Pascal Campion

The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw the covers for Oogeley Boogeley 4 and 5 by Pascal Campion, is that here is an artist that reaffirms my faith in humanity. I know that's an awful lot to put onto an artist and illustrator that only a couple days before I hadn't even heard of. But something about Pascal's work just makes me so incredibly happy. His mix of bright colors, clean lines, and often cute subjects continually remind me that there are so many great things in life. And I will freely say that since I first saw those covers on a random post on Parka Blog, I have been actively seeking out his work. After my birthday (and our trip) in November, I'm going to pick up Oogeley Boogeley, whichever versions I can get my hands on.

Pascal offers plenty of work for me to find. He posts a new image pretty much daily on his regular blog and then another set of images on a joint blog with Matthieu Forichon called Scribilings. So each day I'm treated to not one but two new images. That kind of prolific work is impressive but only that much more impressive when you look at the regular quality of the work. I read a interview with him that was done back in 2007 (I'm a bit behind) and he mentioned how he tricks the inner critic that I'm going to try. He says that when he sits down to create he makes a quick mark on the page. That way it is no longer a blank page and he can avoid that "Blank sheet of paper fear." I'm going to have to try that since it is one of my issues.

Pascal is a San Francisco based artist who grew up in France. He has done illustration and animation work, along with his regularly done sketches. He sometimes draws images from his life, or goes the exact opposite way, creating new and interesting animal characters. And if I didn't already love the cute animals and wonderful people that Pascal creates, I would be excited by the bright colors and shades that he uses. Like this image below which is one of his new ones on his blog that feels moody but also warm and inviting.

Or this cute little loves story told in one picture. I am in awe of how he uses color in this one. We see one half of the story with moody blues and darkness. And the other with its purples and pinks and brightness. Just beautiful. Aptly titled Romeo and Juliet.

I am shocked by the variety of styles that he uses. His animal images have such a feeling of unreality. Very bright often exaggerated lines and colors. Whereas some of his family images tend to be very realistic although with a more stylized line. He's been recently doing a number of train images that have a dark, sketchy sort of feel to them. Always varied. And I constantly am delighted by some of the wild and wonderful characters that he brings to life. What can I say, his work just makes me happy.