For this week’s inspirational post, I thought I’d post about one of the single biggest professional inspirations I’ve had thus far: James Jean. He is a famous illustrator, and he’s done the covers for Fables (and other comics) for years now as well as created lots of freelance work for all sorts of clients the world over. He has shown up in magazines, CD covers, on television, and even in Prada stores. He has now gone one step further, and started focusing on his art for himself, with his first big gallery show “Kindling” at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York.

Wolves – Fables Trade Paperback #8 – Acrylics on paper with Photoshop. © 2006 James Jean.

I was inspired by Mr. Jean quite some years ago when my friend John Fuller handed me the first Trade Paperback of Fables. I’m pretty sure I had been complaining that I hadn’t read any comics recently (but I always complain about that), and he let me borrow it to read. Obviously I was instantly hooked on the comic itself, but I also found the cover artist to be extremely intriguing. I remember examining each piece with great intensity, frankly amazed at what I saw.

Sigur Ros for Future Music Magazine – Graphite and white chalk on Rives with Photoshop. © 2006 James Jean.

It was some time later before I found his website, and really got a good idea about what he did. Up until that point, my artist goals had been… well, rather mutable in nature. I had never even known about the concept of a freelance illustrator that could do everything from magazine illustrations to comic covers until I surveyed his work, and realized that THAT was what I wanted to do with my art. My goal was set, and so began my own journey to find that career.

Swan – Acrylic, oil, and pastel on linen. © 2008 James Jean.

His work itself is delicious. Flowing, graceful lines, fascinating and unexpected color palettes, ethereal and sometimes downright creepy subject matters and presentation make for one awesome package to swallow. A lot of his images tend to hit the eye with a quick– SPLASH!, and then once you’ve taken a moment, it really begins to steep and soak into your brain. The movement and compositions of each piece are phenomenal, and really make sure the eye travels around the entire visual plane. Watching an artist grow, change, and really push his work into new territories over the years is a fascinating and wonderful experience. I personally hope he continues to inspire not only me, but other artists and illustrators, for quite some time.

Please make sure to check out his website, JamesJean.com, and his blog, Process Recess to see his artwork. He has also published a number of art books that you should check out, my personal favorite being Fables: Covers (of course!).

I would really like to get into the habit of doing small spotlight blurbs on artists that I enjoy and find inspirational. Mondays are always the worst days when it comes to getting back into the swing of things at work– it’s just a simple fact of life. I thought looking at some inspirational art at the beginning of the week could benefit everyone, so Mondays it is!

It took me some time to really decide who I was going to spotlight in this first post. I decided on a colleague and former classmate of mine, Kelly McKernan. She just had a show open in Little Five Points at the Aurora Coffee Shop located on Moreland Avenue. Being that it’s fresh in my mind, and that not only is her hard work inspirational to others, but so is her art, I thought I’d begin with her.

The Sea Witch – Watercolor, Gouache, Ink on Silver Gelatin Print © 2008 Kelly McKernan

Kelly is an emerging illustrator whose work really delivers some fun eye candy… and she has certainly begun catching the attention of the Atlanta scene because of it. She has had a parade of shows and galleries she’s been featured in, has sold quite a number of her paintings (including the one above to me!) and prints, and even self-published her own book showcasing her monstrous “30 Paintings Project” that she completed last year.

Fidelity – Watercolor, Gouache, and Bleach with Silver Gelatin Print on Stretched and Stained Watercolor Paper © 2009 Kelly McKernan

I happen to particularly love her mixture of photography and painting together to create a bit of an otherworldly feel to her work. Watching her play with and discover new techniques and ways to approach her art has been fascinating; she has really come up with some innovative ideas. Having such a strong narrative quality to her work is another aspect that draws my attention, along with soothing colors, strongly characterized line qualities, and sets of components that are sometimes odd to see placed within the same visual field.

Fidelity – Gouache with Silver Gelatin Print on Stretched and Stained Watercolor Paper © 2009 Kelly McKernan

Kelly’s great art and hard work has been really inspirational to me, so I hope it is for you as well. Please be sure to check out her blog, Rocket Socks and Plastic Locks, and her website, KellyMcKernan.com to see all of her artwork and a listing of her upcoming shows.

Welcome to my blog. I thought I’d start it with a bang, and get right to some artwork. My name is Joie. I’m an Illustrator based in the Atlanta area. I unfortunately have a non-art related day job, but am working hard to find my way into the art business. That’s that– glad to meet ya.

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite and Ink on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink and Watercolor on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink, Watercolor, Markers and Colored Pencil on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes – 8″ x 10″ Graphite, Ink, Watercolor, Markers, Colored Pencil and Gel Pen on Bristol

Empyrean Eyes is a piece that I finished some time ago, based on a photo of my costume-designer and model friend Yaya Han. It’s a great example of my process, as well as the mediums with which I am most comfortable.