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Nate Williams delivered a lecture on illustration at the University of Buenos Aires on Thursday, May 3. The talk covered his creative process, his experiences as an art director and illustrator, and his thoughts on the illustration industry as a whole.
Ana’s sweetly subversive works have provided visually rich narratives for multiple editorial, advertising, and publishing projects. She paints with oils, a medium that lends itself to rich and subtle colors. Her work, which often features animals and child-like figures, has a sweet but unsettling quality much like the fairy tales they seem to reference. Her beautifully rendered paintings bring powerful concepts to life, playing with recurring motifs like the myths of adolescence and the hazy boundaries of dreams, fantasies, and memories.
Born in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Ana and her family moved to the U.S. when she was 6 years old. She has tried to incorporate these experiences in her art as much as possible. “My parents had saved my school books and brought them with us. They were filled with amazing illustrations of Soviet propaganda and I knew I had to use them in some way.” Ana dedicated her 2005 solo show Clubhouse Machination at La Luz de Jesus to the communist imagery in those books. Besides drawing from memories of childhood, Ana also seeks inspiration from her vast collection of photographs, which includes “fashion photography, pictures of dolls, animals, landscapes, movie stills and anything I come across on the Internet that strikes my fancy. I take pictures when I’m strolling through flea markets, museums, while traveling, to make sure I don’t forget a moment that might have inspired an idea for a painting.”
Ana’s clients include Diesel, Honda, BMG Records, and Mighty Fine. She has worked with publications like Rolling Stone, GQ, Men’s Health, Runner’s world, HOW Magazine, Spin, and Boston Magazine, and has illustrated covers for The Stranger and City Pages. Her work has graced posters for arts organizations such as Arena Stage and the Sydney Symphony, and she has worked on ad campaigns for Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Publicis Mojo, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Wieden & Kennedy London. Her witty series for the ADC Young Guns advertising campaign Young and Hungry used vivid images of mother ducks, pigs, and deer being eaten by their young to create a darkly humorous effect. The campaign went on to win an award in American Illustration 26.
Her creative process is loose and inventive. “When I sit down to draw, I rarely have an idea of what I’m going to draw. I start with the face and the narrative grows from there.” Ana believes that stepping outside your comfort zone is the most effective way to grow as an artist. “I was used to working very small and when I decided to paint on a larger scale, all the flaws in my drawing were amplified.” Ana’s critical eye allows her to fine-tune her talents, and her work grows more intricate and polished with each painting she completes.
Her love of painting animals has been noted in the press, in interviews with Juxtapoz magazine, Hi Fructose, Sour Harvest, Arrested Motion, and Ianyan Mag. Ana says, “Animals are universal. Any culture can relate to the animal kingdom, while only a small number of people can relate to the figures I paint. They’ve been used in fables, stories and painting since the beginning of time to portray human characteristics and behaviors for that reason. Aside from that, I love painting fur, hair, shine, feathers, etc., and these little critters provide me with an abundance of textures for my painting pleasure.” Ana’s cover for the book Jane and the Raven King is a great example of this – it features a cardigan-wearing cat detective and deftly captures the whimsy of the book’s retinue of magical animal characters.
Ana was one of the artists invited to Baby Tattooville, a 3-day event in Riverside, CA that provides a unique opportunity for serious art collectors to spend time with their favorite artists. Artists like Glenn Barr, Dave Cooper, Bob Dob, Brandi Milne, Shag, Amy Sol, and many others create work around-the-clock, allowing collectors to witness the creative process behind the artwork. At the end of each retreat, collectors leave with a grab bag of art created during the sessions, ensuring that no one leaves empty-handed. Ana’s work has been shown internationally at the Mondo Bizzarro Gallery and the Dorothy Circus Gallery in Rome, as well as the Fb69 Gallery in Munster, Germany. In the U.S., she regularly exhibits in a number of galleries, including Roq la Rue, Thinkspace, Subtext Gallery, Varnish Fine Art, La Luz de Jesus, and the eponymous Billy Shire Gallery.
A few years ago, Ana started a side project called Lunch Bunch. She and a friend bought an extra meal after her birthday dinner to give away on the way home. The person she gave the meal to made lasting impression, and a few days later they decided to make sandwiches and hand them out to the homeless in Hollywood. “Our first day was so heartbreaking and amazing at the same time, we knew we couldn’t stop at just one day,” she says. She continues to follow a route through Hollywood that accesses people who don’t live near shelters. The Lunch Bunch is now a group that uses art auctions to fund their work. Artists who have donated their work to auctions in the past include Shepard Fairey, Amy Sol, Scott Musgrove, Daniel Lim, Lola, Dan Barry, Joshua Petker, Peter Micocci, Loretta Gonzalez, Edward Robin Colonel, Sara Louise Tucker, and more.
Ana studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her work has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, 3×3, Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, the Gold Ozzie Awards, and the Eckersleys Awards. In 2008, Ana was profiled as one of 20 rising artists under the age of 30 in Print Magazine’s New Visual Artist competition, a rare distinction awarded only to the most exceptional illustrators, designers, and fine artists.
To see Ana’s portfolio, visit http://www.magnetreps.com/portfolio/artist/19/type/a/ and to see more, visit anabagayan.com.
Q&A with Ana Bagayan
What’s one tip you have for other creative professionals?
Don’t ignore your subconscious, it’s only trying to guide you in the direction of the best possible outcome for you.
You often use animal imagery in your paintings. Why are animals so alluring to you as a painter?
A dog is a dog no matter where you come from. Everyone can relate to animals.
If you were reincarnated as an animal, which animal would you be?
A seahorse.
What is your ideal studio like?
I like a large, clean space to work. I don’t need inspiration or anything fancy around me, it distracts me from my thoughts.
What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
Becoming comfortable with my medium so that I’m able to paint exactly what I want to paint.
How has your work changed since your days as an art student? How do you see your work progressing in the future?
I think my work has always represented my being, whether I knew it at the time or not. If it looked like I was lost in my work, I was also lost as a person. I can look at my older work and know exactly what I was feeling at the time I created it and I think creatively releasing pain and negative beliefs is a healthy way to get past it. I’m more comfortable with who I am now so my work is all coming from a positive place. Now, creatively I feel free. Technically, there are still things I need to work on which will still be a challenge but that is part of the process and I embrace it.
What’s the first thing you do when you’re stuck on a project? What are your best sources of inspiration?
I think feeling stuck is an indicator that something is awry and you need to stop and honestly re-examine what you’re doing. That will automatically open up a new direction.
In an ideal world, you would have an infinite amount of…?
Abundance.
Your art seems to regularly turn to the themes of childhood, mortality, and mythology. How would you describe the motifs in your art? What draws you to these themes?
I think childhood represents freedom and open-mindedness at its purest. In that world, anything is possible.
A genie grants you three wishes. What do you wish for?
1. The ability to manifest what I need when I need it in the form of drawing. I was going to wish for a door that opens to what I need, but I think I should still have to earn it.
2. For everyone else to choose to follow their passion, there would be a lot less negative people around me.
3. Ability to teleport.
You grew up in Los Angeles, and you are heavily involved in the L.A. art scene. How has the city influenced you and your work?
My style has definitely come from the influence of artists in this scene, and for that I am grateful. That I was able to resonate with the energy here and light my flame with it early on. Now, I’m just on an exciting creative journey guided by my subconscious and I’m having fun with it.
What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of painting?
Baking, gardening, finding and listening to music, staring at the sky (looking out for ufo’s).
Red Nose Studio and Emiliano Ponzi were chosen as winners in the 53rd annual Communication Arts illustration competition. Red Nose Studio’s introductory short for AIGA Design Ranch and Emiliano’s advertisement for Amnesty International were both featured in the animation section.
Red Nose Studio’s illustration for PlanSponsor will appear in the editorial section, while Emiliano’s projects for EMI music and Quiet, Please! will appear in the Advertising section.
Congratulations go out to both!
Eleanor Grosch’s artwork can be seen on a line of children’s bedding from Land of Nod. The line, Animáles Grafico, is available in three colors — teal, lavender and yellow — and is inspired by the traditional patterns of the Otomi people, an Indigenous group from central Mexico. Adorned with animals of all shapes and sizes, this beautiful bedding is rich in both design and tradition.
Nate Williams illustrated this friendly robot, complete with gears, wrenches, nuts and bolts, for a soon-to-be-released diary from Mudpuppy. The red and blue journal features silver foil highlights and a padlock with two keys. It is printed with non-toxic inks and is intended for ages 4 and up. Available May 2012.
Bella Pilar released a line of 300-piece puzzles featuring some of her best-loved artwork through manufacturer Andrews and Blaine. The puzzles — Shop Paris, Spring Hats, Shop New York and Dog Walk — feature the fabulous fashionistas that Bella has become know for. They are available in Barnes & Noble stores and on the Barnes & Noble website. Each box features Bella’s art and an artist’s bio.
Emiliano Ponzi was on the radio show RaiTunes, an offshoot of Italy’s largest television network. In the past, the radio show has interviewed notable illustrators like Yuko Shimizu. RaiTunes played a live stream of Emiliano’s drawing process during the interview. See the video below:
Bella Pilar will be participating in the Shadow Box Art Exhibition at the Tokyo International Forum. Japanese shadow box artists Hiroe Otani and Ms. Ohashi created the art using Bella’s glittery cocktail girls – Mai Tai Girl, Margarita Girl, Pina Colada Girl, and Strawberry Daiquiri Girl.
The exhibit will include over 200 shadow box artists from all over Japan, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Ashinaga Charity, which helps children who lost parents in the Tohoku area Pacific Earthquake and Tsunami.
Eleanor Grosch’s playful arrangements of line and form are sleek, minimalistic experiments in geometry. Whether it’s an arched beak, a meandering tail, or the sleek lines of a bicycle, Eleanor’s illustrations rely on sparsely articulated lines to convey shape and motion. Her understated colors complement the subtlety of her forms and soften her sleek geometric compositions. Well-known for her unique modernist perspective on the feathered, the furry, and the scaly, Eleanor brings a designer edge and distinct mid-century aesthetic to all of her artwork.
Eleanor draws inspiration from sources as diverse as the Spanish abstract painter Joan Miro and modernist illustrator Charley Harper. In 2010, Harper’s estate asked Eleanor to redesign charleyharperprints.com. Eleanor’s prints have even appeared on the site alongside Harper’s work and that of Harper’s descendants Edie and Brett Harper.
Eleanor was named one of Print Magazine’s New Visual Artists of 2008. The New Visual Artist Review introduces and profiles thirty of the most promising rising talents in graphic design, advertising, illustration, digital media, photography and animation – all under the age of thirty. The competition is by invitation only with entrants being nominated by art directors, designers, critics and industry professionals. In the article, Emily Gordon writes, “Grosch walks a cheerfully nonchalant line between cute and cool, using [...] a menagerie of whimsical imagery.”
Always the ‘class artist,’ Eleanor began developing her style, and a fascination for animals, in her early teens. “I’d draw during class and then more when I got home,” she remembers. One thing that hasn’t always been constant has been her confidence in pursuing art as a profession. In an interview with Philadelphia Magazine, Eleanor recalls hearing a professor say, “‘In five years, only one person in this room will be making a living doing art.” As a fledgling art student, Eleanor remembers thinking, ‘It’s not going to be me.’ She jokes that, “My big goal was, ‘I hope one day I get a chance to make something for someone for free.’” Since then, Eleanor has learned that a confidence in your work is essential. “You have to have good self-esteem about your work. Assuming someone’s going to like you is a good start.”
Shortly after graduating from art school, Eleanor landed her first gig illustrating and designing a poster for the Orpheum in Tampa, Florida. “I used to dance there, and I remember seeing my poster up for the first time!,” she says “What a thrill!!” The design was for the first of many band posters, the sum of which ultimately caught the attention of an editor at Nylon Magazine. Since then, her work has appeared in magazines, books, products and packaging, as well as in corporate advertising campaigns. Eleanor has worked with clients such as Keds, The San Diego Zoo, Oxfam, Starbucks, Chronicle Books, Land of Nod, Urban Outfitters, and Shutterfly.
Eleanor’s first experience with licensing was when Keds launched a line of her shoes in 2006. Modeled in print ads by Mischa Barton, known for her role on the TV series The OC, the shoes flew off the shelves and Eleanor Grosch as an art brand had arrived with a splash. Since then, her work has appeared on a variety of licensed products, from Giro helmets and Alien Workshop snowboards, to wall art for Muralstick and stationery for Marian Heath and Tiny Prints. Her gulf-inspired luggage tags for Zehno also appeared in Print Magazine’s 2011 Regional Design Annual. Sale of Eleanor’s tags benefitted the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a non-profit organization that advocates for Louisiana’s wetlands.
Marian Heath recently released a line of nine glitter-embellished greeting cards featuring Eleanor’s artwork, which they describe as featuring her “smart, hip aesthetic and trademark graphic style.” Her feathered friends are on trend in the UK as well, with seagulls and skimmers appearing on Printermakers cards by the publisher Art Angels. The biggest volume of card designs can be found at Tiny Prints with dozens of print-on-demand custom stationery and card products.
In addition to her work as an illustrator, Eleanor also runs Pushmepullyou Design, an online shop selling art prints, t-shirts, accessories, and housewares. Inspired by Dr. Dolittle’s two-headed llama, the name ‘Pushmepullyou’ captures Eleanor’s love of animals and her whimsical sense of humor. For all things Eleanor, from greeting cards and magnets to wallets and tote bags, visit http://www.merchline.com/pushmepullyou/.
Eleanor’s work has also been featured in Grain Edit, Design*Sponge, Philadelphia Style, Philly Mag, NYLON Magazine, and The Art of Modern Rock. Eleanor has been a guest speaker at the 2010 HOW Design Conference and at Dallas AIGA. Eleanor is also a recipient of the PETA Libby Award, which is awarded for the quality of animal-friendly products as well as the nominee’s enthusiasm for animals.
Wherever she looks, Eleanor is drawn to clean lines and striking colors. To see more of her work, visit www.justeleanor.com.
Q&A with Eleanor Grosch
Use three words to describe your style.
Simple, bold, colorful
What is a typical work day like for you? How do you portion off your time?
I usually start at 8 with a nice breakfast and then get right to it; I find I’m most productive in the morning. Then I gotta move around a bit so I clean the house for about 30 minutes or go to the gym. Afternoons I usually need a break also, so I watch some TV for another 40 minutes or so in-between working. I try to stop at 5PM these days, but I find that I’ll often draw something in the evening.
A genie grants you three wishes. What do you wish for?
Probably a quick-travel system of some sort, slightly longer hotter legs, and a never-ending income stream for my Mom so she could retire right away.
What is your ideal assignment?
Anything where I get a solid concept. I love the challenge of conceptual thinking. You’re dressed like a mime on the front page of your website. What’s the story behind that? That came from a fun photo shoot with my friend, photographer Brae Howard. I think I’ve always loved mime makeup, so we went for a couple of shots with that look and it turned out to be my favorite photo. Plus, it makes me look fun, which I think I am most of the time!
What’s the best way to get over a creative block?
Do something completely unrelated – take a bike ride, do something physical. It usually straightens me out really well.
What’s one tip you have for other creative professionals?
Never, ever, stop making your work. Someone will like it eventually! I think the people who “make it” are those with staying power.
What is your favorite part of living and working in Philadelphia?
I love the small, cute scale of the city. It’s bike-able and walkable and has lots of the cool things that NYC has but in a cheaper and less tiring way. I’m just not cut out for a place like NYC, so it’s nice to live in a city where there’s a slower pace.
If you were reincarnated as an animal, which animal would you be?
Definitely a flightless bird. Probably an ostrich – big legs, long neck, fidgety. I’ve even been dressing like a female bird more and more lately: beige, gray, brown – dull colors for safety.
Do you have a favorite movie?
For the past 10 years, it’s been The Fugitve. We’ll see if something tops that…
I hear that you’re also a trapeze artist. How did you get started? Is it hard to balance your passion for trapeze with your illustration career?
N/A – I quit since I was so awful at it!
What are some sites you have bookmarked in your browser?
I love my brother’s blog: www.lifeisrealgood.com – he’s biking around SE Asia right now. Sounds very cool but very tiring and difficult. I love his writing style; it’s super funny with short sentences. Also, catalog-choice, an opt-out service for those annoying catalogs companies keep sending us all.
Do you listen to music while you work? What’s the best and worst type of music for getting things done?
No, I usually watch TV or have silence. Music, for me, is better for home-repair jobs. Sundays I get my little groove on to R&B while I’m painting or fixing or cleaning. So fun!
If you could be anything besides an illustrator, what would you be?
I would love to be a smart computer person or someone who does hard physical labor part time. Or maybe a house cleaner? I’m really good at cleaning.
What is your ideal studio like?
It’s my couch!
The New York Times pays tribute to Emiliano Ponzi with a solo exhibition held in its Manhattan office. In the 7th Gallery, on the 7th floor of the editorial office of the most prestigious international newspaper, 40 artworks will be exhibited for the American public. Nicholas Blechman, curator of the exhibition and Art Director of the New York Times Book Review, has selected the most important works of the Italian illustrator that best demonstrate his extraordinary success.
This exclusive acknowledgement given to Emiliano Ponzi marks the value of a decade-long artistic career that has been published in the pages of the most important international press: The New York Times, Le Monde, The New Yorker, LA Times, La Repubblica, The Economist, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Il sole 24 ore.
This New York exhibition follows on the heels of Emiliano being awarded two gold medals by the Society of Illustrators.
“These illustrations”, says Nicholas Blechmann, “answer perfectly to the Munari principle, for whom the designer must be able to answer with humility and talent, the questions made by the society in which he lives.”
