Bella Pilar illustrated for JAFRA Cosmetics' Stronger Together 2013 National Conference and Leader Meeting. Bella's chic fashionistas can be seen on the conference website and on a special limited-edition collectors bag available as a special gift to conference attendees. The conference took place January 17th to 19th in Palm Springs, CA.
Bella Pilar and long-time client, Papyrus, celebrated fashion for the second year in a row as proud supporters of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City, February 7th to 14th. Bella's chic fashionistas in luxurious emerald appeared on the show schedule's cover, press passes and VIP tote bags, with Papyrus’ most fashion-forward cards prominently displayed in the foyer of the Lincoln Center entrance.
Bella's fashionable illustrations have become a trademark of the Papyrus brand and she was on-hand at the Papyrus display in Lincoln Center February 9th and 10th to sign the custom, foil-embossed cards she created especially for the week-long event. Attendees were invited to browse Papyrus' selection of fashion-inspired cards and share their Fashion Week experience by sending their favorites to family and friends with Papyrus providing complimentary postage to anywhere in the world.
Bella is no newcomer to Fashion Week, she spent many seasons doing makeup in Bryant Park when she worked as a makeup artist. "It’s very cool to have my hand in it again, years later," she says, "it feels like I’ve come full circle."
Jungyeon Roh are exhibiting in TOWNIES: An Exhibition of Illustration from the New York Times Opinion Blog.Townies is a weekly series about life in New York (and occasionally other cities) written by the novelists, journalists and essayists who live there. The exhibition takes place on Thursday, February 7th at Gallery 7 in the New York Times building.
Thursday, February 7th, 2013 7-9pm Gallery 7, 620 8th Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY
Townies
JR_Townies
Jungyeon Roh for All the Young Girls
Bella Pilar's canvas tote bag for Papyrus could be glimpsed in a recent episode of CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls, starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. The show follows the misadventures of two young Brooklynites and their efforts to start their own cupcake business.
Toronto-based illustrator Graham Roumieu has worked with an impressive number of publications throughout North America and perhaps he has his offbeat - and often irreverent - sense of humor to thank. He has a unique ability to take the mundane and make seem it less so, eliciting laughter with a piece about cellphone roaming charges for The New York Times or the environmental benefits of a strong beaver population for The Atlantic. Whatever it may be, it's working, with regular assignments from The Wall Street Journal, The Globe & Mail, The Walrus, and Real Simple Magazine. 2012 saw a weekly spot with Josh Martz for The Globe and Mail (see all of them here) and a regular lifestyle feature in Canadian Business, offering unexpected solutions for life's little problems, such as using a pencil to fix a stuck zipper and tin foil to sharpen a dull paper shredder.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Top: Inheriting Travel Points
Bottom from left: Roaming Charges While on Vacation, Robo Right to Speech, Happy New Years from the Future
In addition to editorial and publishing illustration, Roumieu has worked on a number of successful print and online ad campaigns and websites, including an out of control squid character for HP's "Ink Amnesty" campaign, peer pressure illustrations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada's "Early Bloomers" campaign, and OOH work for the "No Peeking Event" launched by Sears. He completed several online commissions in 2012, including The Walrus Laughs, a digital project from The Walrus Foundation and Stella Artois, where members submitted and voted for the funniest videos, images and prose. Other projects included the website for writer and producer, Kathryn Borel (www.kathrynborel.com), and another for Two Hours North (www.twohoursnorth.com), a Toronto-based travel services company. For the 2012 holiday season, he created a series of illustrations for North American ad agency, The Hive. The illustrations were part of The Silent Night Playlist, a tongue-in-cheek project aimed at offering some much-needed respite from the stress of the holiday season. Users could download the playlist and enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet with silent tracks such as 'Shortbread Baking' and 'Snow Falling: Extended Mix.'
ONLINE PROJECTS
Top: Illustration for The Hive's Silent Night Playlist
Bottom: Illustrations for writer and producer, Kathryn Borel
In the past year a number of products debuting that featured Roumieu's artwork, including a tote bag for long-time client, The Walrus, and a series of greeting cards for Whigby, debuting at last year's New York International Gift Fair. Toronto-based business, Good Egg, also commissioned him to illustrate a tote bag for them, later inviting him to create a mural for their Kensington-market storefront. The quirky kitchen supply and gift shop have been long-time fans of his work, carrying his books and a selection of original, framed watercolors. Their website boasts "We've erected a shrine to local writer-illustrator Graham Roumieu at Good Egg. We... welcome you to visit the shop to pray to the artist known as Roumieu."
PRODUCTS
From left: Tote bag for The Walrus; Cat & Helen greeting card for Whigby; tote bag for Good Egg
Roumieu was commissioned to create a series of illustrations for philosopher John Perry's book, The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, for Workman Publishing. The book explores something called "structured procrastination" - a phenomenon where one manages to complete a number of smaller tasks as a means of avoiding another, larger chore. The witty illustrations can be seen at the start of each chapter, demonstrating the various ways people engage in the "art of procrastination," from watching cat videos on YouTube to artfully stacking billy clips. He also illustrated the covers for a series of books by politician and author, Shashi Tharoor, for Penguin India.
PUBLISHING
Above: Illustrations for The Art of Procrastination by John Perry (Workman Publishing)
Another recent book project, Highly Inappropriate Tales for Young People for Random House Canada, is a "kooky collaboration" with renowned Canadian author, Douglas Coupland of international bestseller Generation X fame. Coupland contacted Roumieu after becoming a fan of his Bigfoot books and it didn't take long for the project to begin taking shape. Composed of seven hilariously improbable tales with characters like Donald the Incredibly Hostile Juice Box, Hans the Weird Exchange Student and Brandon the Action Figure with Issues, the book is not really intended for children. Roumieu says "I guess this would be R-rated. [Although] I don't know whether one juice box stabbing another juice box in the head with a bobby pin necessarily constitutes R anymore." The book has received great reviews with talk of a sequel being batted about. Michel Basilieres of the Toronto Star says the tales "match perfectly the loose, surreal and imaginative images Roumieu revels in. It seems as likely that the stories were written to match the images as the other way around." Click here to read Communication Arts' glowing review for Highly Inappropriate Tales and here to read even more praise. You can watch an animated trailer for the book here.
HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE TALES
Above: Illustrations for Highly Inappropriate Tales for Young People by Douglas Coupland (Random House Canada)
In all he has authored and illustrated six books: 101 Ways to Kill Your Boss (Plume), Cat & Gnome (Blue Q Books), and his cult classic Bigfoot series. In 2003, Roumieu published the first in this series of Bigfoot autobiographies, In Me Own Words: the Autobiography of Bigfoot. Written from the perspective of a jaded, egomaniacal ex-legend whose hobbies include terrorizing forest critters and composing screenplays, the books Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir and Bigfoot: I Not Dead (Plume), have quickly become a cult favorite. Bigfoot's antics have inspired readers to write Bigfoot songs, make Bigfoot dolls, and even bake Bigfoot cakes. The very hairy leading man has thousands of followers on Twitter, where he regular charms fans with sayings like, "Secret to great smile is use Lee Press On Nails as veneers" and "Wearing two sashes and a cummerbund. It just feel right."
THE GLOBE & MAIL
Above: Home Porn
Bottom from left: Crazy Cat People; Sinister Canada; Queen
Bigfoot's charm stems from a stubbornly juvenile outlook that is by turns abrasive and endearing. In one chapter, Bigfoot admits that his less-than-eloquent speech patterns made him the target of bullying in high school. His confession accompanies a flashback of teenage Bigfoot tearing down the opposition (literally) at a high school debate. A decapitated head lies on the linoleum as two recent amputees cower in a pool of their own blood. Red ink, smeared and spattered throughout the page, vividly relays the relish with which Bigfoot dismembers his competitors.
Roumieu's wildly energetic, and sometimes gleefully gruesome, brushwork sometimes seems at odds with his underdog sensibilities. In a recent interview, he says, "I think I have a tendency to gravitate to subjects that are sweet, naive and innocent in nature because it gives more impact when I inevitably throw them into situations that are bizarre, human and dire." With Bigfoot, Roumieu has combined all of the above, producing a creature whose displays of ego rival only his bouts of crippling insecurity.
MAGAZINE WORK
Top: The Wrong Wedding Singer for American Way
Bottom from left: Hecklers for Print; Leave It to Beavers for The Atlantic; Unreliable for Institutional Investor
Roumieu's 101 Ways to Kill Your Boss has been universally applauded and published in many countries worldwide. Imagine eviscerating your boss with a giant laser pointer, quitting your job via ninja courier service, laying a trap by way of urinal guillotine. Roumieu takes office politics to the next level with increasingly extreme tactics for boss-icide. His illustrations find the bizarre and the funny in even the most mundane office environments. Linked together by a deep yet twisted look into the human psyche, Roumieu's work continually surprises viewers with its insight and its ability to elicit gut-wrenching laughter.
AWARDS
Above: Illustrations for the Real Simple Guide to Social Media Sites for Real Simple magazine
His work has been honored by American Illustration, Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators, Applied Arts, the HOW International Design Awards, the Advertising & Design Club of Canada, the Coupe International Design Competition, the SPD Spots Annual, and the National Magazine Awards. Most recently, he received a merit award from The Art Directors Club of New York for the Real Simple Guide to Social Media Sites for Real Simple Magazine. The series, which was also chosen for inclusion in 2012 Print Regional Design Annual, takes a comical look at the world of Facebook and Twitter, offering tips on navigating them both. In January 2012, his novelty Twitter feed for Bigfoot was named one of HOW Magazine's Top 10 Websites for Designers. When he's not illustrating, Roumieu teaches at OCAD University, Canada's largest and oldest art and design school.
Click here to read our previous spotlight on Graham. Click here for downloadable items - desktop wallpapers and a high-res printable letter sized promo.
Q&A with GRAHAM ROUMIEU
How has your work changed since your days as an art student? How do you see your work progressing in the future? If someone were to look at all of my work over the last ten years or so, I think they'd see a steady growth of technique, thought, and personality. As for the future, this work has been a part of my life for so long now that I can't imagine engaging and understanding the world through means other making pictures, so I hope that it is always very much a part of what I do day-to-day. And through continuing to do that, I hope to continue to get better - hopefully in ways I couldn't possibly imagine now.
What's the first thing you do when you’re stuck on a project? What are your best sources of inspiration? Getting up and moving around and doing something else and talking to people or reading pretty much will solve any blockage quickly. Or, imagining that if you don't get the work done everyone you know and love will die horribly. I don't actually use this technique, but if you are having troubles, try it. It might work if you aren't heartless and lazy.
In an ideal world, you would have an infinite amount of? Awesome dance moves, perfect for any occasion or non occasion. FYI I am a terrible dancer.
Use three words to describe your style. Best I got?
What is a typical work day like for you? Pretty standard and disciplined, actually. Morning coffee, check email, read newspaper, maybe eat breakfast, shower, dress, sit at my desk, draw pictures, write stuff or do paperwork, maybe break for lunch, more afternoon work, bits of domestic household fixing and washing if needed which sometimes helps my thinking, and then my day is over, and what I do on my own time is no one's frigging business (greyhound track, eat pizza in parking lot, fall asleep in park).
What is your ideal assignment? Oh I love all sorts of different challenges that come with different assignments, so I can't say one is better that the other. Unless they come with challenges that make me hate the world. Those assignments are the worst.
What is your favorite part of living and working in Toronto? The giant hawk that perches himself on top of the CN Tower every day and makes everyone frightened. He keeps things real. I can't believe it doesn't draw in more tourists.
Do you have a favorite movie? Being There
What are some sites you have bookmarked in your browser? Jillian Tamaki's Super Mutant Magic Academy http://mutantmagic.com/ New York Times http://www.nytimes.com Atlas Obscura http://www.atlasobscura.com/
What's the best and worst part of being an illustrator? Upside: Usually my Pictionary opponents run out of the room sobbing. Downside: Usually my Pictionary opponents run out of the room sobbing.
You have 24 hours to live the life of one fictional character. Who do you choose? R2D2. Gets to be a part of amazing things, really doesn't have to do much.
Best way to end a long day of work? Skipping in circles giggling and clapping with delight as someone sprays me with Champagne.
Last year Jungyeon Roh created a series of illustrations for Kiehl’s Since 1851. In 2003, New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, declared November 12th 'Kiehl’s Day' in honor and recognition of their ongoing contributions to the community. Since then Kiehl’s stores worldwide have joined in the celebration, making significant contributions in their own communities to commemorate this special day. Jungyeon’s illustrations could be seen on Kiehl’s in-store signage and promo materials in stores worldwide.
The series (click here to see it) was so well-received it recently won a merit award in HOW magazine's InHOWse Design Competition. The awards program shines a spotlight on an under-represented segment of the design industry, giving in-house designers the kudos they deserve. Part of the Kiehl's series included a map of New York City's East Village, home to the original Kiehl's store in 1851. The map was chosen to appear in the Society of Illustrators 55 annual and will be on display as part of the Editorial, Book and Advertising exhibition at the Society of Illustrators in New York from January 30th through March 2nd, 2013. Congratulations go out to Jungyeon, Travis Cain (Art Director for the project) and everyone at Kiehl's!
SI Awards Presentation + Gala: Friday, February 1st, 2013 @ 6pm Society of Illustrators: 128 E. 63rd St., New York, NY
Graham Roumieu's collaboration with Toronto design agency, Underline Studio, for Ramsay Inc. recently received a merit award at Directions 2012, the Advertising and Design Club of Canada's 63rd annual show. The website for speechwriter, book editor, and communications strategist, Bob Ramsay, was honored in the Corporate Identity category. Winners were announced at Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning this past November in Toronto. Congratulations go out to Graham, Mr. Ramsay and everyone at Underline Studio!
Graham Roumieu's illustrations for Highly Inappropriate Tales for Young People, written by famed Canadian author Douglas Coupland and published by Random House, were chosen for inclusion in Coupe Magazine's 2012 International Design and Image Competition Awards Issue. Available now, the magazine features over 135 winning entries from around the world. Congratulations!
Graham Roumieu created a series of illustrations for The Silent Night Playlist. The tongue-in-cheek web project from ad agency, The Hive, is aimed at offering some much-needed respite from the stress of the holiday season with a downloadable playlist that includes tracks like 'Shortbread Baking' and 'Snow Falling: Extended Mix.'
Inspired by the humorous and hip, Jungyeon Roh's vigorous line brings life to scenes that course with dialogue and the honesty and intensity of nature. Not afraid to address the gritty, grungy or gross, she is equally capable of capturing intimate scenes as well as expansive ones filled with detail and context that honor a sense of place. Overt gestures make a statement in her work, whether they're connected to hip Brooklyn-ites, butchered pig's heads or sassy tufts of animated soy in a mushroom amusement park of vegan heaven.
ADVERTISING
FROM LEFT: YouTube Europe; Facebook Asia; Cleveland State University
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Jungyeon moved to the U.S. in 2006 to study at New York's renowned School of Visual Arts. She earned her BFA in Illustration and Cartooning in 2009 and went on to complete her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay in 2011. She currently calls the Upper East Side home and considers New York the best city for artists to live in, saying "New York always makes me work harder. It is full of cultural icons and I find myself creating something new from these influences."
MAGAZINES
FROM LEFT: McSweeney's Lucky Peach; Bloomberg Businessweek; Plansponsor
A recent graduate, Jungyeon has already made quite the name for herself. She was named one of PRINT magazine's 2012 New Visual Artists, winning praise from some of the industry's biggest talents. Josh Cochran, her thesis advisor at SVA, says "There's a certain sense of intensity to her work that feels surprising. I think she gives off a different persona in person, but she is definitely not afraid to get down and up close with a lot of her subjects." Jungyeon has received two gold cubes and a bronze cube from the Art Directors Club, a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York, and a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles. Her work has been recognized by numerous associations and publications, including Society of Illustrators L.A., Print, Altpick, Communication Arts, American Illustration, CMYK, 3x3 and Creative Quarterly.
AWARD-WINNING
TOP: Society of Illustrators 52, Creative Quarterly 18, CMYK 49
BOTTOM FROM LEFT: Art Directors Club 90th Annual Gold Cube; Communication Arts 52, American Illustration 30
PRINT Magazine says "she uses a Crumb-esque style that makes commonplace scenes seem almost grotesque." There is definitely a comic-book style to her work and it is not surprising Jungyeon sees herself as a visual storyteller, saying "drawing pictures is my autobiography." With personal subject matter ranging from Korean public bathhouses to failed relationships, Jungyeon is not afraid to tackle subjects that others may shy away from. "I'm from a conservative culture, so it can feel really embarrassing, but I just keep doing it anyway," she says. "I've been always honest not only in my work but also in my life. I shouldn't hide anything for my work, so then people could share the feelings from my true-based stories."
MISS EGGPLANT
ABOVE: Selections from Miss Eggplant's American Boys
True stories and honest emotion have led her to be inspired by song lyrics as well, a personal series based on Estelle's hit American Boy song resulted in a handmade limited edition book. Sharply humorous, she cast herself as a voyeuristic newbie, even more distanced from the song's 'Boys' by her guise as a girlish eggplant. The series struck a chord, winning a number of awards and honors, including an ADC Gold and a SILA Silver, among others. The complete series can be seen here.
NEWSPAPERS
TOP FROM LEFT: The New York Times; The Village Voice; The Stranger
BOTTOM: The New York Times
Jungyeon's style lends a sense of humour to her editorial assignments as well. A cover for New York mainstay, The Village Voice, depicts Facebook-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, as an evil giant restrained by the townspeople for their article, Rise of the Facebook Killers. It was selected to appear in the American Illustration 31 Annual. Another recent piece for the Columbia Journalism Review had Jungyeon illustrate an amusing map called the 'Celeb-O-Matic,' a tongue-in-cheek guide for journalists seeking access to Hollywood's elite. Other editorial clients include Bloomberg Businessweek, Columbia Journalism Review, McSweeney's Lucky Peach, The New York Times, Orange County Magazine, The Stranger and Willamette Week.
KIEHL'S DAY
ABOVE: In-store signage and promo material for Kiehl's Since 1851
Jungyeon has a growing but impressive list of international advertising clients, most recently illustrating for Kiehl's Since 1851. In 2003, New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, declared November 12th 'Kiehl's Day' in honour and recognition of their ongoing contributions to the community. Since then Kiehl's stores worldwide have joined in the celebration, making significant contributions in their own communities to commemorate this special day. Jungyeon's illustrations could be seen on Kiehl's in-store signage and promo materials in stores worldwide. International clients include Facebook Asia and YouTube Europe.
YOGA GIRLS
ABOVE: Personal work
An avid runner and yoga enthusiast, Jungyeon is inspired by health and physicality in her work as well. While she appreciates the planning and precision that the silkscreening process requires, it was her desire to keep moving that initially led her to printmaking. "Silkscreening is very active and requires a lot of energy," she says. "I'm like an athlete-illustrator!".
SILKSCREENING PROCESS
Food is a recurring theme in Jungyeon's work and was the subject matter for two handmade books. 'Today is Sushi Day' follows a group of female sushi masters as they teach Americans how to properly eat sushi. It received a Gold Cube at the ADC 89th Annual Awards and a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators 52. It was also recognized by American Illustration 28, the 3x3 Illustration Annual No.6 and Creative Quarterly 16. The complete series can be seen here, and a personal project connected to it that was created for the Whitney Museum of Art's Comic Zine Party. In H.O.T., Jungyeon illustrates advocacy for the environmental and health benefits of a vegan diet. The series received a Bronze Cube at the ADC 91st Annual Awards and appeared in the Society of Illustrators 54 Annual.
Click here for downloadable items - desktop wallpapers and a high-res printable letter sized promo.
FOOD
TOP: Selections from Today Is Sushi Day
BOTTOM: Selections from H.O.T.
Q&A with Jungyeon Roh
What are you reading/watching/listening to right now? I'm listening sounds of the movie Ice Age from the television.
What is your favorite part of living and working in New York? Upper East Side. I've been living here more than four years now, and it was one of the best choices I've ever made after I came to New York. It is also home to Museum Mile, close to central park and the most peaceful and safe part in Manhattan. I also found the best yoga studio here, but the only thing U.E.S needs is opening Whole Foods at 86th street!
What's one tip you have for other creative professionals? Enjoy your life outside of your studio (work), be thankful what you have, and fall in love with learning.
What three words best describe your style? Humorous, cheerful and playful.
What is a typical work day like for you? I tried to work as full time, 10am to 6pm and off for evenings and weekends. I have lots of things to learn outside of the studio, but it's hard to keep the regular schedule since I'm a freelancer.
How has your work changed since you became an illustrator? I used to paint on wall-sized canvases in Korea, and did endless printmaking while I attended at SVA, but now I’m drawing by hand and coloring by digital for illustration jobs.
What's the best way to get over a creative block? Go to hot yoga and try to do headstand.
You can only take three things to a deserted island. What do you take? An apple, passport and brush pen.
What is your ideal studio like? A studio where inside is my own silkscreen and digital equipment and outside is a swimming pool or beach where I can jump right into the water after finishing jobs.
What are some sites you have bookmarked in your browser? I don’t really bookmark any sites.
In an ideal world, you would have an infinite amount of... ? Mom’s food.
Best way to end a long day of work? Taking a hot shower.
Graham Roumieu's series of illustrations for Real Simple's Guide to Social Media Sites was chosen to appear in the 2012 PRINT Regional Design Annual, on newsstands now.
Congratulations go out to Graham and everyone at Real Simple magazine!
Graham Roumieu’s recent series 'All I Want For Christmas' for Real Simple's holiday issue illustrated five heartfelt (and funny) personal holiday wishes expressed by five writers. 'The ability to unitask' and 'No more worry' are not gifts that can be wrapped up, but they’re pretty desirable and Graham made the concepts shine.
He also illustrated for an opinion piece in The New York Times about wedded bliss and it's relatively short shelf life.
Another piece for The Wall Street Journal offers 'guerilla shopping tips' for holiday shoppers.
Great new illustration for The New York Times about inheriting frequent flier miles.
The Magnet Reps office will be closed Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd. Regular office hours will resume Monday, November 26th. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Bella Pilar has three holiday-themed puzzles available from Barnes & Noble. Produced with manufacturers Andrews & Blaine, the glitter-embellished puzzles feature some of Bella’s most popular seasonal artwork. Decked Out and Tree of Treats are both 500-pieces and measure 14 x 19 inches, while Holiday Angel has 160-pieces and measures 7.38 x 10.25 inches. They are available in Barnes & Noble stores and on the Barnes & Noble website.
Chrystal Falcioni spoke at Illustrator's Day 2012 this past Saturday, November 3rd. Illustrator's Day is an annual event presented by the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. The day included a series of lectures from industry leaders in publishing, art direction and illustration and attendees were given an opportunity to display their portfolios and have them reviewed by professionals working in the field.
Eleanor Grosch created a line of holiday ornaments for the Land of Nod. The hand-painted, one-of-a-kind ornaments are available in sets of six and are inspired by the Otomi people of central Mexico. The Land of Nod released Eleanor's Animáles Grafico children's bedding and Otomi Light Years table shade earlier this year.
Hennie Haworth's illustrations can be seen on a strip of shop hoarding just off London's infamous Carnaby Street. The temporary structure features Hennie's trendy, fashion-forward artwork, hinting at the exciting new boutiques that are slated to open in the new year.
Long-time Toronto resident, Graham Roumieu, recently illustrated for two Toronto businesses. His illustrations can be seen throughout the website for Two Hours North, a local business specializing in cottage rentals for the city-dweller looking for some r&r, while a mural for quirky kitchen supply store, Good Egg, can be seen on their Kensington Market storefront.
Eleanor Grosch was one of several international artists asked to create start screen and wallpaper art for Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 8. Eleanor's bold design features graphic cheetahs, giraffes and parrots sitting among rich botanicals. Both the start screen and wallpaper are customizable, allowing users to choose their own color palettes.
