It does not matter…

I was honoured when commissioned for this print project from Toronto’s WORKER BEE SUPPLY

A bit about Worker Bee Supply: “We deeply believe that the best way to make a positive dent in the universe is through purpose driven companies and strong humanist governance. It is our responsibility to help build an environmentally sustainable future where all people have the freedom and opportunity to create their own lives. Our company and products are designed from the ground up to act on this mission and send ripples out into the wilderness. We believe that together we can create a meaningful impact in the world if we want to. And we really really want to. Together, we will.”
— Eugen & Becca, Co-Founders

It was so great to work with these two creatives, whom I met at Toronto’s CITY OF CRAFT.

PROCESS

Eugen and Becca gave me a list of inspirational quotes to choose from. I picked one that spoke to my approach to work life, to my goals, for lack of a better word, as an illustrator.

I don’t often engage in goal-oriented thinking, when I do it’s more about the process… if I had to define my life and my work on those terms: be mindful towards each moment and appreciate the path one takes. What more can one ask? The quote from Confucius says it better than I can.

Looking through a Dutch monkey book for inspiration. No sloths, but the expressions on some of these creatures!!!

Thinking about the quotations, I looked in my Book of Lists for a list of the world’s slowest animals. Snail, tortoise, chameleon, etc… Sloth was at the top of the list. I like watching these creatures, you can see them thinking and considering, before they take action.

Busy as a worker bee

I primarily draw everything with a mouse, but I do sketch and incorporate some hand-drawn elements into my work. I like to start every project with a fresh sketchbook. I use these air mail paper pads I buy in Chinatown.

Tools of the trade: the cheapest paper I can find, because I do a lot of scribbling and sketching for every project I work on. Windsor Newton water colour markers are my favourite. My final drawings are done with a mouse

CLICK HERE to order a print and remember this promo code: IANFIVE ($5 off your order). Shipping is free to Canadian and American destinations.

All photos in this post are by Worker Bee Supply.

 

London Fields

London Fields

I think this is one of my favourite drawings this year (from Sketchbook issue three). Takes me back to carefree BBQs relished in London Fields with new and old friends. Seems so long ago!

Go to your BBQ later! — love this flyer spotted in London Fields

A Community of Craft!!!

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There is this wonderful event in Toronto that I have been fortunate to take part as both a vendor and behind-the-scenes on and off for several years. It’s called City of Craft, and the amazing people at  Worker Bee Supply have put together a nice little video all about the show and the people who bring it to us every year. I very rarely post selfies on any of my social media, so if you want to see what I look like, pay attention around 3:53.

 

 

Sketchbook!

This past Autumn I launched a new illustration magazine! Twice each year, subscribers of Sketchbook will receive a collection of all-new unpublished illustrations, developed from my sketchbooks.

Issue 1: Fire and Ice Cream. Gelato and Engine 55, in New York’s Little Italy neighborhood.

Summer in Italy is my first issue’s theme. My actual summer in Italy was over a decade ago, so this publication is a sort of nostalgic daydream Atlas of Italy.

Here I am in New York, looking at Sketchbook, in front of the fire station depicted on the cover.

You can see a preview of the current issue here.

There are still a few copies of issue 1 left. Issue 2 will ship in 2017. If you are an art buyer or art director, you can subscribe for FREE here.

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H.A.M.S. – The Holiday Arts Mail-order School

A Brief Timeline for H.A.M.S.

March 2008

FLY Gallery
Month long exhibit promoting the founding of H.A.M.S., the Holiday Arts Mail-order School: a correspondence art project by noted Hallowe’enologist Professor Derek McCormack, Ian Phillips, an artist, and Miss Candy Cackle of the Ladies Institute.

The launch of H.A.M.S. successfully enrolls painters, sculptors, authors and librarians into it’s Hallowe’en Arts program for the 1936-37 year.

H.A.M.S. recruitment window inviting passersby to sign-up for a correspondence course on the topic of Hallowe’en

H.A.M.S. promotion

October 2011

AGYU, The Art Gallery at York University presents:
the Holiday Art Mail-order School at the Toronto International Arts Fair

Three years into our project, we invited the public into our open house at The Toronto International Arts Fair. Patrons experienced a replica of our haunted Peterborough classroom and were treated to a display of completed student projects and related ephemera.

Haunted Peterborough, Ont., map

H.A.M.S. ouija board and planchette

Student projects in the H.A.M.S. haunted school house

Ectoplasmom in the entrance to the H.A.M.S. Haunted School House

H.A.M.S. souvenirs and multiples

H.A.M.S. Haunter of The Year award and glow-in-the-dark bone china Jack-o-Lantern clock by student Alexx Boisjoli

2016

The H.A.M.S. correspondence course for the year 1937 is complete. We are very excited to announce the Fall 2016 launch of our H.A.M.S. yearbook,
The Jack o’ Lantern!

H.A.M.S. correspondence lesson books

A number of events are planned just in time for Hallowe’en 2016, including a H.A.M.S. yearbook launch party and graduation ceremony. We are also working on plans to attend art book fairs in the Toronto and Peterborough region, where the public can obtain yearbooks and H.A.M.S. multiples. Here is a sneak peek at our soon to be released yearbook:

Faculty of the Holiday Arts Mail-order School, of Peterborough, Ont.

A sneak peek at our student gallery

H.A.M.S. achievement awards

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank-you to everyone who helped us with H.A.M.S. Special thanks to Darryl Bank, Alexx Boisjoli, Emelie Chhangur, Joey Comeau, Grant Heaps, Jacob Korczynski, Michael Maranda, Jason McBride, Mr. and Mrs. McCormack of Peterborough, Ontario, Melissa McCormack, Philip Monk, Christopher Paulin, AGYU The Art Gallery at York University, and Fly Gallery. A very special thank-you to the graduates for all their enthusiasm and hard work — to you the upcoming edition of The Jack o’ Lantern is dedicated!
— Dr. Derek McCormack, Prof. Ian Phillips, Miss Candy Cackle

Pixel + Bristle

For those that weren’t in town for Pixel + Bristle, Worker Bee Supply put together this cute little video:

Freedom to Read Week

It’s Freedom to Read Week, so I thought I’d post my illustrated book cover series.

Probably one of the more famous of fictional books, appearing in Rosemary’s Baby. The central illustration is the tanis root pendant that Mia Farrow’s character dropped down a sewer

A fictional press for fictional books. I call it The Cinotext Library.

A Country Made of Ice Cream from The Way We Were

Each time I see one of these movies, I am reminded of this idea I’ve had to illustrate the covers of all the fictional books from movies that I like to watch. Here are a couple of pairings of books:

Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Night of The Iguana. Of all of these books, Collected Verse Vol. 1, is the only title we don’t actually see in the film, and it’s only mentioned once.

I’ve always hesitated carrying out this project because there are a lot of artists and illustrators who paint and draw old book covers — Harland Miller and Anna Hoyle immediately come to mind. But I concluded my idea is unique enough, if I stick to the cinema. I’ve also really just wanted to do this for such a long time.

Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Deconstructing Harry

The design is based on old Pelican and Penguin classics, but I’ve changed a few things, notably the colours! These will all be available as limited edition prints, in my Esty shop, in just a few days, sans the 50-cent stickers (did that just for Instagram).

Coney Cuisine Capital of the Great Northwest!

Whenever I visit my hometown, my first stop after the airport is either Coney Island, McKellar’s Confectionery or the aptly named Thunder Bay Restaurant. You see, there’s this thing Thunder Bay has about coney sauce. Anything you order can be served with a huge helping of gravy, and yes, they pour it all over the burger too, in fact, over everything on your plate. And the burgers and hotdogs always have the most delicious coney sauce, ever! Locals love to debate which place has the best. You can even buy it in jars at the local farmers markets.

There’s nothing like it anywhere. Some of the confectioneries drawn on the map still have lunch counters and serve french fries in paper bags! The best!

Here’s a close-up of the part of town I lived in:

I’ve only included places that are still in business. The places I frequented as a kid are long gone

Inside the McKellar Conf. Note the portrait of Gus Kelos on the wall, by Thunder Bay artist Ray Swaluk. Gus would balance dogs on his arm as he readied them for customers. Legendary!

Westfort essentials: Coney Island and The Salsbury Grill. What I remember most about Coney Island is their phone number – it was almost the same as my parents. We frequently received calls!

Merla Mae is another favourite!

Thunder Bay’s cuisine is not limited to this coney stuff, either. I’ve done a lot of work based on the other local delicacy, the persian:

I have many more projects about my home town in the works!

Phil’s Shoe Box!

I grew up in a place called Green Acres. When I was really small I would go to Phil’s Shoe Box at Green Acres Plaza for new shoes. I’ve named my series of shoe-themed prints after that place.

Shiny gold foil shoe horn print, Empire Shoes!

Got a whole little shoe shop happening in my Etsy Shop!

There are a lot of extra steps when using gold foil. Black ink is applied last, and prints are set to dry

I printed the shoe horn as a companion piece to the shiny silver Brannock Device I printed last year:

My drawing of the classic Brannock Device. Silk screened in black ink and silver foil!

Later on, I found myself walking down Yonge Street, and I spotted these abandoned shoes:

Y is for Yonge Street, the longest street in the world

They gave me the inspiration to go home and draw a bunch of odd shoes for another print:

This antique frame I found at a local thrift shop suits this vintage-style print pretty nicely!

One final mini-print, which I just finished yesterday:

Who doesn’t love a shoe sale?

pas de chance at the bookfair!

 

I’ll be there! with a table full of my wares: pas de chance books, art prints, objects. This is the first book fair I’ve done in about ten years, hoping to see a lot of familiar faces! More info here.