There have been a few course changes for the winter term, so please check your schedule on MySCAD to make sure you've still got the courses you want or need.
Here are the changes:
ILLU304:Advertising Illustration 1 has been canceled: ILLU225:Electronic Illustration will replace it on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8am. If you haven't yet taken Electronic Illustration, please sign up for it quickly as it may not be offered again until next fall.
Also, in order to eliminate a nasty conflict, we have moved ILLU311: The Portrait in Illustration to Tuesday and Thursday at 11, and ILLU721:Illustration Techniques 2 to Monday and Wednesday at 11.
Again, please check your schedules to make sure you are in the classes you need, and please register as soon as possible, because if you wait, the courses could be canceled if the classes are too small.
Jay's Best Of Fall Quarter 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
ILLU 205 Materials & Techniques I - 22 illustrations from 8 students |
ILLU 304 Advertising Illustration I - 27 illustrations from 8 students |
ILLU 306 Book Illustration I - 21 illustrations from 8 students |
Click on the image to find out more about this procrastination.
Cheers!
Jay
Student Spotlight: Heather Elder
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
We are very proud to shine the Student Spotlight on MFA candidate Heather Elder. Heather is currently working on her thesis, and sadly, will be leaving us in a quarter or two. She has been a shining star in the Illustration Department, but she has also left her mark on Sequential, Printmaking, and other areas as well. Heather even spent a quarter in Savannah to soak up the illustration karma flowing down there, primarily from Allan Drummond and Dick Kreppel, both wonderful artists and teachers. She is our one-woman environmental oversight committee, and is our vote to become the first 100% organic, sustainable, and totally green illustrator on the planet.
So, without further ado, we proudly offer to the world, our very own Heather Elder...
Things with Wings
1. Where are you from?
I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and have lived ITP (Inside The Perimeter) since 2002. (Thank god.)
Catching Air
2. Where have you been to school?
I received a Bachelor in Journalism and Advertising from the University of Georgia, with a minor in Art History.
Shiva
3. What attracted you to Illustration?
While working as a copywriter at an ad agency after graduation, I was drawing and painting in my free time. When I was bored at work, I'd sit in the art directors' offices and peruse their illustration annuals and sourcebooks. I knew that my heart was not in writing, and I wanted to pursue making visual art as a career. My work didn't "fit in" with the fine art crowd, however, within the annuals, I saw a place where my work did fit. Plus illustration involved concepting, my favorite part of being a copywriter.
Mondus
4. Who are your biggest influences?
Initially Yuko Shimizu was my biggest influence, not just due to her work but also because of her life's path. I tacked one of Yuko's images from an Alternative Pick sourcebook on my office wall as a constant reminder of where I wanted to be just because I loved the image. (It was the illustration she did about the tsunami.) This was before I even knew her name, let alone that she worked a corporate job for 10 years before she made the leap to go back to school. (I worked for 5 years before making the leap myself.) These days, my biggest influence is Mother Nature. Now whenever I start a project or I feel stuck, I go for a walk around my tree-filled neighborhood. It seems I always find what I need there.
Stir Crazy (featured on the cover of Negative Burn)
5. If you weren't studying illustration at SCAD, what would you likely be doing?
Selling drugs...as a healthcare advertising copywriter in Chicago or New York, wishing that I had decided to make the jump and study illustration.
Freda
6. What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spending time with my boyfriend and my family, hiking and camping, walking and riding my bike around the city, drawing in coffee shops, and lately, watching The Office.
The Lovers
7. What is something that most people don't know about you?
I was the Georgia Reader of the year in 5th grade. I hate horses. My great, great, grandfather was a one-legged outlaw from Sharon, GA known as Granddaddy Tippytoes.
Canvas Shoe Design
8. What would your dream job/client be and why?
My ultimate working scenario would start with being an artist-in-residence at a state park. I'm most content and get my best ideas when immersed in nature, so I would love to have a solid 6 months to I record what I experience in that situation. And on top of the personal benefits, there is bonus of my work going to support the park. When my time there was over, I would take my journal sketchlings and turn them into designs for Anthropologie's home products.
Dia de los Muertos Party Set
9. What's your typical process for creating your artwork (technique, media, etc)?
My standard tools include mechanical pencils of all sizes, tracing paper or bristol, and Photoshop. Lately I've been scanning my pencil drawings, cleaning them up a bit, and then finishing off the illustration in Photoshop. I also work more "traditionally," transferring a drawing to board, quickly inking it in with nib pens, and then painting with gouache and watercolor. Throughout the process I'm either listening to KEXP.org (Seattle's listener-supported radio station) or watching videos on TED.org. If you haven't checked out either, do so immediately!
That's What Friends are For
10. Sum up your personal philosophy in 25 words or less.
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana" -Groucho Marx
Mark Braught Pastel Demo
Monday, November 17, 2008
Many thanks to illustrator and good friend Mark Braught, who came all the way from Commerce, Georgia to put some pastel goodness on us in the Pastel Techniques class a few weeks ago.
Mark uses Strathmore Illustration board for his pastel work, and begins with a charcoal drawing that he fixes before beginning the color phase.
The initial wash of color is very quick and loose, just to establish the undertones. Most of the initial charcoal drawing is demolished in the process.
See? It's a mess at this point. But it's a process of building up layers of color and value, and of searching all along the way for that perfect relationship of tone, color, mark-making, and everything that makes an image more than just a rendering. The thing to remember is that no stage is precious- everything is subject to change and probably will.
Now the likeness is beginning to emerge, and refinements of value and color take shape. The marks are finer and more deliberate at this stage; the pace of the piece slows down a bit, and more time is spent looking at the reference photo and the initial sketch.
This is where the demo ended, with a good likeness and a nearly finished piece. Mark took the work home and finished the demo in his studio...
Nice job, Mark ... thanks for sharing!
Mark uses Strathmore Illustration board for his pastel work, and begins with a charcoal drawing that he fixes before beginning the color phase.
The initial wash of color is very quick and loose, just to establish the undertones. Most of the initial charcoal drawing is demolished in the process.
See? It's a mess at this point. But it's a process of building up layers of color and value, and of searching all along the way for that perfect relationship of tone, color, mark-making, and everything that makes an image more than just a rendering. The thing to remember is that no stage is precious- everything is subject to change and probably will.
Now the likeness is beginning to emerge, and refinements of value and color take shape. The marks are finer and more deliberate at this stage; the pace of the piece slows down a bit, and more time is spent looking at the reference photo and the initial sketch.
This is where the demo ended, with a good likeness and a nearly finished piece. Mark took the work home and finished the demo in his studio...
Nice job, Mark ... thanks for sharing!
Black Bag Friday
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I know the quarter ends before Black Friday but if you wanted to stock up on paint or any other art supplies for Winter quarter:
Utrecht is having a Black Bag Friday Nov. 28th 10am -7pm. Basically, you'll get a black bag at the door, fill that with a bunch of merchandise and get 20% off anything that fits in the bag (not including sale or clearance items). Stuff like brushes and paint can get expensive so 20% is a good deal.
All the details are here: http://atlanta.utrechtblog.com/
Just wanted to pass this along because every little bit helps.
Utrecht is having a Black Bag Friday Nov. 28th 10am -7pm. Basically, you'll get a black bag at the door, fill that with a bunch of merchandise and get 20% off anything that fits in the bag (not including sale or clearance items). Stuff like brushes and paint can get expensive so 20% is a good deal.
All the details are here: http://atlanta.utrechtblog.com/
Just wanted to pass this along because every little bit helps.
SCAD ATL visits RTIBrands
Friday, November 14, 2008
This afternoon, in spite of finals, rain, and friday traffic, several students and I made the trip out to Bethlehem, GA to visit RTIBrands. RTIBrands is the major silkscreen printing company that is sponsoring the SCAD ATL illustration department t-shirt competition. We were given the grand tour which included their design offices, screen prep rooms, and their massive, multi-station presses (they had four!). In spite of our less-than-subtle hints, they didn't give us any free shirts.
see more photos: here
Daniel Adel visit, Monday Nov. 3rd!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
One of the premier editorial illustrators in the world will be here at SCAD-Atlanta on the 3rd of November. But Dan Adel is much more than an editorial illustrator; he's a portrait artist of the highest caliber, an amazing watercolorist, a fine art oil painter with a robust gallery career, and he's even an accomplished photographer. But my favorite aspect of Daniel Adel is his wry sense of humor; read his caption for this hilarious piece as it appeared in the Society of Illustrators Annual a couple of years ago...
"A disrespectful homage to perhaps my all-time favorite Velasquez: Los Borrachos. We rented a villa in Tuscany with a Roman-era pool and invited some friends over for the photo shoot to prepare for this job. Okay, I guess I wouldn't consider Newt a "friend" per se ... Hat tip to Paulina Poriskova for posing as the nymph in the foreground. To everyone's surprise, she and Rush totally hit it off playing beer pong."
Don't miss this chance to meet and learn from one of the greats of both worlds of art and illustration as he presents his work AND does a demonstration of his gorgeous painting technique.
Monday, November 3rd
6pm, Event Space 4C
------------------------------------
Dan's lecture and demo were awesome, as expected. He showed his Illustration work as well as his spectacular oil paintings of drapery, crumpled paper and water, and his beautiful watercolors of his village of Lacoste in Provence, France.
He was as witty and dry as I was led to believe, and he is as warm as he is talented.
He was joined by his lovely wife Veronique (middle) who embarrassed him with a candle and a big kiss at the podium in celebration of his birthday.
The subject of his portrait demo was our own Rich Gere, chair of the Printmaking Department. He accomplished a great deal in the hour or so he had to actually paint. And the likeness is spot-on as usual, except Dan was a tad generous with the hair.
Thanks, Dan! We'll be sure to stop by your place next time we're in Lacoste!
Generate '08
Sunday, October 19, 2008
This year's 24-Hour Art Marathon was called Generate, a very fitting name because of all the amazing stuff being generated in one very long but exciting day. The Official Generate Blog has posts from the two Illustration Challenges as well as every challenge category, and it's definitely worth checking them all out. There were lots of freebies to be had, but the early birds got the bulk of the goods; everything on the free tables was gone in about 30 seconds once the starting bell was rung. Word to the wise; be here before 10am next year. 
We can't thank our sponsors enough for their generous support this year. The prizes were awesome; Strathmore donated tons of sketchbooks, wet and dry media pads, Bristol pads and the best illustration board in the business, bar none. Adobe went over-the-top by donating 6 copies of the yet-to-be-released, super fantastic Creative Suite 4, better known as Adobe CS4. Two of our Illustration challengers got a copy... more about that on the Generate Blog. And Wacom came through in a huge way as well; they donated two specialty styluses, the 6D Art Pen and the Airbrush Pen. These went to our 12-hour winner. They also kicked in a 6X8 Intuos3 tablet which went to the Sequential Challenge winner. But the mac-daddy prize went to the Illustration Grand Prize Winner; a Cintiq 12WX!!! Sweet, indeed.
Check out the Generate Blog to see the winners, and to see all of the Illustration Challenge entries, click here.
See you next year!
We can't thank our sponsors enough for their generous support this year. The prizes were awesome; Strathmore donated tons of sketchbooks, wet and dry media pads, Bristol pads and the best illustration board in the business, bar none. Adobe went over-the-top by donating 6 copies of the yet-to-be-released, super fantastic Creative Suite 4, better known as Adobe CS4. Two of our Illustration challengers got a copy... more about that on the Generate Blog. And Wacom came through in a huge way as well; they donated two specialty styluses, the 6D Art Pen and the Airbrush Pen. These went to our 12-hour winner. They also kicked in a 6X8 Intuos3 tablet which went to the Sequential Challenge winner. But the mac-daddy prize went to the Illustration Grand Prize Winner; a Cintiq 12WX!!! Sweet, indeed.
Check out the Generate Blog to see the winners, and to see all of the Illustration Challenge entries, click here.
See you next year!
Student Spotlight: Kat Cimino
Monday, October 13, 2008
We are very proud to present this month's Student Spotlight recipient, senior Kat Cimino. Kat has been doing remarkable work and the faculty wanted to show her off a bit by displaying her talents to the SCAD community and the world at large.
Kat portrait by Alan Hawley
1. Where are you from? I am from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
2. Where have you been to school (and if grad student what kind of degree did you receive)?
I attended Atlanta College of Art as a Drawing/Painting major for two years before the merger.
3. What attracted you to Illustration?
I felt lost as a Drawing/Painting major. At the time I knew very little about myself as an artist- and otherwise. I remember being very impressed when I took Illustration I with Rick Lovell at ACA because I felt like I was finally getting a little more direction. So, when I came to SCAD I changed my major to Illustration. It felt like a chance to start over.
4. Who are your biggest influences?
My teachers and my classmates. I am so inspired by them! Their feedback on my work is important to me too.
5. If you weren’t studying illustration at SCAD, what would you likely be doing?
I can’t say I would have found Illustration the same way, but I know I would be still be making art. A couple other art schools had accepted me, so I would be at one of those, I suppose.
6. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m not really sure when spare time is. Outside of school I spend a lot of time reading, doing homework, going to the gym, cuddling my dog, taking pictures, going to farmer’s markets, and dreaming about future paintings. I really love cooking too.
7. What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I’m vegan, so I make art that is too; I try to only use materials that are animal-free!
8. What would your dream job/client be and why?
Someone who wants me to paint pretty things, because that’s what makes me happy.
9. What’s your typical process for creating your artwork (technique, media, etc)?
I have not settled on a particular process or medium. I usually pick up whatever medium we last employed in class, not only because of it’s availability but because I will still have a feel for it. I took a watercolor class last quarter so that is what I have been using lately, which is ironic because I remember telling everyone how much I hated the medium. I rarely use computers. Really, the only constants are that I always work from photographs, and I always make a really big mess.
10. Sum up your personal philosophy in 25 words or less.
I didn’t really get into my work unless I accidentally ate paint or trekked it all over the house.
Kat portrait by Alan Hawley
1. Where are you from? I am from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
2. Where have you been to school (and if grad student what kind of degree did you receive)?
I attended Atlanta College of Art as a Drawing/Painting major for two years before the merger.
3. What attracted you to Illustration?
I felt lost as a Drawing/Painting major. At the time I knew very little about myself as an artist- and otherwise. I remember being very impressed when I took Illustration I with Rick Lovell at ACA because I felt like I was finally getting a little more direction. So, when I came to SCAD I changed my major to Illustration. It felt like a chance to start over.
4. Who are your biggest influences?
My teachers and my classmates. I am so inspired by them! Their feedback on my work is important to me too.
5. If you weren’t studying illustration at SCAD, what would you likely be doing?
I can’t say I would have found Illustration the same way, but I know I would be still be making art. A couple other art schools had accepted me, so I would be at one of those, I suppose.
6. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m not really sure when spare time is. Outside of school I spend a lot of time reading, doing homework, going to the gym, cuddling my dog, taking pictures, going to farmer’s markets, and dreaming about future paintings. I really love cooking too.
7. What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I’m vegan, so I make art that is too; I try to only use materials that are animal-free!
8. What would your dream job/client be and why?
Someone who wants me to paint pretty things, because that’s what makes me happy.
9. What’s your typical process for creating your artwork (technique, media, etc)?
I have not settled on a particular process or medium. I usually pick up whatever medium we last employed in class, not only because of it’s availability but because I will still have a feel for it. I took a watercolor class last quarter so that is what I have been using lately, which is ironic because I remember telling everyone how much I hated the medium. I rarely use computers. Really, the only constants are that I always work from photographs, and I always make a really big mess.
10. Sum up your personal philosophy in 25 words or less.
I didn’t really get into my work unless I accidentally ate paint or trekked it all over the house.
SCBWI Portfolio Reviews at Little Shop of Stories
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Southern Breeze division, chaired by our good friend Elizabeth Dulemba, hosted a very informative and beneficial portfolio review and workshop today at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur. Check out Elizabeth's post on this event.
Lorraine Joyner (above), the art director at Peachtree Publishers, spoke about the promotional material she receives in the mail each month from illustrators; what grabs her attention and what doesn't, and why.
She went over the various forms of promos she receives; simple post cards, booklets, boxed sets of cards, even a cute wooden choo-choo train with the artist's images and web address painted on it. All that stuff is cute, and may save it from the round file, but in the end, either the work is something she can use or it isn't. Some of the most elaborate packaging, she says, contains some of the weakest work; in other words, don't try to hide bad art inside fancy packages... she'll sniff it out in no time. Also, she made it clear that there simply isn't any way to acknowledge receipt of your mailings, no matter how much she likes the work. You will hear from her when she can use you for a job, but not before. It sounds cold, but it's just business; if she replied to everyone who sent her promo materials, she'd never sleep, much less get any work done.
The portfolios were all lined up ready for her discerning review, and everyone was encouraged to look at each other's work before and after the review session. Happily (and rather proudly), most of the books were by our own extraordinary students at SCAD-Atlanta. Kudos to all of you who attended, as you presented yourselves VERY well and made us all look good.
Here are some of our stars; l to r: Matt Kelley, Katrin Wiehle, Ethan Mongin and April Brantner, taking it all in as Lorraine checks out another portfolio. Other Scaddites in attendance were Noodie Aysiri, Krystal Sanchez, Julia Berman, Goñi Montes, Heather Elder and Ferni Valazquez (forgive me if I left anyone out!). The reviews were open, meaning that everyone received the benefit of Lorraine's assessment as she looked at each portfolio.
A few heavy-hitters were in attendance admiring all the wonderful work. Lee and Bill Mayer and Mark Braught are looking at Katrin Wielhe's work, and they were very impressed by what they saw today from all of the SCAD participants. I came away with a sense of pride and a reaffirmation that we have some of the best students anywhere.
Here's a shot of the Pros in attendance: From the left are: Mark Braught, Bill Mayer, Yours Truly, Loraine Joyner, Elizabeth Dulemba, and Laura Knorr.
The SCBWI Portfolio Workshop will be an annual event, and the SCBWI and SCAD-Atlanta will be working together to make this even more accessible and more meaningful in the future. In the meantime, on behalf of the students and faculty at SCAD-Atlanta, I would like to thank Elizabeth Dulemba for inviting us to participate, and to Lorraine Joyner at Peachtree Publishers for providing such valuable feedback to our students. I'm really looking forward to next year!
Lorraine Joyner (above), the art director at Peachtree Publishers, spoke about the promotional material she receives in the mail each month from illustrators; what grabs her attention and what doesn't, and why.
She went over the various forms of promos she receives; simple post cards, booklets, boxed sets of cards, even a cute wooden choo-choo train with the artist's images and web address painted on it. All that stuff is cute, and may save it from the round file, but in the end, either the work is something she can use or it isn't. Some of the most elaborate packaging, she says, contains some of the weakest work; in other words, don't try to hide bad art inside fancy packages... she'll sniff it out in no time. Also, she made it clear that there simply isn't any way to acknowledge receipt of your mailings, no matter how much she likes the work. You will hear from her when she can use you for a job, but not before. It sounds cold, but it's just business; if she replied to everyone who sent her promo materials, she'd never sleep, much less get any work done.
The portfolios were all lined up ready for her discerning review, and everyone was encouraged to look at each other's work before and after the review session. Happily (and rather proudly), most of the books were by our own extraordinary students at SCAD-Atlanta. Kudos to all of you who attended, as you presented yourselves VERY well and made us all look good.
Here are some of our stars; l to r: Matt Kelley, Katrin Wiehle, Ethan Mongin and April Brantner, taking it all in as Lorraine checks out another portfolio. Other Scaddites in attendance were Noodie Aysiri, Krystal Sanchez, Julia Berman, Goñi Montes, Heather Elder and Ferni Valazquez (forgive me if I left anyone out!). The reviews were open, meaning that everyone received the benefit of Lorraine's assessment as she looked at each portfolio.
A few heavy-hitters were in attendance admiring all the wonderful work. Lee and Bill Mayer and Mark Braught are looking at Katrin Wielhe's work, and they were very impressed by what they saw today from all of the SCAD participants. I came away with a sense of pride and a reaffirmation that we have some of the best students anywhere.
Here's a shot of the Pros in attendance: From the left are: Mark Braught, Bill Mayer, Yours Truly, Loraine Joyner, Elizabeth Dulemba, and Laura Knorr.
The SCBWI Portfolio Workshop will be an annual event, and the SCBWI and SCAD-Atlanta will be working together to make this even more accessible and more meaningful in the future. In the meantime, on behalf of the students and faculty at SCAD-Atlanta, I would like to thank Elizabeth Dulemba for inviting us to participate, and to Lorraine Joyner at Peachtree Publishers for providing such valuable feedback to our students. I'm really looking forward to next year!
Arts Forum Speakers Announced!
Monday, September 22, 2008
We very pleased to announce that two of the finest illustrators in the world will be jetting into Hotlanta in February to bestow upon us their illustrative awesomeness:
©2008 Sam Weber
Sam Weber is a native of Alaska who grew up in Canada. Sam is white hot in the Illustration world, leaving his very edgy mark all over the place, including the cover of the CA Illustration Annual. His work is very organic and visceral, loaded with texture and nuance, and always with a hint of danger.
Born in Alaska, Sam grew up in Deep River Ontario, Canada. After attending the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, he moved to New York to pursue illustration and attend graduate school at The School of Visual Arts. After graduating, Sam worked part time for two years as assistant art director of the OpEd page at the New York Times, with senior art director Brian Rea. His studio is in Brooklyn. Likes include Italian and Japanese comics, David Lynch movies, and hanging out with Jillian.
Here's a great article that appeared in Computer Arts Magazine in the U.K.
©2008 Anita Kunz
Anita Kunz is also from north of the border, and has a client list that reads like an International Who's Who in publishing and business. Here's a snippit from her online bio:
©2008 Sam Weber
Sam Weber is a native of Alaska who grew up in Canada. Sam is white hot in the Illustration world, leaving his very edgy mark all over the place, including the cover of the CA Illustration Annual. His work is very organic and visceral, loaded with texture and nuance, and always with a hint of danger.
Born in Alaska, Sam grew up in Deep River Ontario, Canada. After attending the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, he moved to New York to pursue illustration and attend graduate school at The School of Visual Arts. After graduating, Sam worked part time for two years as assistant art director of the OpEd page at the New York Times, with senior art director Brian Rea. His studio is in Brooklyn. Likes include Italian and Japanese comics, David Lynch movies, and hanging out with Jillian.
Here's a great article that appeared in Computer Arts Magazine in the U.K.
©2008 Anita Kunz
Anita Kunz is also from north of the border, and has a client list that reads like an International Who's Who in publishing and business. Here's a snippit from her online bio:
Canadian by birth, Anita Kunz has lived in London, New York and Toronto, contributing to magazines and working for design firms, book publishers and advertising agencies in Germany, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Canada, South Africa, Holland, Portugal, France and England. Her clients include Time magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, The New York Times, Sony Music, Random House Publishing and many others.
She is one of the most respected illustrators in the world, and we are absolutely thrilled that she will be our guest this winter.
Last year's Comm Arts Forum was huge with two of the best illustrators in the biz here at the same time; Yuko Shimizu and James Jean. Soon after they left I started sweating bullets just thinking of how we could top them. And I soon decided that it's dumb to think that way. What we CAN do, I thought, is bring in folks who are also at the top of their game, but maybe in slightly different arenas. Illustration can be so many different things, it's better to explore all the nooks and crannies of the styles, markets and genres of illustration; there's so much going on with illustration today, so many avenues available. So, I asked for input from you guys and got some great suggestions. Thanks for the feedback, and I hope everyone is as stoked as I am about this year's guests.
I've been an admirer of Anita's wonderful editorial work and her often stinging portraits for years; she's been in so many Society of Illustrators annuals and CA Illustration annuals it's hard to keep track. I met her in NY a few years ago, and she's just as sweet as she is talented.
I was introduced to Sam Weber by some grad students a few years ago, and was in awe from the start. His work just draws you in with it's subtle, somber color palette and those incredible textures; I can's WAIT to see his workshop. The amazing thing is that it's almost all traditional media. Just wonderful.
So, as we get closer to the event this winter quarter, I'll be passing along more information. In the meantime, mark your calendars for February 19-22. It's going to be a terrific weekend!
She is one of the most respected illustrators in the world, and we are absolutely thrilled that she will be our guest this winter.
Last year's Comm Arts Forum was huge with two of the best illustrators in the biz here at the same time; Yuko Shimizu and James Jean. Soon after they left I started sweating bullets just thinking of how we could top them. And I soon decided that it's dumb to think that way. What we CAN do, I thought, is bring in folks who are also at the top of their game, but maybe in slightly different arenas. Illustration can be so many different things, it's better to explore all the nooks and crannies of the styles, markets and genres of illustration; there's so much going on with illustration today, so many avenues available. So, I asked for input from you guys and got some great suggestions. Thanks for the feedback, and I hope everyone is as stoked as I am about this year's guests.
I've been an admirer of Anita's wonderful editorial work and her often stinging portraits for years; she's been in so many Society of Illustrators annuals and CA Illustration annuals it's hard to keep track. I met her in NY a few years ago, and she's just as sweet as she is talented.
I was introduced to Sam Weber by some grad students a few years ago, and was in awe from the start. His work just draws you in with it's subtle, somber color palette and those incredible textures; I can's WAIT to see his workshop. The amazing thing is that it's almost all traditional media. Just wonderful.
So, as we get closer to the event this winter quarter, I'll be passing along more information. In the meantime, mark your calendars for February 19-22. It's going to be a terrific weekend!
Laura Coyle's CD Release Debut
Saturday, September 20, 2008
One of SCAD's good friends, Laura Coyle, is a world-class illustrator and surface designer. Some of you have visited her home studio on field trips with Rick's or Jay's classes. Her client list is awe inspiring, and her work is both very retro and very current... I'm in a weird time-warp just thinking about it. She has visited our classes to discuss her experiences with the SURTEX show in New York, and has spoken with exit-level classes about best practices regarding self-promotion and office management (she's so organized a CPA would have issues with self-doubt looking at her files).
But her talents go WAY beyond the domain of illustration. No, she has to go and make us all look like little one-dimensional mortals compared to her multi-dimensional, super-human wonderwoman self. Turns out that this chick can sing, and I mean SING!!!
She just released her first CD entitled "Laura Coyle" ( pretty tricky, I know).
After the SCAD@Large show last night, I swung by Churchill Grounds, a very cool little spot right next door to the Fox (above), to catch her CD Release party gig. I can't think of the last time I spent three more enjoyable hours. What a gift she gives. Even when she's just listening to her fabulous band, she's in heaven, beaming with joy and appreciation. You can see that music is in her soul, every bit as much as art is.
Her love for the Jazz classics is clear as crystal; Ella Fitzgerald and Wes Montgomery bubble to the top, and Miles, Coltraine and the rest are hangin' out in the wings, tapping their feet and nodding, knowingly. What a pleasure to hear her clear voice, in perfect pitch and in time with some tricky jazz beats that lost me a time or two, but Laura and her awesome band were always right on, always ready for the next nuance, the next improvised magic touch.
Some jazz newbies might not "get it" right away. That's ok. It takes time to dig this deep. It takes time to "dig it". Illustration. Art. Music. It's all the same. It all comes from the same place. It's what makes us whole. It's what makes us human.
Thanks, Laura. What a wonderful night.
SCAD@Large
Thirteen students from the Illustration, painting, photography and sculpture departments at SCAD are showing their work in "SCAD@Large," an exhibition featuring work too large to be exhibited on the SCAD-Atlanta campus. The exhibition will be on display Sept. 19 - Oct.5 at the Factory, a 6,000-square-foot space with 25-foot ceilings (300 MLK Dr. SE). Students and faculty have worked together to develop site-specific work for the space. Morgan Alexander, Yana Dimitrova, Harrison Fraley, Suzy Maier, Macy Moore, Charles Parham, Seana Reilly, Richard Robbins, Brandon Sadler, Whitney Stansell, Cynthia Taylor, Yukari Umekawa and Whitney Wood are participating in the show.
Suzy was showing her personal and very provocative short animated novel "The Sunlit Blanket". It will also be one of the five films screened at her show at Mason Murer which opens next week . Suzy will also be showing several of her drawings and paintings in the show. Let's all come out and support Suzy as she hits the Big Time in her debut at Mason Murer.
Chuck Parham showed his very large and very powerful painting on canvas. The theme is one of hope, and is a vibrant, textural exploration of color and rhythm that invites you to get up close and personal as it draws you in and fills you up.
Brandon Sadler brought the work that was originally exhibited at the Red Gallery in Savannah this Summer. It's an installation that depicts the life of the downtrodden, the everyday folks who survive in the third world spaces that exist in our first-world city. The paintings are on larger-than-life cutouts and are derived from sketches made during days and weeks riding the Marta trains and buses, tapping into the psyche of the people who are doing their best to get by.
It was a great night with a large and enthusiastic crowd on hand. If you're in the area, swing by and take a look. And if anyone ever says to you that illustrators aren't artists, just show them this. Case closed.
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