books out there about the more popular illustrators, I also love to look at self published books by artists that I admire and that inspire me. Nowadays with the possibility of inexpensive one-off printing it is possible to share one’s work with friends, clients and other artists which is exactly what Rob Dunlavey has done with his two volumes of characters and designs, that I happily purchased at lulu.com.

«The two portfolios that you are referring to (that you proudly own) grew out of my intensive sketchbook habits. By working regularly and somewhat obsessively in sketchbooks, I aim to capture fleeting ideas that can really only find life through working with materials » Rob explained. «This is a very interesting time to be an illustrator because of the way the Internet has infiltrated all levels of our business. There are so many different avenues for self-promotion to explore. One of these avenues is the application of imagery to various types of objects and self-publishing. The self-published portfolios grew out of developing portfolios on issuu.com. As a person who loves actual books and magazines and who imagines his imagery functioning most happily in that realm (as opposed to a completely screen-based experience), issuu is a great simulation. Anyway, it was an easy task to slightly reconfigure the issuu pdfs for publishing on other systems such as lulu and blurb.»

Rob is a prolific artist. His latest series of drawings revolve around these three themes which can be seen on flickr:  Crystal Cities, Owl and the Tern: A Love Story, and Things with Wheels. Check out our two-part interview with Rob here and here.

Velvet Moustache, I love your sense of humour! The big Boyfriend, pictured above, is climbing into the hearts of many plush enthusiasts. Is it a bear or, what? Many of their inventions are inspired by animals and nature. Among others, there is Panda Mourant (right, center – save the panda!), Arctic Warrior (top right, kind of an owl), Esturgee (bottom right, a huge sturgeon), all made by hand with organic cottons and recycled materials in their studio in Montreal.

Velvet Moustache, I love the name! «Velvet, for the softness of the material and Moustache, because it’s cute and has personality.» says Majorie Labrecque-Lepage, who hails from a fashion background.  With her partner Benoit Massé, a graphic designer, they founded Velvet Moustache two years ago based on their common interests in ecology, ethics and crafts.

Velvet Moustache – where can I buy your creations?  Directly from their studio online, or if you are in Old Montreal you can stop by Galerie Zone Orange, a cafe-art gallery which offers a variety of handmade items by local artisans. Do you have a creature that you would like to see in 3D? Majorie does special orders.

Velvet Moustache – what is your most popular toy? «Popeye (below)  – people are really surprised when they realise they can take the eye out and play with it like a ball!»

You can see Velvet Moustache in person this weekend where they will be participating at Couture X-Press in Montreal, creating fashion, live, in front of an audience, starting at 21h.

Photos by Velvet Moustache, 2009

Montrealer Melanie Favreau has a great sense of humour that can be seen in her sterling silver jewelry that she sells on Etsy and on Supermarket.  «Everyday things that are around me inspire me, says Melanie Favreau, like those plastic tags on breadbags.» Among my favorites are the owls, top, and the heart, not the usual shaped heart, but a real one with the arteries with an inscription in latin that reads «From the bottom of my heart» (Ab Imo Pectore – see below).

 Why owls?
«When I started selling on Etsy I noticed that it was a popular theme- everyone was doing them. So I started with my Sweet Owls, followed by my Crazy Owls in resin and most recently the Three Musketeers series (top image). I didn’t think they would sell so fast! Now I have to rush to make more for Christmas! The latest thing is moustaches. I don’t know why they are popular but I find the trend very funny.»

Melanie is also part of the EtsyQ team - a group of Quebec artists on Etsy and they are having a great giveaway worth over 200$. You have until the 29th of November to participate. 

With a name like this how could I resist? Hotel Fox is in Copenhagen, Denmark and has 61 rooms, each one decorated by one of 21 artists in styles ranging from street art to Manga to fairytales.  Here is one room that I like a lot for obvious reasons (animal-themed) and also it brings back memories of camping out in the backyard. A wonderful inspiration for a playroom. Room 121, Sleep Seasons, design by Rinzen, the Australian collective. See all the rooms on Hotel Fox’s website. Judging from the mixed reviews on tripadvisor, it sounds like a great place to visit but not sleep.