Home Brew

I've been known to relax with a pint or two after I get the work done. So I am raising a glass to Zymurgy magazine, who hired me for their January edition, an annual best directory of home brewing inventions and innovation. If you are wondering, Zymurgy is defined as the the study or practice of fermentation in brewing, winemaking, or distilling.

Last winter my family bought me a home-brew kit, which required a lot of sterilizing and boiling wort. It was an intense experience and I now can appreciate the guys who do it right. My beer ended up flat and watered down, with the exception of the one bottle I let sit for an extra couple of months. That last pour was tasty and lively, and was encouraging. I have to try it again and do it better next time.

Reading over the content of the article, I was inspired by all the creative thinking, observation, and home-spun solutions to complicated problems, like refrigeration coils, carbonation and dispensers. The brewers involved were concerned with getting the perfect pour, the right chill and obsessing over flavour, hops, alcohol content and colour. Getting the right balance is always important and nice to see others so dedicated to their craft.

Beer and illustration is a natural fit for me. I have done labels in the past, and have another project in the works. I always like doing covers, and the art director Jason Smith was great to work with. I worked with a beautifully photographed glass of beer, something that was a change, but also fit into the final artwork seemlessly.

The colour was adjusted and the title placed over the glass on the final edit of the cover.

Shaking the foundations

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
― Andy Warhol

It's been a season of change. I should have posted more work recently, I worked through a huge pile of assignments and worked with a lot of different clients. On top of that all, I relocated my house and studio (more on that in an upcoming post). I think that change is critical - to keep fresh, to see things in a new light and to generate new ideas. I was in my previous studio for 16 years and I needed to sweep out the clutter and open myself to new possibilities.

Work poured in as soon as I set up. So here's a rundown of some recent work, in no particular order.

 

 Cover art for New Trail magazine (appropriately named since I worked on this cover while on the road), for the University of Alberta. I worked with graphic designer Marcey Andrews to incorporate the text and illustration into the cover and inside spread.

Below is the inside feature.

I spent July and August on the road, travelling across the US and negotiating the move. Here's a tip from a seasoned driver: Don't text and drive! Don't drive distracted. For Road and Track magazine - Adam McGinn, AD.

 

A couple of spot illustrations, for AdWeek (AD Ron Goodman) and Wall Street Journal (AD Daniel Smith)

I also had a bit of time for the usual machinations in the illustration lab. More to come!

In case you are interested:

My new address is 355 Victoria Avenue, Belleville, Ontario, K8N 2E4

My new phone no. is 613-779-1232. Email remains the same, wiens@kos.net

Winning Combination

Last week I had a surprise visit from Brian Kaufman, the publisher of SubTerrain Magazine and Anvil Press. Brian happened to be at Oeno Gallery and saw my work. Owner Carlyn Moulton sent him my way and we got together for a coffee on the back deck. It's always nice to have visitors from distant locations, Brian lives and works in Vancouver. Even better when it's someone who has handed me one of my all-time favourite projects.

Second surprise: on Friday night my work made the finalist list for the best illustration at the Western Canada Magazine Awards. (Actually two of the five choices for the award were pieces commissioned by SubTerrain). The illustration for Lee Kvern's short story Detachment won gold! 

Detachment is a beatifully written short story about a girl growing up in a remote RCMP police detachment. I was drawn in immediately and had vivid images come to mind, scribbling down thumbnails as I read through. I was given creative freedom on this project and it's rewarding to see my interpretation of the story recognized by the judges. Lee won gold for her writing as well. A double victory for the magazine.

You can read about the entire project, a cover-to-cover edition illustrated by yours truly. Work on this project has also been recognized by American Illustration and the Society of Illustrators NY.

Thanks Brian, Lee, and the Western Magazine Awards!

Green Fuse

Dylan Thomas wrote about the 'force that through the green fuse drives the flower'. Spring is now out in all its glory, after a long winter. It's nice to get caught up in the excitement and change of the season.

I have been working on a series of assignments about new growth, the idea of good things beginning to emerge. Positive energy and vibrations. It's good to find that energy and harness it in my work.

'Fresh Growth' for Hanley-Wood, Pete Morelewicz, Art Director

I also worked with Joan Ferrell at American Lawyer on a similar feature, The Am Law 100, and developed a series of drawings based on numbers, and new growth. Joy!