posted: May 25, 2013

If you're in Toronto on Thursday June 6th, do come by to see a group show of work I've put together!
Months ago, David Campbell and Nathaniel Garcia came to by my studio to see if I would by interested in curating a show for the Eliile Gallery. A beautiful and large space, I happily accepted. I've curated many group shows in the past, but this seemed like a good opportunity to do something slightly different.
Featuring work by illustrators printed by master printer Dimitri Levanoff, on specially created hand-made paper by the Japanese Paper Place, this project was a very interesting collaboration that brings digital printing to another level.

On the very same evening, my good friend and illustrator Sandra Dionisi (who is also in the PAGES show) is having a wonderful solo show that you must see as well... So please do mark the date in your calendars.

posted: October 30, 2012

Last Friday night (October 26th) was the opening of the "Fall Classic" show, the second in a series of events put on by the Garrison Creek Bat Co. It was a fun night - thanks to the GCBC Trio - Dave Murray, C.R. Fieldhouse, and Ryan Christiani!
The show featured artists; Base Camp X, Rob Baytor, Alex Bierk, Darren Booth, Graeme Cameron, Sandra Dionisi, C.R Fieldhouse, Jeff Garcia, Leslie Gauthier, Darryl Graham, Adam Hilborn, Bryce Huffman, Irma Kniivila, Jamie Lawson, Erin McCutcheon, Erin McPhee, Dushan Milic, Joe Morse, Dave Murray, Jacqui Oakley, Pete Ryan, Jon Todd and myself.
We were each given a beautifully hand-made maple wood baseball bat to do what we liked with, and here are the results...

posted: October 12, 2012

Check it out, my work will be in good company! We've all been given these beautiful hand-made bats, to do what we like with them...
Late October finds the baseball season nearing its end, but also at its most exciting. A full season has been narrowed down to two teams, competing for one of professional sports' greatest prizes, the World Series title - also affectionately known as the "Fall Classic".
GCBC would love for you to join us to help celebrate the spirit of the season at "Fall Classic", our second art show - hosted at SMASH (2880 Dundas St. W, Toronto).

 

posted: October 12, 2012

Check it out, my work will be in good company! We've all been given these beautiful hand-made bats, to do what we like with them...
Late October finds the baseball season nearing its end, but also at its most exciting. A full season has been narrowed down to two teams, competing for one of professional sports' greatest prizes, the World Series title - also affectionately known as the "Fall Classic".
GCBC would love for you to join us to help celebrate the spirit of the season at "Fall Classic", our second art show - hosted at SMASH (2880 Dundas St. W, Toronto).

 

posted: October 4, 2011

Illustration Office Meeting:
Wednesday, October 12th
RSVP by emailing Julia
156 Augusta Avenue, Kensington Market, Toronto
Hope to see you there!

posted: September 30, 2011

In the time that I've been an illustrator (about twelve years now), I've been drawn to collaboration.  I've done so through group shows, organized get-togethers for coffee, or a few drinks, workshops in my old studio, or through volunteering at ICON.
 
I did it because I needed to. There have been so many moments when I've felt stuck, frustrated and bored. Surrounding myself with those whose work I admired spurred me on. It helped me reassess what I was doing. I took comfort when some confided that they were also struggling and celebrated their successes, even when I was envious. In those chunks of time when work was at a stand-still, it was a way to stay focussed on what I really desired, to remain an illustrator.

Last year when I was in Prague, I went to many galleries and museums, but the thing that excited me the most was a place called, Orbis-Pictus. The event was titled "leporeloHRA", an interactive drawing project that invited visitors to make creations of all kinds, using paper, drawing implements and a variety of rotating machines and instruments. The project demonstrated that creative play can function as a universal means of communication without language or age barriers.I could barely grasp the concept at the time (no English explanation could be found). I loved the feeling of the place though. Collaborative work, freedom to play - it felt very fresh to me, something I'd been craving.

Through many conversations with friends about my trip to Prague, what emerged was a desire to have a space where we could learn from each other, collaborate, share ideas,  work, and play.  In Toronto, illustrators have never had a central place where they could show their work, get reliable industry help, rethink, retrain, and share what they know.
 
Now there is. It's called nook.
 

It's a hub, a place for you to expand, grow, and get support.
 
I've always thrived on the burst of energy I get from collaboration and I want to share… So when are you coming by?

posted: February 14, 2011

New things:

• My work has received a coveted spot in the upcoming Communication Arts Illustration Annual 52... Yippee!
• Started a new blog with a specific focus:  shouldhavebeenillustrated
• Updated my website.
• Succombed to Twitter with some pals for kicks:  Skiamorph
• Keen for an upcoming trip to NYC for the Robert Crumb show at the Society...

Had a good Saturday, this past weekend.  Have I mentioned how I adore my students? 
Put an open call to my Conceptual Process classes to meet me downtown for a presentation at the University of Toronto, 'Illustrating Illustration: Towards a Graphic Criticism'.  This was presented by the Collaborative Program in Book History and Print Culture, the Department of Political Science and the Department of Near & Middle Eastern Studies.  Organizer Jessica Duffin Wolfe has told me that this type of event is rare, where they look at the role of illustration, but please, we want more!
 
We met at the Upper Library at Massey College, mainly interested in Session 2: Adaptation as Illustration, and the Keynote Address “Fear, Censorship, and Self-Censorship: Lessons from the Danish Cartoon Episode”. 
 
A.L. Day, “Scholastic’s Great Idea: (Re)Producing Popular Children’s Novels in Graphic Form” - Entertaining, although we all thought was lacking in substance. Centered on the various edtions of 'The Baby-sitter's Club'. Best part - question period with a throw-down of confusatory academia-speak.
 
T.R. Ormond, “Illustration as Vengeance: Mikhail Vrubel’s Anna Karenina’s Reunion with her Son” - Focused on Vrubel's portrayal of Anna Karenina as gothic & grotesque, his image of that scene at odds with the writer, attempting to correct  Tolstoy's vision. Reminded me of the content of Words & Pictures by Jenny Uglow.
 
Morris Tichenor, “Poetry in Motion: Understanding a Fourteenth-Century Comic Book Adaptation of Alan of Lille’s Anticlaudianus” - Entertaining, funny, this was our favourite and provided the best quote of the day - "Picture proclaims what language cannot, how speech, subject to Nature grows stupid when it tries to speak divine things." - Anticlaudianus 
 
After this, we needed some air and some good Vietnamese food. Wandered Kensington Market together, went into Function 13 , saw some interesting work by Antoine Duhamel and bought a recent copy of Elephant magazine, featuring fellow Drawger Lou Beach.
Shortly after, we realized it was too late to catch the Keynot Address at U of T, so opted for a used bookstore and hot drinks instead.  Am still kicking myself that I missed it though.
Thank you to the students that were able to come out - it was fun! 

posted: October 4, 2009

Interesting illustration/art project from KesselsKramer in Amsterdam. Needs contributors for an online concept that will be seen in galleries in Europe. An illustration 'tapestry'--simple B&W drawing of the events of individual weeks of this year. The idea is to showcase different illustrators approach to drawing and their take on world/current events. The plan is for the final project to be shown in galleries in Europe. Check it out!

posted: February 26, 2009

Right now I've got some work in a great group show on display here in Toronto at the Steam Whistle gallery called 'Cut to the Drummer', a project that was put together by Bepo + mimi - which, in case you didn't know - is driven by powerhouse Sandra Dionisi.  Check out the CTTD site to hear an interview I did with Alan Cross, the man and expert behind 'Ongoing History of New Music'.
Below is a painting I did of drummer Aaron Solowoniuk of Billy Talent, titled 'SKINS', as well a couple of shots from the show and another of this painting still in my studio... The other painting is of Archie Alleyne, titled 'Tension' - Peter Goddard, a reviewer at The Toronto Star newspaper, had this to say about the portrait: "Julia Breckenreid's Archie Alleyne – a deliciously shadowy image of the veteran Toronto jazz drumming stalwart – is a lyrical contemporary exception to this old-school approach."