Hasta La Ideas

Work/Life 2 participant Lesley Barnes has directed a new animated video for Belle and Sebastian. Check it out!

Jason Neil‘s illustration portfolio is defined by its amount of Canadian content. “I have always been involved in current affairs and things of a political nature, which along with my love for travel have been a great influence in my work. I’m fascinated with Canada, it’s history and you will see aspects of this patriotism in my work as well.” If you need any illustrations of the current federal election in Canada, then Jason’s your man!

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I’m not a very political person, but with Canada having its fourth federal election in seven years, it is time to elect a government that will last—and make some lasting changes. Jack Layton has had my vote from the beginning of the campaign and his positive conduct throughout has only reinforced that decision. I hope the current momentum for the NDP continues over the next few days and we see some exciting results on Monday. I’m not one to post a sign on my front lawn, but I think social media can really have a positive effect, at the very least to encourage people who would normally ignore elections to become engaged.

Allow me to indulge in posting this sign on my virtual lawn:

Whatever your political leanings, fellow Canadians, please don’t forget to vote on Monday, May 2!

We are pleased to announce that the Work/Life 2 iPhone app is now available for FREE DOWNLOAD in iTunes!

The Work/Life 2 app is a companion to Work/Life 2: The UPPERCASE Directory of Illustration, a 224-page book featuring the art of 100 illustrators from around the globe. The app allows for some features that go beyond the book: search the participants by region and style, contact the artists directly, and follow news from the UPPERCASE blog.

Both the book and app include a range of talents, some fresh from school, some returning back into the work groove after raising families, and some hardworking creatives whose career already span a few decades. The common trait with each participant is their enthusiasm for their craft and their sincerity in presenting their best work.

Everyone’s illustrations look stellar on the iPhone… here are some samples below. Download your free Work/Life app today and discover your new favourite illustrator.

Big thank you to Glen for creating the app!

We hope that you will enjoy perusing the app! If you want to learn about the artists in greater detail, each person is profiled in the book with images of their studios, sketchbooks and creative inspirations.

Sean Alzetta is a hybrid designer, illustrator and photographer. As he states on his website, “Sean Alzetta Does Everything”. The image above is Sean’s contribution to Work/Life 2. (Perhaps we are turning into zombie computer brains searching for an authentic brain experience?)

The images below are from a student assignment. “The goal was to use visual metaphor to create three illustrations for a corporate brochure. I selected Toyota as my company. At the time, the company had to recall many vehicles because of brake problems. I developed metaphors based on regaining the trust and confidence of the consumer.”

Visit Sean’s website to see more of his design and photography work.

Last Thursday’s ACAD portfolio show presented some really top-notch work by soon-to-be grads. This week I’d like to introduce you to some of the fresh talent who are also featured in Work/Lfe 2.

First up is Jacqui Lee, whose work has a lovely balance of child-like wonder with a very sophisticated execution.

For a class project, she illustrated the story of the Bombardier family (some images below, see more on her site):

She also has a lovely lettering style and playful/retro colour palettes:

Here is the illustration included in Work/Life 2:

Jacqui is certainly poised for an excellent career in illustration. To commission Jacqui, please visit her site. To see her current projects, follow along on her blog.