Gail Geltner

As part of a lecture on Conceptual Illustration, the artist Gail Geltner came and shared her wisdom and experience as an illustrator. She brought her sketch books and process drawings to share how she approaches an assignment. Her well worn book of etymology was used in a few demonstrations as to how she starts the creative process. Pattern recognition was reinforced as a method to create juxtapositions and associations to build greater meaning.

She also talked about the drawing process, muscle memory, emotion, the senses and a host of other gems of knowledge in the world of creating!

Garrick Webster and Computer Arts Mag

Garrick Webster, a writer, editor and project manager from the UK came to Canada in February of all months! and spent a couple hours talking to the illustration students. He focused on the business side of the industry, the brief, the players, the pay, negotiating etc. Then he shared some artists whose work he is enjoying at the moment. Listing them in order of presentation:
Dongyun Lee
Pirates
Ben Jelter
Yulia Brodskaya
Lizzie Mary Cullen

Two great Art Exhibits

Last week we took a field trip to the ROM to see Portrait of a Patron: Janusz Dukszta at the UTAC (University of Toronto Art Centre) http://www.utac.utoronto.ca/current-exhibitions The exhibit comprised 70 portraits of himself by a variety of Toronto artist over the last 44 years. They were often collaborations between artist and collector and together documented not only Dukszta's path but the Toronto art scene as well. It was a hugely successful trip with a personalized guided tour by Sunny Kerr, Student and Education Program Coordinator. As we were leaving, Dr. Dukszta walked in and we wasted no time asking him to talk about the work and his feelings about the exhibit. He was gracious and funny and donated a exhibition catalogue to the program.

We then made our way up to the ROM to see Dan Perjovschi: Late News in the Institute for Contemporary Culture http://www.rom.on.ca/news/releases/public.php?mediakey=x22qoemq7w. The artist had almost finished his installation of current editorial illustrations on the inner walls of the museum, so he had time to talk to us about his process, his past life in Romania and thoughts on Toronto.

It is not often that you get the backstage pass twice in one day!