top of page

Meet the Artist - David Loblaw


One of my most popular series introduces my readers to an artist through a virtual interview of questions. Enjoy.




 

David Loblaw

Toronto, Ontario, Canada



  • Who are you, and what is your background?

I am David Loblaw, and I was born in Chicago to Canadian parents, we lived in Chicago and then Boston before my parents decided to move back to their home city of Toronto Canada, where I grew up. I got an early introduction to the arts as my parents attended The Ontario College of Art and Design, where they met and fell in love. So, I was exposed to all sorts of art from an early age. After high school, I attended The Ontario College of Art and Design. Focusing on illustration. After that, I started working in the design business, mostly a mix of retail store design and graphic design. I spent several years working for a few of the top design companies in Canada and the USA, before starting my design firm with two partners.















  • What is your favorite medium?

Digital paint! I use a Wacom tablet on a Mac with a few different programs.




Click the image for Art Prints on Society6

California Dreaming Art Print by David Loblaw (Society6)

  • Has your practice changed over time?

Yes, I've been at it for a long time. I started with drawing and painting in my youth, and I worked as a graphic designer for several years. Then, about ten years ago, I started going digital with my art, doing fine art and landscapes using a program called Artrage. This software lets you paint realistic-style paintings digitally, and I don’t mean realistic paintings but realistic ones in digital form.

After doing that for a while, I turned my focus to creating more surreal-style images, and that's when things started to take off for me. I had always enjoyed working with Photoshop when I used it for my design work, So I've produced a more surreal style for the last seven or eight years. I still enjoy digital painting, but I have mostly been creating surreal photo manipulation images these days.





 


  • What do you most enjoy painting?

Landscapes mostly, particularly because I grew up in Ontario; the natural landscapes in Canada are wonderful to paint. Such untamed wilderness abounds everywhere. And the fall colours are outstanding.


Click the image to find it on FineArtAmerica.

Tree Fall Camping digital art by David Loblaw

  • What food, drink, or song inspires you?

Baklava, a Cadillac Margarita, and these days any song from the band “Stick Figure” , an awesome reggae band.


  • What has been your favorite response to your work?

I’ve had some great feedback about my artwork over the last few years, and hearing that my “compositions and use of colour” is outstanding is probably my favorite response along with all the wonderful comments. It's all very encouraging.



Click the image to find it on FineArtAmerica.com

Fish Out of Water by David Loblaw digital art


 


Ottawa River by David Loblaw

 



click to Behance.net

Diving in Mega Shark Forest by David Loblaw



 



click image to David Loblaw: "my portfolio"

Winter Forest of Electric Jelly Fish by David Loblaw


 

  • What’s your best advice for someone wanting to start as an artist?

It’s a journey, so be patient and always learn. They say you must do ten thousand hours of practice to become a master. This might be true; I am not sure (it might be faster these days with all you can learn on YouTube). But if you enjoy what you are practicing then those hours will fly by… Also, be observant and keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to fail.



 


Thank you, David, for sharing your fabulous artwork with my readers.


For more of David's work, please see:


David Loblaw Social Media



 

Visit previous Meet the Artist posts: Michelle Brenmark





Pin it, please.

Meet the Artist David Loblaw, art, Electric Jelly Fish









Meet the Artist - Shelley Wallace Ylst



Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a virtual interview. Our featured artist is Shelley Wallace Ylst.



 


Images and Text contain links



 

Shelley Wallace Ylst

South Jordon, Utah



  • Who are you and what is your background?


My name is Shelley Ylst and I live in South Jordan, Utah. I have a husband, two grown children, and of course the smartest and cutest grandchildren in the world! I started painting with watercolor in high school and studied art in college. I love the spontaneity and transparency of watercolors. My art is always evolving and full of joy.





My mom was always my biggest fan (of course), and years ago she was a realtor and commissioned me to make a calendar of vintage houses to give to her clients. Together we would drive through areas in Salt Lake City that had amazing vintage houses to take reference photos, and that is how I came to love painting house portraits. The main part of my art business is now commissioned paintings of people’s homes.




"Garden House" Canvas Print by ShelleyYlstArt on Redbubble




Penelope Pig Art Print by Shelley Ylst Art

My other favorite subjects are flowers and animals and I often combine them together. Growing up I always had cats and dogs and love their sweetness and companionship. Since I live in Utah flowers are seasonal, but I fill my areas with them in the spring and summer and it brings me great joy.







  • What is your favorite medium?

I love watercolors and sometimes I add in ink and colored pencils. Over the years I have tried other mediums but always gravitate back to watercolors. I like the transparency and flow of them and how you can build layers and float colors together.




The Flamingo Family's Day at the Beach [links to Society6]




  • What has been your favorite response to your work?


Some of My Favorite Things [links to canvas print Society6]

I love bright colors and flowers and nothing gives me more joy than when someone tells me my art gives them good feelings and makes them happy. My grandchildren make requests of things they want me to paint for them all the time. When we were all quarantined last year we started an art club where each grandchild would specify what they wanted me to paint, then I would mail it to them with a request of what I wanted them to paint for me, then they would mail their creations to me. It was so much fun and such a great way to navigate through a difficult time.











  • What is the strongest memory of your childhood?

I grew up in the 1960s when we all had a very carefree childhood. There were so many kids in our neighborhood and we could roam our streets and play together outside until our mothers called us home. I was the youngest and only daughter and when I look back I lived a charmed and wonderful life and we always had many cats and dogs that I dearly loved.


  • Professionally what is your goal?

I don’t really have a certain goal in mind, I recently had a health scare and am semi-retired so I have more time for my art. I am very happy to just keep creating (I have so many ideas in my head!) and hopefully make people smile. I enjoy doing commissioned work and selling through my Print=on-Demand sites. And I always want to improve and explore new techniques.


  • What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

When I was in college I worked for a local school district doing illustrations for anything they needed. After I married, my husband and I have been entrepreneurs and owned many businesses in many different areas and I have always done the artwork and graphics for all these businesses. I have owned a lighting store, a hair salon, and a company that sold hair extensions. I was a realtor for a year and didn’t like that job at all. And I have always gravitated back to art!



 


Thank you SO MUCH, Shelley. My readers are grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to share your art, your talent, and the amazing array of bright, colorful designs and paintings that you create. We can see why your grandkids request more art!


Readers, be sure to follow:


Shelley's website: Shelley Wallace Ylst


Society6: Shelley Ylst Art


Redbubble: ShelleyYlstArt


Instagram: @shelley_ylst_art






 

Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts.


Pin it, please.





Meet the Artist - Belette Le Pink


Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a virtual interview. Our featured artist is Belette Le Pink. *Note The images in this post link to Belette's product shops.




 

Belette Le Pink

Madrid, Spain



  • Who are you, and what is your background?

Hi, this is Leticia, the person behind Belette Le Pink. Based in Madrid, Spain, I´m 43.

I come from a humble family with no relation to the arts or cultural aspirations, but from them, I learned to face life´s adversities through hard work and I don´t give up.


I studied Art and Illustration in Art School, but I am mostly a self-taught artist inspired by wildlife and daily life.



I started doodling when I was 4, just before I started writing. I used to copy cartoons I watched on TV (Hanna Barbera, Anime, Disney…) because I will always be fascinated by animation.


Because I grew up in a small city, my contact with nature was truly wildlife documentaries and the small parks and forests on the edge of town. For some reason, I have always felt connected with animals since my childhood, and I enjoyed illustrating hunting scenes of eagles, wolves, and lions… and reading Jack London´s novels. I wrote some books I illustrated by myself about doggy adventures and this kind. I was a lucky girl living in the wonderful '80s, a really creative and positive era.


My dream was to be a wildlife filmmaker and visit faraway places with my camera and sketchbook, or a Disney animator, creating wonderful characters more than a famous “artist”.

It is because of this I planned to study Biology until my 14th birthday when a neighbor of mine, who had been a painter in her youth, gave me an oil painting set and I started to paint more seriously.



I was inspired by the art of the Dutch artist Rien Poorvliet, famous for his illustrated books on wildlife and the Gnomes. I also liked classics Dutch like Vermeer (I love the wet on wet oil painting) Goya, Renoir, Pre-Raphaelites, Klimt, and avant-garde artists like Franz Marc,

Chagall, and whatever artist or illustrator, good or bad has a personal identity.


I started my illustration studies preparing to become a cartoonist or animator, and in the 90s, many animation studios were available in Spain. Still, due to personal circumstances, I needed a regular job, and I had to pause my artistic career for many years, leaving the art apart for free time and occasional commissions.

Meanwhile, I participated in many Local and National Exhibitions, Shows, interviews, and contests.

I have never been a portraits-or-painting artist only because I love to catch the movement, and maybe it is because of this that my sketches are always unfinished, leaving the imagination close to the lines. I identify more with audiovisual media. I have also studied music for many years, and music broadened my understanding of life, feelings, and the arts.

In 2010 I resumed my artistic studies learning Graphic Design, Advertising, and audiovisuals (examples).

And it was in 2017 when I decided to leave my regular job to try an artist career again, and this is how Belette was born.


  • What is your favorite medium?

Although I now use mainly digital painting, my favorite mediums are wet-on-wet oil painting and crayons, collage, and mixed media. I love the fresh watercolor style, ink sketches, and all the techniques with the expontaneous look.

I intend to introduce the traditional art concept and effects into my digital art to make it warmer and more organic.



Otters of the World pattern in grey Framed Mini Art Print




  • Has your practice changed over time?

This question is related to what we have talked about previously. I started drawing with what I had available: crayons, markers, gouaches, pens, and colored pencils when I was a child, and with watercolors, inks, and oils as a teenager.

In the early 2000s, I discovered the art of Annette Messager and her installations, and I was fascinated by exhibition art and the tridimensional possibilities. I realized that two dimensions were not enough for me. In addition, I discovered digital art possibilities and learned to use motion graphic tools and animation. I don´t believe the different types of art compete; they are complementary, and each medium has a kind of magic, utility, and expression. It's experimenting with them; our creativity does the rest.


  • What do you most enjoy painting?

Well, this is obvious (laughs) animals and wildlife.









  • What is the strongest memory of your childhood?

I have many childhood memories, but they all seem so far away, as if they weren't mine. Nothing in particular, but maybe one of them was my tonsil operation when I was 3-4 years old. I remember everything went dark, and then I was eating ice cream.



Visit RedBubble and check this as a sticker!


  • What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

Like many of us, I have had many jobs not related to art. I have been a shopping assistant in a printer shop, a food store, and a store restocker. I also worked as a manufacturer in factories and warehouses. I was mostly a telephone assistant in a call center in many areas like the help desk or searching for people with debts. I learned so much about people and met many different people from different nationalities there. I made many friends, no matter the kind of job, many of whom have had similar situations in life or worse. No matter what you studied or what you wanted to be, we all are in the same boat.


  • What has been your favorite response to your work?

I am most pleased when someone tells me that they feel motivated to create art, and my art, my animals, or my words inspire them.



DESIGNBYHÜMANS Steal Your Heart Mon Amour


  • Professionally, what is your goal? What´s your best advice for someone wanting to start as an artist?

I would like my illustration art to somehow impact people's consciousness and spread the love for animals, wildlife, nature, and the environment. Humans are part of nature, too, even when it seems we refuse to accept that we are just one more species on this planet. I am so happy when somebody writes a comment about how they enjoy discovering new animals and being able to contribute in some way to reflect on respect for nature, the environment, and humanity itself through my small actions. Small steps matter; baby steps are the beginning of big changes. I know it's a very hackneyed saying, but it works: I am a small artist now and willing to walk the needed. This is my recommendation for those who want to be an artist or whatever they want: success is never guaranteed, but I believe it is better to accept the frustration of not being a big artist or having too high expectations than to regret not having even tried. Just do it; only time will tell.



Click for a link an acrylic tray | Society6



Paradise before the fire (SGHN) Sticker | Society6






























The Hunter - poster on Displate


 

Thank you so much, Belette!


Readers, you can find Belette at lots of shops, and you can check them from this site:


Be sure to check the Print-on-Demand sites for many products with Belette's wonderful designs: Society6 or Redbubble or Zazzle (select your language).


Social Media:




While you're shopping, why not buy Belette a cup of coffee? Click the icon here: ⬇️














 

Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts



Pin it, Please! Comment below this post.







bottom of page