Katy Dockrill for National Drapery

When art director Lila Graham first contacted us to work on the new website she was designing for National Drapery, it was an exciting opportunity for Katy Dockrill to bring her flair for sewing and love of home decor to an illustration assignment!  The new ND website was the inspirational vision of Natalie Hartman, who was a delight to work with.  Visit the ND homepage and see how Lila and Katy literally brought Natalie's vision to life here.

1_©Katy Dockrill_KD285_i2iArt
1_©Katy Dockrill_KD285_i2iArt

The new website design also included a series of drawings to highlight the many custom products National Drapery offers.  Katy adores creating for surface design, so when Natalie asked her to include an indication of patterns to depict various textiles and bring some flair to these more technical illustrations, she was happy to oblige.  The result?  These little gems...we've combined a few of our faves here:

©Katy Dockrill_KD305_i2iArt
©Katy Dockrill_KD305_i2iArt
2_©Katy Dockrill_cornices
2_©Katy Dockrill_cornices
5_©Katy Dockrill_headboads_WEB
5_©Katy Dockrill_headboads_WEB

Janice Kun - Black History Stamps

Canada Post celebrates Black History Month by commemorating two distinctive and historic African-Canadian communities: Vancouver's Hogan's Alley and Halifax's Africville.  

Working closely with designer, Karen Smith, Janice Kun created the background watercolors depicting historical churches, central to these communities.  Typical of Janice Kun's style, the pairing of the paintings with supplied historical photographs is a delicate dream-like balance between these real people and remembered communities.

Janice_Kun_black_history_stamps_CPC_2014
Janice_Kun_black_history_stamps_CPC_2014
Janice_Kun_Africville NS_BlackHistory_FDC_CPC
Janice_Kun_Africville NS_BlackHistory_FDC_CPC
Janice_Kun_Hogan's Alley_BC_FDC_CPC
Janice_Kun_Hogan's Alley_BC_FDC_CPC

Our debut at Surtex 2013

Here we are ready for day one! 

Featuring prints and patterns from participating artists:  Sarah Beetson, Alanna Cavanagh, Harvey Chan, Katy Dockrill, Betsy Everitt, phil, Mark Hoffmann, Monika Melnychuk, Ian Phillips, Thom Sevalrud, Tracy Walker and Tim Zeltner.

From left:  Ian Phillips, me (Shelley Brown), Tracy Walker, Betsy Everitt and Alanna Cavanagh.

Our pillow and plate presentation drew a LOT of oohh's & aahh's!  Thank you Ian Phillips, for doing such a fabulous job of designing our booth!

Ian holds up two of our custom pillows seated below our fabulous plates!  We held a draw for the pillows and plates following the show.

Tina Roth Eisenberg aka Swiss miss checking out our artists' work for some Tattlys!

Me (Shelley Brown) with Arren Williams, Creative Director at the Hudson's Bay Company.  

Print and Pattern features Katy Dockrill!

  SURTEX is only a few days away, and we are super excited to share the post Print and Pattern featured on Katy Dockrill.  If you would like to see more of her bright and beautiful work in person, please visit us at booth #340 at the Javits Center in NYC from May 19-21.

printpattern_promosurtex
printpattern_promosurtex
printpattern_promosurtex
printpattern_promosurtex
printpattern_promosurtex
printpattern_promosurtex

Monika Melnychuk for Canada Post: Adopt-A-Pet Campaign

  We are excited to unveil this special postage stamp series created by Monika Melnychuk for Canada Post.  Monika's whimsical line art style serves this playful concept, which features photography of actual homeless pets, in environments that could become reality--if only they are adopted.  A brilliant example where the concept is the message!  The would-be homes for these pets, are left up to the viewer to fill in, by adopting a pet!

Working with Vancouver based design firm, Subplot, Monika illustrated the collectable Souvenir Sheet, Official First Day Cover, as well as the Five  Collectable Stamps for Canada Post's Adopt-A-Pet campaign.

It's great to see Canada Post using their currency to help bring awareness to such an important cause.  In 2010, close to 150,000 homeless pets were admitted to shelters across Canada. Partnering with the CFHS, Canada Post wanted to create awareness around the need for animal lovers to adopt from their local Humane Society or SPCA, and give homes to animals who so desperately need them. As of today, April 22 2013, the full package below can be purchased through Canada Post--the collectable Souvenir Sheet Official First Day Cover, complete with all five Canadian stamps.

CdaPost_Adoption_stamp_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart
CdaPost_Adoption_stamp_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart

Project Director: Danielle Trottier, Canada Post.

Designer, Ross Chandler, of Subplot.

Creative Directors: Roy White and Matthew Clark of Subplot Inc.

Photography by: Raeff Miles (cages) and Raina + Wilson (animals).

i2i art welcomes illustrator and surface designer Katy Dockrill

  i2i art is proud to welcome Katy Dockrill into our family of artists.  Her work is fresh and fun and full of irresistible personality!

Below is a small sample of her illustration and surface designs.  To see more please visit Katy's new i2i art portfolio here.

Friends_©KatyDockrill_i2iart
Friends_©KatyDockrill_i2iart

This image (above) called Friends, caught my eye when I first saw it screen printed on a tote bag!

Cover_Up_©KatyDockrill_i2iart
Cover_Up_©KatyDockrill_i2iart

Love the retro car in this illustration!

FamilyPhotos_©KatyDockrill_i2iart
FamilyPhotos_©KatyDockrill_i2iart
animalbooks_©KatyDockrill_i2iart
animalbooks_©KatyDockrill_i2iart

This is one of her lovely surface design patterns.  Can you just imagine it on children's bedding or curtains?

Tim Zeltner for Brewer's Association

  Working with Allison Seymour, art director for the American Homebrewer's Association Tim Zeltner created this cover at for the March/April issue of Zymurgy Magazine, featuring the concept of home brewing with locally sourced ingredients.  Tim's trademark rural landscape painting with the surrealistic addition of a pint of home brewed beer, create a dreamy utopia for any beer lover.

Zymurgy_©TimZeltner_i2iart
Zymurgy_©TimZeltner_i2iart

Greg Stevenson: Sin & Self-Improvement

  The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2013 Alberta Magazine Awards and we are delighted that this cover art created by Greg Stevenson for art director Kim Larson, is one of the award winning covers.

Alberta Venture initial sketch ©Greg Stevenson-i2iart
Alberta Venture initial sketch ©Greg Stevenson-i2iart

Feeling inspired by the subject matter, Greg went to town covering all the sinful bases with his first sketch (above)!

(we just thought you'd enjoy this behind the scenes sneak peek into Greg's process)

Alberta Venture Final ©Greg Stevenson-i2iart
Alberta Venture Final ©Greg Stevenson-i2iart

And this is the award winning cover art! 

Monika Melnychuk for Naked Flock

  i2i Art was approached by cider maker Jonathan Hull of Applewood Winery to have Monika Melnychuk create new packaging for their Hudson Valley Hard Cider, which was to be relaunched under the new name, Naked Flock.  The product name was inspired by a very colorful, visual folk tale about a pastor who plants some poppy seeds and a flock of geese who eat the poppies and fall into a deep sleep.   Thought dead the geese are plucked for their feathers--hence the name Naked Flock.  Read the whole tale on Applewood Winery's website.

Monika says, "This is one of my favorite projects to date.  And the first project I have been hired to do the illustration and design as well.  Naked Geese?  The story is hilarious, so when I approached the project I wanted to create something funny, but a bit edgy as well."

Monika designed the logo and labels and illustrated all three skus of Naked Flock Hard Cider:  Original, Draft and Pumpkin.

Naked_Flock_Pumpkin_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart
Naked_Flock_Pumpkin_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart
Naked_Flock_Draft_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart

Naked_Flock_Draft_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart

Naked_Flock_Original_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart
Naked_Flock_Original_©MonikaMelnychuk_i2iart

Thom Sevalrud: Big Data

  The Wikipedia definition of Big Data is:  "a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools..."

Thom Sevalrud has a way with taking just this type of complexity and in his very unique visual vocabulary communicating the idea clearly, like no other.  That's why  Brian Donahue of Be Design called upon Thom to illustrate Why Big Data is a Big Deal for Macalester Today.  Brian is also a big fan of Thom's hand lettering so he also asked him to illustrate the headline for this feature as well.

MacTodayWinter1_Thom_Sevalrud_i2iart
MacTodayWinter1_Thom_Sevalrud_i2iart
MacTodayWinter2_ThomSevalrud_i2iart
MacTodayWinter2_ThomSevalrud_i2iart
MacTodayWinter3_ThomSevalrud_i2iart
MacTodayWinter3_ThomSevalrud_i2iart

Mark Hoffmann: Enormous Tiny Art Show #13

Mark Hoffmann has been having big fun creating smallish art for the Enormous Tiny Art Show #13!  His naive visual vocabulary is, as always, full of wit with an underlying deeper wisdom.  Of his art, Mark says, "The work is meant to be perfect through its imperfections. The boards I paint on are warped and frayed around the edges. Perspectives, proportions, compositions and colors are intentionally left awkward to add to the conversation."

The show runs from February 1-25.  Check out the huge selection of art (no larger than 10″ x 10″) for sale at very reasonable prices here.  Better move fast because some have already sold before the sale has officially begun!

If you're local attend the opening at the Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Friday February 1st, 5-8pm.

Here are a few of our faves from the featured Mark Hoffmann collection:

Enormous Tiny Art Show paintings ©Mark Hoffmann/i2iart
Enormous Tiny Art Show paintings ©Mark Hoffmann/i2iart