I would once again like to shine a spotlight on some talented/thoughtful/vulnerable/strong female artists, illustrators and cartoonists that I've discovered on Instagram. Every day as I scroll through my feed, their art provides a connection to something bigger; their work a link to the shared experiences that 21st century women often don't discuss for fear of apathy, judgement or embarrassment (including taboo topics such as anxiety, depression and dealing with fuckboys). Worth a follow. Worth a like.
Portrait Gallery Updated
Portrait gallery has been updated.
Lynne (June 2017). My close friendships are a very tight circle, but they run deep. Few people know me better than this lovely woman. What started as a work arrangement has ended up being a lasting friendship spanning almost twenty years. With all portraits, I try to capture a bit of the subject's essence as I see them. Within her beautiful backyard garden, I wanted to capture Lynne in a moment of reflection. For this is how we met (she was creating an award-winning family history book) and how she has helped me throughout the years since.
Self-portrait (June 2017). Darkness and light.
Recommended: Instagram Artists
Growing up, there weren't a lot of avenues to express myself as a budding artist. The internet was in its infancy and social media was a good decade away. Rather, my "audience" consisted of those who sat next to me in class and teachers who took notice of the ever more elaborate doodles that accompanied my homework assignments. This is all it took at the time though; those same individuals were the ones to guide me into a profession that would best allow my talent to flourish.
Today, Instagram is the perfect tool to build that base to exposure. I often marvel at the work I encounter on it. In between food porn, memes and pictures of adorable puppies, my Instagram feed is also full of doodle art by upcoming female illustrators. They are inspiring in their honesty. vulnerability and skill to narrate visually what it's like to be a single, modern female during an era where we STILL have to fight for equality (and also fend off fuckboys). I admire their hustle in using social platforms to build a following and a business. I feel like the next Lynda Barry is just getting started here.
I recommend the following:
@vicscribs:
Prix D'Excellence
Very proud for the continued success of the team I have the opportunity to work with. We recently picked up another award, The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) Silver Prix D'Excellence for Best PR/Marketing/Communications Initiative for "Catch Your Career Dream", a campaign promoting Indigenous student success stories. The campaign included a wall calendar, social media component and web presence. My role was art/creative direction and design.
Guided by the principles of reconciliation and a goal to create long-term positive change, the indigenization efforts of the organization I work for holistically integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, teaching and learning into practices, procedures and services. Indigenization is our social and collective responsibility and it enriches and benefits all aspects of our institutional culture.
Graphis Awards
Very proud to win silver in the Graphis international annual report design competition (multi-year). Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST) was one of two Canadian entries honoured. Graphis publishes the world's most significant and influential works in the areas of design, advertising and photography (since 1944).
The Divine Comedy no.5
'Seven Deadly Sins'. Illustration by Gustave Doré (1832-1883); colour and animation work by Deborah Clague, Oblada Creative (2016):
The Divine Comedy no.4
“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
'A Forest Dark'. Illustration by Gustave Doré (1832-1883); colour and animation work by Deborah Clague, Oblada Creative (2016):
The Divine Comedy no.3
'Arrival of Souls'. Illustration by Gustave Doré (1832-1883); colour and animation work by Deborah Clague, Oblada Creative (2016):
The Divine Comedy no.2
'First Night in Purgatory'. Illustration by Gustave Doré (1832-1883); colour and animation work by Deborah Clague, Oblada Creative (2016):
The Divine Comedy no.1
Have been spending a considerable amount of my spare time colouring and animating historic illustrations. In addition to a series on London, I am also going to attempt to bring to life the intricate, hauntingly beautiful work of one of my favourite artists, Gustave Doré (1832-1883).
The first, titled 'Beatrice Unveiled', is from Doré's renowned illustration work for Dante Alighieri's epic poem 'The Divine Comedy', a medieval tale about the descent into the afterlife.
