Illustrator Blair Kelly :: In His Own Words

AwardsShowImage

Illustrator and printmaker, Blair Kelly, shares with us his favorite images and describes in his own words the inspiration and the idea behind each image.

BK:  AwardsShowImage (above image): I was commissioned by the KRW Awards Show in Toronto to create an image to represent the show appearing on programs, posters, tickets, online and on stage. (I actually won Gold- Best Illustration for another image at the same show, see next attached image).  The Kenneth R Wilson Awards celebrates the best in B2B magazines in Canada so I really just wanted to create a visually captivating image that also kind of referenced the Olympics (which was also happening that summer).

TwitterFraud BK:  Twitter Fraud: This image was created for CA Magazine for an article on Fraud and how social media users can make themselves vulnerable to fraud by sharing too much information. I really wanted to portray a bird, but not exactly the Twitter bird, and loved the idea of someone using a bird sock puppet to trick the bird into talking/tweeting. Since there are a lot of people online who pretend to be someone else, I thought this was fitting. This image won Gold – Best Illustration @ the KRW Awards Show in Toronto in 2012.

OnlineMobs

BK:  Online Mobs: Created for Marketing Magazine for an article on anger and how quickly it can spread online, creating online mobs.  I think it’s fairly simple but powerful.

Sobriety

BK:  Sobriety: Published in Scientific American Mind Magazine for an article on Emotional Sobriety and how recovering alcoholics should detach from their emotions as a recovery tool. I went literal with the detaching part.

LossOfPet

PetLoss: I was commissioned by Time Out Chicago Kids Magazine to come up with an image about kids coping with the death of a pet. I submitted several sketches and this was the idea they decided on which also was my favorite. I now have 2 dogs but never had a pet as a child and therefore never lost a pet so this really made me emotional thinking about hard it would be for child, let alone an adult.

BeachGirl

BK: Beach Girl: This was a personal piece and i really just wanted to make something pretty. I was inspired on a trip to Mexico when i noticed how all the long-haired women wring their hair out when getting out of the water.

To see more of Blair Kelly’s work go to his website and Altpick page.

About altpick connects

Established in 1992, The Alternative Pick commenced with a clear mission, providing creative buyers with a vehicle to source the best brightest and most exciting illustrators, photographers, graphic designers and animators in the business. The Alternative Pick sourcebook (1992-2005) became the outlet for cutting-edge commercial talent, offering a unique platform for artists to showcase their work. The Alternative Pick Deck (2009-2012) offered a fun and engaging format for locating leading commercial artists. In addition, The Altpick Awards (2003-2011) introduced yet another way to provide a platform for talents to shine. To meet the demands of an ever-changing industry, Altpick.com was launched in 1996 and presently provides a vehicle for talent to utilize the web to connect more effectively with buyers. As we mark our 30th anniversary in 2021, Altpick.com remains a premier source for creative professionals and we plan to continue to push the envelope providing the best vehicle for buyers to connect with creative talent.
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