Hi Shaun, I'm beyond thrilled to find you having this new blog. Seriously, I can call myself your No.1 fan in the whole wide milky way, not only because I have almost all the illustrated books of yours, but also beyond all the other artists, living or dead, you're my greatest inspiration and influence. I'm from Taiwan, now living in Los Angeles, as a graduate student major in animation at UCLA. Working very hard to finish my thesis film, it's something about hermit crabs and other funny creatures. Besides animating in 3D, I also love to draw, especially drawing mysterious adorable creatures, bunnies and crabs are my favorite. And I love to paint them in large scale using acrylic and oil paint. To me, you're like the cute version of Dali, but the difference between you is that I can always tell there're stories behind your drawing and painting, however everyone can have their own interpretations for your work. And what I really love about your work is that they are always so close to reality world, like it could possibly happen in our own very familiar small town, they're so close to our lives and I always appreciate your ideas to remind us any tiny elements surround us can be fun to watch. You are simply amazing and absolutely always with the brightest, most creative ideas.
I really, really hope by any chance you can travel to LA and meeting your fans. I'm always thinking about traveling to Australia, 'cuz most of the events are taken place there. Jeez sometimes I wish I can just go. I also very much want to show you my artwork and animated shorts if it's possible. People always say I draw very well. But getting any feedback from you means the most to me I believe.
OMG I typed a lot, thanks for your time reading Shaun, simply want you to know you are a great inspiration, a great master, a extremely gifted artist. I wish you a very good and happy life. And I hope I can talk to you soon or see you in person, that'll def be a dream come true. And also can't wait to see more artwork form this blog!!
Thanks Angie, much appreciated, and good luck with all things hermit crab! If you have a website I'll try and find a moment to comment on your work, with apologies in advance if I don't manage to (I get lots of requests from students, which I completely understand having been one).
This illustration looks amazing, such bright colors and fascinating characters... I am so impatient to get my hands on the book...
I live in England, but can't make it to Forbidden Planet next week, I am gutted :( I hope you enjoy your time here... May the food treat you better than the french food you ate in Paris a long time ago (we did an interview for a French website last year where you mentioned this incident)
Thanks, but please don't hold your breath waiting! it's nowhere near finished, let along published, but I'll be sure to post a publication date once it's figured out.
Hello, love how this art work is coming along Shaun. Just an average sort of day... a boy walking his wind up turquoise dinosaur with his friend the robot with one giant eye. You see exactly the same thing round our way. ;)
Beautiful picture. I really like the colors, especially the touches in the grass ( like the blue ones to remind the blue of the sky and the dino). Much yellow, some blue and few red, as in a vermeer's composition. Great.
And the poetry that we found in tales from outer suburbia still seems to be there.
I wish you all the best in your work. (sorry for my english, I'm french)
I found "The Red Tree" in a bookshop in Paris called "Shakespeare & co" which is a place where english speakers come, and also a lot of tourists, or french people just curious like me. It's a beautiful place, which seems to come out from the 19th century, with wood shelves and stairs, full of books of course, with little places where you can sit and read, little spaces and rooms, and even a piano with often someone playing. It's very warm and beautiful, but also very crowded.
But that night there was almost nobody, I was there and found the Red Tree, I didn't know your books at all. I found myself in the center of Paris, sitting on a big wood chair, surrounded by old books, near a guy who was playing beautifully piano, reading your book, amazed by each page, each painting and it was one surrealist and magic moment...
I just wanted to say "bravo", I suppose it's a long work to communicate this rich universe of yours with this simplicity. I got and read (watched?) also "The Arrival" since, which I loved very much too, and I look forward to read all your other ones!
Thanks very much for everyone's comments, as well as your stories of finding my books - that's always very interesting because as a book creator you often don't see how that happens, especially in other countries. I like the idea of people finding my work without any introduction or context, by accident and with no expectation at all.
I've finished most work on this most recent book, which is more or less about the relationship between two brothers, a big one and a little one, with very little text - it's quite simple, but as you can see from this example picture, not entirely straight-forward or easy to explain. Isn't that the case with most family relationships? It will probably be released in Australia around September next year, these things often take a long time! Hopefully some other international editions may follow, or even precede, and I'll try to let folks know about that when it happens.
WOW! really impressive... i hope to see soon your new book! =)
ReplyDeleteHi Shaun, I'm beyond thrilled to find you having this new blog. Seriously, I can call myself your No.1 fan in the whole wide milky way, not only because I have almost all the illustrated books of yours, but also beyond all the other artists, living or dead, you're my greatest inspiration and influence. I'm from Taiwan, now living in Los Angeles, as a graduate student major in animation at UCLA. Working very hard to finish my thesis film, it's something about hermit crabs and other funny creatures. Besides animating in 3D, I also love to draw, especially drawing mysterious adorable creatures, bunnies and crabs are my favorite. And I love to paint them in large scale using acrylic and oil paint.
ReplyDeleteTo me, you're like the cute version of Dali, but the difference between you is that I can always tell there're stories behind your drawing and painting, however everyone can have their own interpretations for your work. And what I really love about your work is that they are always so close to reality world, like it could possibly happen in our own very familiar small town, they're so close to our lives and I always appreciate your ideas to remind us any tiny elements surround us can be fun to watch. You are simply amazing and absolutely always with the brightest, most creative ideas.
I really, really hope by any chance you can travel to LA and meeting your fans. I'm always thinking about traveling to Australia, 'cuz most of the events are taken place there. Jeez sometimes I wish I can just go. I also very much want to show you my artwork and animated shorts if it's possible. People always say I draw very well. But getting any feedback from you means the most to me I believe.
OMG I typed a lot, thanks for your time reading Shaun, simply want you to know you are a great inspiration, a great master, a extremely gifted artist. I wish you a very good and happy life. And I hope I can talk to you soon or see you in person, that'll def be a dream come true. And also can't wait to see more artwork form this blog!!
Sincerely,
Angie Lin
Thanks Angie, much appreciated, and good luck with all things hermit crab! If you have a website I'll try and find a moment to comment on your work, with apologies in advance if I don't manage to (I get lots of requests from students, which I completely understand having been one).
DeleteHi Shaun,
ReplyDeleteThis illustration looks amazing, such bright colors and fascinating characters... I am so impatient to get my hands on the book...
I live in England, but can't make it to Forbidden Planet next week, I am gutted :( I hope you enjoy your time here... May the food treat you better than the french food you ate in Paris a long time ago (we did an interview for a French website last year where you mentioned this incident)
Regards,
Alix
Love it. Can't wait to see the finished product. Is there somewhere I can sign up to pre-order the book when it's finished?
ReplyDeleteThanks, but please don't hold your breath waiting! it's nowhere near finished, let along published, but I'll be sure to post a publication date once it's figured out.
DeleteI hope to have the new book in my hands soon!!
ReplyDeleteI love your works!!
Hello, love how this art work is coming along Shaun. Just an average sort of day... a boy walking his wind up turquoise dinosaur with his friend the robot with one giant eye. You see exactly the same thing round our way. ;)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful picture. I really like the colors, especially the touches in the grass ( like the blue ones to remind the blue of the sky and the dino). Much yellow, some blue and few red, as in a vermeer's composition. Great.
ReplyDeleteAnd the poetry that we found in tales from outer suburbia still seems to be there.
I wish you all the best in your work.
(sorry for my english, I'm french)
Hi Shaun - I have almost all of your books - is there a way to subscribe to this blog?
ReplyDeletelove!
Leelah in Norway
I found "The Red Tree" in a bookshop in Paris called "Shakespeare & co" which is a place where english speakers come, and also a lot of tourists, or french people just curious like me. It's a beautiful place, which seems to come out from the 19th century, with wood shelves and stairs, full of books of course, with little places where you can sit and read, little spaces and rooms, and even a piano with often someone playing. It's very warm and beautiful, but also very crowded.
ReplyDeleteBut that night there was almost nobody, I was there and found the Red Tree, I didn't know your books at all. I found myself in the center of Paris, sitting on a big wood chair, surrounded by old books, near a guy who was playing beautifully piano, reading your book, amazed by each page, each painting and it was one surrealist and magic moment...
I just wanted to say "bravo", I suppose it's a long work to communicate this rich universe of yours with this simplicity.
I got and read (watched?) also "The Arrival" since, which I loved very much too, and I look forward to read all your other ones!
(Sorry for my english! :)
Thanks very much for everyone's comments, as well as your stories of finding my books - that's always very interesting because as a book creator you often don't see how that happens, especially in other countries. I like the idea of people finding my work without any introduction or context, by accident and with no expectation at all.
ReplyDeleteI've finished most work on this most recent book, which is more or less about the relationship between two brothers, a big one and a little one, with very little text - it's quite simple, but as you can see from this example picture, not entirely straight-forward or easy to explain. Isn't that the case with most family relationships? It will probably be released in Australia around September next year, these things often take a long time! Hopefully some other international editions may follow, or even precede, and I'll try to let folks know about that when it happens.