L E G A C Y M A K E R S
FACULTY CATALOGUE | 2020 Documenting Faculty Research + Practice AUArts FACULTY ASSOCIATION
L E G A C Y M A K E R S
FACULTY CATALOGUE | 2020 Documenting Faculty Research + Practice AUArts FACULTY ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE BOARD 2019-2020
AUAFA OFFICE | RM 547 | AUArts T 403 284 7613
PRESIDENT
office.manager@telus.net
Natali Rodrigues
www.auafa.ca
VP/TREASURER Christopher Willard SECRETARY Miruna Dragan PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS REP Zimra Beiner
Cover images : From left to right, Top to Bottom : Laura Vickerson, Bill Morton, Jeff Lennard, Sandy Nichols. Back Cover image : Character Development, Sandy Nicholson
NAC CHAIR Justin Waddell GRIEVANCE ADVISOR Tanya Rusnak COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Jackie Bagley GENERAL FACULTIES COUNCIL REP Alana Bartol SESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Colin Martin BOARD OF GOVERNORS REP Cassandra Dam
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(non-voting) OFFICE MANAGER Karin McGinn (Non-voting)
The opinions expressed in this catalogue are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Alberta University of the Arts Faculty Association. Copyright | Alberta University of the Arts Faculty Association and Contributors 2020
What's Inside...... 1.
“They’re all part of the Jeff Lennard portfolio that has won countless advertising and design awards and, more importantly, success in the marketplace for his clients.” (which include the likes of Porsche, Coke, Kellogs, KFC , and Molson) (D&AD London, a Premiere Advertising Awards Organization for the Advertising Industry Worldwide) JEFF LENNARD | Assistant Professor, Advertising Stream | School of Communication Design *retired Dec 2019 Advertising Art Director | President + Creative Director, AMBUSH Advertising Group Inc.
2.
“She often includes discarded household items in her projects as a comment on changing trends, consumerism and human relationships with everyday objects.” (Wikipedia, Re: Biennale Installation in Turkey). LAURA VICKERSON | Permanent Faculty | School of Craft + Emerging Media, Fibre *retired June 2020 Installation Artist | Fibre
3.
“First, become a Philosopher, second become a Poet, and lastly, become an Artist. Its about building space; to build things into existence, allowing time for contemplation.” BILL MORTON | Permanent Faculty, School of Craft + Emerging Media, Fibre *retired June 2020 Master Kimono Artist | Silk Painter + Fibre Artist
4.
“With striking artwork by Sandy Nichols . . . this special 40th anniversary board book will stand up to re-readings for years to come and is a must-have . . . . ” (Chapters / Indigo) SANDY NICHOLS | Sessional Instructor, Illustration Stream, School of Communication Design Illustrator | Advertising, Editorial, Corporate | Children's Book Illustrator
5.
Tribute to Chris Milejszo 1947-2020 CHRISTOPHER J. MILEJSZO | Faculty, SCD Photography Stream Commercial Photographer | Phoebus
JEFF LENNARD |*Assistant Professor, Advertising Stream, School of Communication Design *retired Dec 2019 Advertising Art Director | President + Creative Director, AMBUSH Advertising Group Inc.
THE ONE CLUB is a Premiere Advertising Awards Organization for the Advertising Industry, worldwide.
As a regular adjuicator for The One Club Industry Awards, Jeff Lennard was a speaker at the Global Advertising Conference Creative Leaders Retreat for 2 years running. He was the only Canadian Advertising Faculty. (2016 + 2018)
Lifetime Achievement Award Ad Rodeo (2017)
JACKIE : “ Let's meet so I can interview you.” JEFF : “There's not really much to say.”
Interviewing Jeff Lennard is no small feat, as I began to
Olympic Torch Relay or a bottle of Molson Canadian catch your eye
realize he is very humble. Speaking of his achievements
in the liquor store? Perhaps you’ve planned a trip down to the
doesn’t come easily to him; a kind of dodge ball experience.
Calgary Stampede or found yourself humming moo moo moo
moo cow.
Perhaps this short excerpt from D&AD London, another Premiere Advertising Awards Organization for the Advertising Industry worldwide, can say it for him. (From their website...) : “If you’ve been in Canada you’ve probably come face to face with Jeff’s work without realizing it. Remember imagining the freedom of winning the Lotto 6/49? Signing up for the
Or been online and landed at kelloggs.com, wonderville.ca or vendemmia.ca. They’re all part of the Jeff Lennard portfolio that has won countless advertising and design awards and, more importantly, success in the marketplace for his clients.” (which include the likes of Porsche, Coke, Kellogs, KFC and Molson).
Ad Rodeo: “Jeff has spent most of his career working with some of
“Why that resonates for me (how his first job came to be) is
Canada’s leading advertising agencies."
because of that whole sense of connection to humanity, that
But in speaking with Jeff, this pales in comparison to hearing him speak of the one-on-one relationships with those he collaborates with - and those experiences along the way. For Jeff, Moving up through the Advertising world became the result of that human connection, right from his first job offer before graduating, through to subsequent offers and career advancements. Jeff's first hire came through being referred to an Agency Partner that hired him on the spot after meeting him and seeing his work. At that time Jeff was still a student. He finished his program while at the same time started working for them. JEFF : “I was invited to go to Frances Wlilliam and Johnson – the agency – I was invited to meet with Gerard Paisley – he said he really liked what I was doing. He was the Vice-president. He said, “I'd like to have you join us, but there's no room here”. Just then Dan Murray walked down the hall – Gerard said, “You need to talk to that guy”. Dan hired Jeff right away at his company called, Calgraphics which later became Karo. Jeff was only the third employee hired by them at that time. JEFF : “He looked at my portolfio, and said, when can you start – love to have you join us.”
whole sense of people skills. To be told, I like you, I like what you do, I can work with you – being hired for your personality as much as your own merit, that resonated with me for the rest of my life. And, that was also the the last time I had to use a portfolio to land a job – every other opportunity came from reputation. By the time I was 25 years old, I became the Executive Vice President there, at Karo, a company of 40 people at that point, and was faced with having to let employees go as our economy took a turn. That was in 1984. When I left Karo, it was to work at what was later called, McLaren McCann. The owner at Karo, we had a great chat, he said, don’t build walls – everyone is important to allow you to be successful. As soon as you start to treat people less, a wall goes up. Treat everyone with respect and the good work can happen (even the receptionist). Humility and respect.”
“Back then, to have to do research, meant having to do research – going through archives, making phone calls.”
JACKIE : “What were some of the highlights along the way?” JEFF : “The Olympic Torch Relay Campaign for the 1988 Olympics was a highlight. From McLaren McCann I was hired by Baker Lovick (BBD0) to do that. This was another instance where reputation preceeded me. There were a lot of commercials being done and they spent a lot of money to make it work.
“I did the promotions campaign for the Olympic Torch Relay, travelling across Canada, shooting film at every location for print ads and for promotional material. ” We would fly into some place in the afternoon or evening, arrive at the hotel; we had pre-arranged for talent to show up at the hotel to meet us there. A Locations guy was already in place. We looked at locations, and finished shooing by late morning the next day. We'd then go to the airport and fly to the next location. In 14 days we hit 17 location across Canada. The highlight ? — there are so many – that ability (5 of us) — with 35 pieces of luggage, including equipment, props, that went with us – we took the torch with us – it was a highlight
running with the torch to get on the plane each time. At one point I noticed another person running behind me, trying to catch the plane. We both got on at the same time but him just behind myself holding the torch. As we load the plane, this person says “Damn, I've been one upped by the torch.“ It was Rene Levesque head of the Separatist Party at the time. The torch and I, beat him on the plane. And everyone cheered for the torch, not Rene.
“That torch had that kind of power that was non-political – it was uniting. That whole sense of how a good idea can bring people together. The torch relay was a highlight.” The way the momentum built, it was a not a lot of ego but about what Canada needed. We had just come out of a recession. A lot of companies stepped up with money to make it happen. It was an exciting time to be a part of Baker Lovick.
“The way the momentum built, it was a not about ego, but about what Canada needed.”
JEFF : “The Calgary Stampede as a client was another
JEFF LENNARD | CLIENT LIST
highlight. Porsche I was working at Parallel. My writing partner, Steve _____ and I had won a number of awards. Pat Sullivan from Hayhurst had called me and asked if I wanted to do the Stampede. They had just won them as a client. I said the only way I would go is if I could take Steve with me. That was the time when we focused on awards. It was a great way to celebrate clients and it was a conscious decision, a way to attract and hire good talent locally. The Stampede work, where you're dealing with the status quo, and telling people that they have to start looking globally – we are not talking to ourselves – for them this was a new concept. JACKIE : “Tell me about the Lifetime Achievement Award with Ad
Coke Kellogs KFC (Barney's Kentucky Fried Chicken) Molson Western Breweries Esso Petroleum Royal Trust Western Canada Lotteries Olympic Torch Relay ADVERTISING INDUSTRY AWARDS The Bessies Awards | Ads of the World Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Awards
Rodeo.
Marketing Awards
JEFF : “If I was to look back at the Career, and at the Lifetime
Orca Awards (Outstanding Radio Creative Awards)
Achievement Award – I was lucky to work with so many great people – and so the speech was about thanking all these great people – and how that had changed my life. I worked for some time with Trevor McConnell. He said,“you are only limited by what you think you can do, not by what you can do”. Trevor instilled that in me – He elevated my game and he made me look good.”
Applied Arts Awards Lotus Awards Ad Rodeo Best of Shows ADVERTISING INDUSTRY AWARDS JUDGE The One Show New York
WELL WISHES FROM PAST STUDENTS Many of Jeff's former students boast some very impressive careers. Here's what some of them have to say about Jeff.
IAN LIU | Senior Creative | ELEPHANT | New York I wouldn’t be where I am today without Jeff. DAN TREICHEL | Executive Creative Director SAATCHI + SAATCHI | London Jeff was one of my earliest mentors. Not only did he help teach me advertising, but he took a chance on me and hired me out of school. I did my first shoot with him. I wouldn't be where I am now without Jeff.
WES NIVEN | Global Retail Brand Designer CONVERSE | Boston Mr. Lennard, what can I say? Firstly, congratulations to him for not only a successful and illustrious career in the industry but also for his contributions in giving an encouraging push start to the careers of so many talented AUArts grads over the years.
To say I was still figuring things out when I had Jeff as an instructor would be a gross understatement. While he could have easily failed me and moved on with life, Jeff's long-suffering patience and ability to see the potential in others formed a solid foundation for my entire
Jeff is truly a think out side of the box type of guy and was always willing to sit down one on one and help you mine your brain for that "ah-ha" moment for whatever project you were working on. I hated following rules and I entered the design program as a total punk from the world of graffiti + fine art. As I initially had little regard for any sort of artistic authority figures/instructors, design was sort of a hard adjustment for me. However, the combination of Jeff visually resembling one of my uncles, his encouragement, his professionalism and his low key "rad-ness" made me bring my guard down, wake up, get serious about my work and absorb all the wise advice he could offer. Cheers big guy! You deserve it.
Jeff’s passion for advertising Is contagious. While at AUArts he kept pushing us to drill for bigger insights/ideas. I’m sure that I don’t just speak for myself when I say that Jeff helped many acquire the skills necessary to thrive in our sometimes unforgiving field.
TERESA LEUNG | Senior Art Director | ZGM | Calgary Jeff has always been a great mentor and teacher. With his guidance and no-bullshit attitude, he’s helped me hone my skills as an art director and grow my career. I remember one time he told me “don’t be a one hit wonder. Every project should be teaching you something new” and I’ve always remembered that, making sure that every project I work on, I approach it with excitement and passion.
HANS THIESSEN | Partner & Creative Director of Design RETHINK | Vancouver
career. Many thanks Jeff. JOEL ARBEZ | Executive Creative Director GREY GROUP CANADA | Toronto
“We told their stories, and it brought greater notoriety for them.�
LAURA VICKERSON | Professor, School of Craft + Emerging Media, Fibre *retired June 2020 Intallation Artist | Fibre
“What I make is meant to be experienced. My intention is to transport viewers to fictional timeless spaces.” “The every day and the discarded, the forgotten, have intrinsic value – and maybe because they're not done yet.”
I would say, one of the overreaching ideas behind my practice, is I find things, like clothing, or rose petals, and I think, these aren’t really useful anymore in their original state. I want to reinvest them with value, acknowledge their history and give them a new context. "For example, for VELVET, the guard petals on roses are picked off by florists. I would go to five florists every week and collect these petals that, if they weren't being used for pot-pourri, would be thrown away (VELVET required hundreds of thousands of rose petals.) The rose petals themselves took on new meanings in Turkey, where they transformed into luxurious fabric of the Ottoman Empire, rivers of blood: the result of religious conquests and the main ingredient in one of the most expensive perfumes made in Turkey.”
Karin McGinn (AUAFA) : Do the objects inspire the art piece or do you have an idea and then seek out the objects?” LV : Both. I’m not a person who is attached to one material or medium. It is usually a case of choosing the best medium for the message I am trying to communicate. K : Another part of your practice that really stands out is placemaking or an affective environment change through your immersive installations. Can you talk about this? LV : Unusual sites have always been and continue to be an evocative trigger for my artistic practice. I am challenged both by the physical peculiarities of a space as well as its history of use. When I work this way, I attempt to address both. I don't always know how a project will work or come together in a space – like in the Beehive Kiln. It was an engineering problem: how to hang these concentric shapes in this dome? Eventually, I hung each individual point between rings of airplane cable installed within the kiln.
VELVET | Rose Petals, Bridal Tulle, Dressmakers Pins Installation | 5th International Istanbul Biennial | Turkey (below) + Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Calgary, AB (above)
Apart from smaller more intimate pieces, I have to have a space before I know what I‘m going to do. Either the material or the way it has to be installed always presents something new. Troubleshooting and problem-solving on a large scale are invigorating.
I have always been a believer of Marshall McLuhan’s statement: “The medium is the message .” Through the materials I use and their interaction with one another I attempt to speak about aspects of humanity. THE BETWEEN | A place that explores different planes of existence and the passage through life to death. There are elements that are delicate, luminous and ethereal, symbolic now that their function as garments have been removed. Arms of clothing reach down to those below beckoning them to be lifted up. The carpets stand in apparent contrast, rich artifacts made dense by the embedded histories of past lives. Voices emerge and fade and through them, past, present and future co-exist revealing the complexities of “being”.
AIR | The intention of this piece was to create a comforting, soft, peaceful environment. The installation is a place of solace: a sanctuary where one might daydream, relax and let go. The sound of wind, both gentle and blowing permeate the space. White is without hue but is a mixture of all the colours of the visible spectrum. It is the colour of pure sunlight. In some Asian countries it represents death and mourning. White is also commonly associated with goodness, perfection, illumination, purity, innocence, heaven and new beginnings. I believe all of these contribute to the meanings imbedded in the work. There is a sense of loss with the white clothing removed from its function. All are born into this world in a state of purity. Upon death, everyone is entitled to reclaim this status.
Everchanging sites, materials and contexts continue to challenge and excite me.
THE BETWEEN| Installation
Photographer : David Brown
I like the things that are worn - things you ďŹ nd on the ground. The term "decoration" is always used pejoratively, but in actuality, it tells a story. At one point I did a number of pieces with paper discards. They are on a kind of semi-sheer material. I made pieces from security envelopes that you normally just throw out.
Trash is treasure...everything is art. The forgo en has value. Laura Vickerson has produced site-specific installations for various international exhibitions. She has exhibited extensively not only in Canada, but in the US, Britain, Turkey, Poland and China. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards such as the Arts Council of England, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, The Canada Council for the Arts. She is critically acclaimed for her experiments in combining mixed media to produce 3D works.
Cultured Nature incorporates paper garbage in various forms including mail discards, personal notes and material collected off the street.
Ming, Mao and McDonald’s references the history of China from the point of view of an outside observer. The paper discards were all collected while in China, including some from McDonald's. The cut-out pattern used is from a Ming Dynasty funerary robe, which would have had its own imbedded symbolism.
Folly: Chateau Mathieu Exhibition – Women have long been associated with the natural world, often serving as a metaphor for nature itself.
"Underthings, Embroidered Corset 1700" : This series reveals the internal workings of the body on the outside of the garment inviting a visceral response and addressing the restrictions fashion has imposed.
AIR | Installation
Photographer : Yuri Akuney
BILL MORTON | Professor, School of Craft + Emerging Media, Fibre *retired June 2020 Master Kimono Artist | Silk Painter + Fibre Artist
“First, become a Philosopher, second become a Poet,
and lastly, become an Artist.”
“Its about building space; to build things into existence, allowing time for contemplation.”
by Karin McGuinn
For almost 40 years, Bill Morton has been reputed by his students, colleagues and admirers as a gentle, soft-spoken educator and pillar of knowledge in the Fiber Program at AUArts. Imparting slow-burn traditional methods of natural dye techniques, Kimono making, Wax Resist painting on cloth ,and Katazome patterns (to name a few) to his students. In the presence of Bill’s instruction, it is understood that secrets are being revealed – as a result, a concentrated cluster of students can often be witnessed tuning into Bills every word during his studio classes.
“Be open to everything. Free yourself from other peoples' opinions.”
Bill arrived in Japan in 1969. He was put in touch with craftspeople of Japan through the Monbu-shõ (Ministry of Education in Tokyo). From there, Bill met a master of the art of Kimono, Master Kunio Isa, and soon after was invited to design sketches in Isa’s studio. His time in the Isa studio culminated 14 years of learning in depth dying and cloth construction of the traditional Kimono garment. In Japan, it is custom for studio assistants to do a 10-year apprenticeship. “I was helping Master Isa in the studio, with drawing and with his designs, because he was behind on his orders...after three months, I asked if I could go in the studio and also find out about the various dying techniques.
Bill Morton demonstrates how the single Kimono panels are painted THING TO WEAR | Demonstration | Illingworth Kerr Exhibition 2019
“The results of (Bill Morton’s) beautiful Kimono garments
arise from the luxury of taking the time to look at the depth of questions and find itself
transpired into an artifact of process.”
(Mackenzie Kelly-Frere, Fibre Faculty, AUArts)
He would sit on the tatami mat (Master Isa), not say much, just look at each piece and make a comment. Other than that, shipments went out pretty much directly once they were done. Awareness was the big thing (in Isa’s studio) everyone was expected to be aware of what needs to get done, and then to do things that need to be done". “After 6 months I started working on the backgrounds – wax resist – they were doing these flowers. And after they were finished, I did the background. There was a big room at the back with a dirt floor, like a barn, often with 12 full Kimonos – they would be laid out from end to end. That is how we painted them. One Kimono is approximately 13 running meters of material. The painting of the background is very difficult because of the brush technique. There is a certain process. The whole key to doing those big brushed backgrounds is doing thin layers. I did that for 6 months. I was probably about a year into doing this at this point, and by then I was doing a whole Kimono. But the interesting thing about the studio is there are people who had been there 5 years, 10 years, or more – so there was quite a difference in their ability. When I was in the studio in Japan, there was no real reading of the work. For example, every month we would get a Kimono to start on, like a new contract for him (Master Isa). The boxes would come from wholesalers or a department store.
We would all be working everyday on these things, so in one month we could produce a fair amount. We had deadlines, but they were not critical. He worked 2 seasons ahead, like 2 seasons in the future. He would say something vague, such as ‘the colors should be something brighter’ and then everyone took it and ran with that. His drawings were interpreted differently within a range by each person – there was a key color component overall the whole collection, and people had the freedom to choose. We each had a different way of working. Typically in Japan the structure is not top down. It is bottom up – the “boss” is more like a figurehead, with no real definitions of hierarchy. I was doing the brush blending for backgrounds, and the designers would do all the dying and the wax resist. For the first amount of time, I would take them in a back room and work on them – they each had a specific floor to work on. There was a lot of trust involved with a group like that. That was very fascinating – at the end of the month when the dye was on them and finished – they would go out for steaming for wax removal and sizing." Returning to Calgary in 1983, Bill began teaching at AUArts (then ACA). He continued to go back to Japan to work there in the summers on various projects.
The artist has remained active in the Calgary arts community as a passionate advocate of traditional Japanese craft methods, underpinned by an appreciation of the natural world and Zen philosophy. These tacit skills built up over time have garnered a poetry in practice for Bill, as both meditative and intuitive processes. They also translate to a way of understanding how “everything is linked” and “even the small things are important- they’re important for your soul.” Bill brings a rigorous process to his practice. Much of this is what he took from his time living in Japan, and working under the Master Kimono Teacher. “Nature just seems to be the thing I’m drawn to – there’s the endless possibility of expressing it, I feel – every time you draw it, every time you express it – it’s just an arbitrary form – a vehicle to do what I want to, with color – an abstract source of surfaces.”
“Even the small things are important – they’re important for your soul.”
THING TO WEAR {Bill Morton}
Illingworth Kerr Gallery Exhibition 2019
In the Making Curated by Jolie Bird, Thing to Wear provides a retrospective of Bill Morton‘s influence and teachings, is a collection of Kimono-inspired garments created by the students, faculty, and alumni from the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) under the expert guidance of Associate Professor, Bill Morton. (Illingworth Kerr Gallery) I arrive at the IKG gallery to join curator Jolie Bird and Bill’s tour through the gallery. Upon arrival, an immediate air of excitement can be felt as many of the attendees are past students taking in the reunion, many have their kimonos on display. The tour begins and the attention soon turns to stories of construction, technique and beauty found in each individual kimono garment. On an elevated plinth are the center piece kimonos, a collection of show stopping garments; the most extravagant of all are the wedding kimonos. These commissioned pieces take one week to draft the pattern and trace onto the garment, followed by a month to construct (if the piece is worked on every day). Of particular significance is a brushed-blend vibrant pink & purple kimono on display. This piece was a commission based on a request to make a colorful wedding gown. “The wedding gown is overly beautiful to the point of being ridiculous”
Bill introduced stenciling into his art practice under the guidance of his Japanese mentor, Master Kunio Isa. Isa would prepare 4 sharpened tools to start; upon completion, the stencil is backed with enamel and gauze.
Master Isa had an impressive number of completed stencils (over 3000 stencils) in his collection. His works are part of the permanent Japanese Heritage Collections. Stencils and Katazome patterns are made using hand blades. Bill likens making his stencils to sketching. Drawing with chalk, Bill directly sketches from life onto the stencil substrate.
“Tools have to be very sharp; three or more tools are ready before you start so that you always have a sharp blade. Stencils are cut similar to wood blocks.
Drawings are done directly to the stencil substrate.
One must come to terms
with the positive/negative simplicity of stencil.”
SANDY NICHOLS | Sessional Faculty, llustration Stream | School of Communication Design Illustrator | Advertising, Editorial, Corporate | Children's Book Illustrator
" The judges praised Nichols' proposal, calling it a clear and unique concept that stood out . . . ."
Harper Collins Canada, Hadley Dyer, Executive Editor, Children's Books.
"Now (Dennis) Lee's timeless rhyme is paired with striking artwork by Sandy Nichols. . . . " Chapters / Indigo
JACKIE : “ Tell me about the Children's Book "Alilgator Pie" .
I understand you were signed on with Harper Collins to illustrate an Anniversary Edition Book. SANDY : “ Yes, it was by competition. It's currently selling at Chapters / Indigo, Barnes & Noble + Amazon.
" Nichols' proposal was the unanimous choice of the competition judges . . . . " Harper Collins Canada "My detour into Children’s Book Illustration began with an Editorial piece I drew years ago (I was not planning to do Children’s Books at the time). This illustration of a nerdy boy with thick glasses appeared in an American magazine and was spotted by an editor for DIAL books for children, a division of Penguin. She contacted my agent to see if I’d be interested in putting this character in a new Children’s Book; starring Lorenzo and Einstein too.
JACKIE : After this first break into the world of Children's Book Illustrating, how did you find your next project? SANDY : Working on my first book was a thrill. I decided to pursue Children’s Book’s in earnest. Getting a second book wasn’t as easy as I thought. I encountered some hurdles. I finally hatched a plan to enter a Harper Collins’ book illustration contest for Dennis Lee’s Alligator Pie 40th anniversary book that I had just heard about. I wanted to enter even though I didn’t plan on winning. At least it would challenge me to try out a different style I’d been playing with for some time in my sketchbook. I was shocked when they called with the news. “ The illustrations are very simple yet sophisticated, bold without overwhelming the poem.” Harper Collins Canada
The Process
The Rest of the Story
JACKIE : What did you find the most difficult when illustrating
JACKIE : What came next?
Children's Books?
SANDY : Following Alligator Pie was Garbage Delight (also by
SANDY : Having done Illustration for Advertising and Editorial
Dennis Lee) followed by The Bagel King, and the latest, Tallulla
exclusively, storytelling was new territory. I was used to
plays the Tuba.
delivering illustration as a fast read, concept driven, single
appearing image. Like a visual pun or one-liner. Developing a string of visuals for a Children’s Books introduced a slower pace and new things to consider like continuity. Showing a consistent character in various scenarios, positions with a variety of viewpoints was a new trick. Also determining how the character might react to a part of the plot. Alligator Pie was especially challenging to illustrate because we were putting a three stanza poem to a 24 page book. I learned a lot about visual storytelling with this book especially (like weaving smaller substories into the visuals). Coming up with original characters that also had kid appeal required some effective digging. I remember listening to an interview with an actor who said, “you have to have an emotional involvement with the character, and the audience needs to love the character”, so I tried to apply this to the drawings. I recall an editor advising me not to make a doll character so scary (which ended up not appearing in the story after all). Remembering my own childhood experiences and observing kids around me also helped. Ideas for characters and scenes spring to mind spontaneously, so a small sketchbook and camera on hand is/was very helpful. I’ve been fortunate to work with fantastic editors. I’ve learned a lot from them about storytelling for children.
Tallulah Plays the Tuba made its debut October 2019. The story is about a tiny but determined girl who wants nothing more than to play a massive tuba in the school band. Despite being told she’s too small, she’s determined to convince the band leader she can do it. She encounters some hurdles but hatches a creative plan and is finally able to pull it off. Careful time management was especially crucial for this project to happen because the deadline was extremely tight and over the Christmas holiday. The editor contacted me on Oct 2, wanting the finished digital illustrations (including cover) 2 weeks after New Years’ at latest. I work traditionally with acrylic on illustration board, so I had to plan for scanning and colour correction time as well. Thankfully I had the experience of illustrating previous books to lean on. Despite this, it was the one project in my entire career that I thought I may not make the deadline. I have learned it’s important to know your limitations. JACKIE : Which of the five books is your favorite? SANDY : Each one had a different learning challenge for me, ugly moments and triumphant ones. It would be like trying to choose your favourite child.
Since two of Sandy's Books were written by Dennis Lee, let's take a look at his impressive history : (Taken from Wikipedia)
Lee wrote the lyrics to the theme song of the 1980s television show Fraggle Rock and, with composer Philip Balsam, many of the other songs for that show. A number of the songs were released on the albums Fraggle Rock: Music and Magic, in 1993, and Jim Henson's Muppets present Fraggle Rock, in 1984.[6] The second album was nominated for a Grammy Award, which it won jointly with Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. Balsam and Lee also wrote the songs for the television special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. Lee is co-writer of the story for the film Labyrinth. In addition to his 1972 Governor General's Award, Lee twice won the CACL Bronze Medal for a children's book: in 1974 for Alligator Pie, and in 1977 for Garbage Delight. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award, for body of work for children, in 1986, and the Mr. Christie's Book Award (for The Ice Cream Store) in 1991. In 1993, Lee was made Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1995, he received an honorary doctorate from Trent University, and won the Toronto Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2001 Lee became Toronto's first Poet Laureate, serving in that position until 2004.
Sandy Nichols' illustrations give it such a sly and quirky makeover. Bravo!� Dennis Lee, Writer, Re: Alligator Pie.
A TRIBUTE TO : CHRISTOPHER J. MILEJSZO 1947 – 2020 Faculty, SCD Photography Stream | *retired June 20007 Commercial Photographer | Phoebus
“Photography allowed me the opportunity to look at many things, and see a few of them. Through the practice of photography I've had the opportunity to taste culture, feel opinion and gain perspective.” Chris Milejszo passed away peacefully at his home and with his
In 1992, Chris became involved with engaging digital
family at his side, on Friday, May 1st, 2020, in Black Creek, BC.
technologies in the Photography Program, and in turn, the
Chris had been a faculty member for the better part of thirty years
Visual Communications Design Program and Fine Arts Programs
at ACA/ACAD (and now AUArts), from 1976 to 2007.
also began using the then new technologies. In 1999, he was
With Canadian photographer Gerald S. Kitchen, Chris was a lead
instrumental in establishing and connecting ACAD academic
faculty and students to a digital network infrastructure which author of the original Photography program at the Alberta College provided several services over the local network: print output "The every day and the discarded, the forgotten, have intrinsic value – of Art and Design (1976 -2005). Prior to his retirement in 2007, services, digital capture, video streaming and digital video / and maybe because they're not done yet.” Chris returned to teach at the College on three separate audio editing, and email and access to the internet to all for occasions. During these times Chris participated as an instructor,
Chair of Design, Head of Photography, and the founding director of the Computing and Technical Services department (C+TS). Chris appreciated the support and encouragement of the then President, Zimbabwe-born muralist, Dr. Desmond Rochfort, and the VP of Finance, Eric Fechter.
the first time. In this process, the concurrent development of the new Media and Digital Technologies program (MADT), led by Alan Dunning of the Fine Art Department, added support to build the Computing and Technical Services department (C+TS),
upon which the new digital programming would depend. For two
marketing agencies and studios, publishers, stock agencies, and
years prior to his retirement in 2007, Chris had led the
various commissions.
Photography program’s academic integration with the Design
degree at the College and concurrently guided the program’s
Over the years, Chris had engaged in various self directed
technology roll-over from analog to digital processes. Throughout
photographic projects/safaris in Canada and, in a project inspired
this monumental effort, Chris was assisted by his colleague and
by ACAD colleague and Canadian painter James Ulrich, was
professional photographer Mike Sroka.
invited to participate in the “Artists in the Field” program in
"It proved to be a wonderful building and learning
Kakadu, NT, Australia (1988). The project triggered decisions
experience—working with technologies ever in flux and
photographing, and, for a time, being domicile in the Asia Pacific
change—where standards such as ‘requests for comments’
region. Another project arose from a philosophical conversation
and ‘inventing workarounds’ were very routine. The insight
one December night with fellow conspirator and pal, Arthur
gained added to my understanding of the challenges that the
Richardson. It was decided that they should spend no less than
new technologies brought and the solutions they made
one day each week of the coming year (1986) looking for
possible in art and design education."
photographic images in an area of the Canadian Rockies’ eastern
slopes in Alberta known as Kananaskis. Chris’ first exposure was at
Chris formally studied photography at Ryerson in Toronto and
the stroke of midnight (9 minutes, Kodachrome 64) of the
graduated with the Media Studies Option in 1972. In the 1970s
moonlit eastern side of the Kananaskis range; several thousand
and '80s he added film, video, sound, and audiovisual to his
more photographs completed the project by year’s end.
leading Chris to that part of the world where he spent time
toolset that over the years came to include a variety of software and digital media.
Chris enjoyed his retirement in the community of Saratoga Beach in Black Creek on Vancouver Island. He is survived by his wife
Chris owned and operated several studios, including a design practice in Toronto. He worked within a wide range of subject matter and photographic genres including: medical, aerial, portrait, commercial, industrial, illustrative, fashion, editorial, and wedding. Chris’s commercial photography studio in Calgary, Phoebus, serviced both industry direct and advertising agencies, locally and nationally. The studio amassed the most diverse range of commercial clients across major industries, including: transportation, energy, agriculture, government, advertising and
Praiya and their daughter Neera.