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[ April 9th, 2007 ]
It was obvious from an early age that Blair Kelly enjoyed being creative from the endless hours he spent drawing cartoons, to his eagerness to attend art class in high school. He graduated from Sheridan College's interpretive illustration program in 1999, landing his first job while still in school. His many influences change constantly, some of which include 50's design, Pop Art and Japanese prints. Blair's illustrations have appeared in various newspapers, magazines, packaging design and also recently animated as part of a campaign for Johnson Controls. Blair shares with Altpick some thoughts on his beginnings, present and his future goals.
How did you come to be an illustrator?
I was always the kid who preferred to stay indoors to draw or play with legos, than go outside to play with other kids. I would spend endless hours trying to reproduce images from magazines or comics. (I guess that loner mentality really suits the solitude I now have as an illustrator.) My parents always bought me creative toys like Etch-o-Sketch, Lite-Brite, Play-Doh & anything Crayola, which singled me out as the 'artist' in the family from a young age. Those kinds of things really sparked the desire to be creative.
After high school, I enrolled in graphic design at a local college, but I dropped out during my first year. I found it too confined and I really wanted to do something where I could get my hands dirty. But I knew I was still drawn to the commercial side of art, even the word 'illustrator' was more far more appealing to me than say 'fine artist'. So I enrolled in the Illustration program at Sheridan College. My teachers were really great, and also illustrators themselves (Lorraine Tuson & Joe Morse). They really inspired me to find my own voice and even 8 years later, certain principles they taught still resonate within me when creating images. Looking back though, I really don't think I completely knew what illustration was at first and had no idea how much I would come to love illustration. Ironically, I still have a fondness for graphic design, especially after all the hand-drawn typefaces I had to draw in school.
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What happened after you graduated?
I was illustrating part time and working the rest of the time in music retail, then doing office work, then at a film union, and even a short stint as an Art Buyer. I really needed a regular paycheck. My first few illustration jobs were very stressful, I found myself constantly panicked about coming up with an suitable idea, frantically trying to please the client....I am now much more confident with my abilities and ideas. When I finally quit my other jobs to devote myself entirely towards my illustration career, everything just sort of fell into place. I really don't think I could ever work in a cubicle again, its really mind numbing.
Why did you choose linocut as a medium?
Printmaking was my elective throughout college and it totally altered the way I think about creating images and really made sense to me. Even though I loved linocut, I didn't think it would be a realistic medium for an illustrator, so I developed a style around a gouache relief method, which I eventually found too frustrating and limiting. Once I made the switch back to linocut, it just felt right. I have had a great response to my printed work. Linocut forces me to plan out the colours and design in advance, because I usually only use 3 or 4 colours, I have to carefully consider what colour goes where. I usually print up to 15 editions per image and select my favourite print as the final that I send to the client. But it's sometimes very difficult to choose amongst the editions. I almost never choose the most perfect print of the bunch. To me, the 'imperfections' are what sometimes make it beautiful and unexpected.
So your style has evolved, do you think it will evolve again?
It will probably evolve again in the future, and I really want it to take its own course without me getting in its way. I kind of think of my current work as having no style, stripped down, not forced. I desperately want to remain true to myself and how I see things and things that I like and how I want to create an image and let that influence me. I really want to go with the flow and see where it takes me. Sometimes I feel a bit schizophrenic stylistically, like I could easily be creating images in a different manner. I guess that's a good thing because I can get bored pretty easily. I try to experiment with new things and new ways of working. I think that's the only way to grow. Recently I have been playing around with printing in an almost collage type of way, so we'll see where that takes me.
Can you see your work going digital?
I highly doubt it. Occasionally I have to use digital elements in my work, but rarely. I really love creating something by hand. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong era, because I can really relate to the artists and designers who used lithography, silkscreen or collage to create an image. They didn't have the computer to rely on. It's way more fun for me to sit at my desk working with ink or paint and paper, than to sit in front of my computer all day. Regarding gallery shows, for me there is no comparison between a framed original piece of art and a framed digital copy.
Where do you get inspiration from?
I get inspired from almost anything: Japanese and Chinese prints, Pop Art, the Dada movement, alternative music, even from just flipping through channels on TV. My recent work inspires me and even sometimes looking at my older work can inspire me. I also love reading about other artists and illustrators, which has led to a near addiction of art and design books. I have to refrain from going near certain bookstores in Toronto, or else I'd walk out broke.
What kinds of things would you like to be doing in the future?
I have a million thoughts about new things id like to do.... Personal work is really fun for me as I find it keeps my commercial work fresh. Recently I have been invited to a be a part of a few group shows, which I really love because it gets my work viewed in a different way in front of an audience that may have never seen it before. That really excites me. Hopefully I can do more shows in the future, which will hopefully lead to my own solo show one day. (I already know what the name of the show will be). I also think a children's book would fun and challenging. I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure I would be able to write it, I've heard its a lot harder than it looks. So, if any writers out there have any interesting ideas, I'd love to hear them. I also have a few ideas for a series of dolls I'd like to construct with found objects.
Do you feel you have reached a level of success as an illustrator?
Since I am my own worst critic, I am pretty hard on myself. So even though I have worked with a variety clients and on a variety of projects, I still feel there is so much more for me do and accomplish.
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