TAXI Hi Blair, glad to have you here with us, could you tell us more about yourself?

Blair Kelly I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Originally studying graphic design at a local college, I quickly realized it wasn’t my calling and enrolled in the Interpretive Illustration program at Sheridan College. I graduated in 1999 and have been working ever since.

TAXI Describe your style of illustrations?

Blair Kelly My work could be described as graphic & textural with an emphasis on concept.

TAXI Your illustrations have a very distinct trademark style to them, where do your inspirations come from?

Blair Kelly My inspirations can come from anywhere and anything. I am inspired by artists such as Warhol, Diebenkorn & Motherwell to name a few. Japanese prints, the Dada movement, other illustrators, animation & 50’s design also inspire me.

I initially spend a lot of time thinking about concept, then layout and colour, which always seem to come together amidst the creative process.

TAXI How has your style evolved over the years?

Blair Kelly My style has evolved in a few ways over the years. I started out using a gouache resist method, which I eventually found too limiting. Once I switched over to linocut, everything just fell into place. Printmaking was my elective in college and I loved it; it completely changed the way I thought about creating an image. It felt very natural to produce my images this way again. My ability to conceptualize ideas has also become stronger over the years.

TAXI What tools do you work with, in order to illustrate?

Blair Kelly Because I am a printmaker, my tools are linoleum blocks, carving tools, brayers, a baren (to transfer the image to paper), ink, tons of paper (I print several editions of each image and pick my favorite) & occasionally the computer for finishing touches.

TAXI In the past 10 years you have worked as an illustrator, share with us about the experience of your most memorable project?

Blair Kelly I have had tons of memorable projects over the years, one of which springs to mind… A couple of years ago I was commissioned by the art director from Up! Magazine for 3 full page illustrations for an article on a father and daughter’s trip to Disneyland.

There was so much to work with visually in the article and obviously from the subject matter. The art director gave me a lot of freedom to do almost whatever I wanted and it ended up being one of the most fun projects I have worked on.

TAXI What has been the most valuable lesson that you have picked up in your course of work?

Blair Kelly The most valuable lesson for me was finding the right balance between creating an image that satisfied the client’s needs and equally satisfied my own creative aspirations. When I first started out I created images strictly based on the project’s criteria, without contributing my own perspective. I am now more confident in my ideas and try to infuse my own personal sensibilities into each illustration.

TAXI What advice would you dispense to young illustrators who have just gotten started in their career?

Blair Kelly I would say that you have to do what you love most and to figure out what that is through lots of experimentation. There are tons of very talented illustrators out there so you have to create images that stand out and are original. I would also say that marketing and advertising are huge…if nobody sees your images, then you probably wont get work.

TAXI Could you show us a picture/describe your workspace ?



Blair Kelly My space is a room in my apartment with 2 desks, a bookshelf and a large drawer unit full of prints I’ve done over the years. The wall above my desk is covered with my favourite images to inspire me while I’m working.

TAXI Before we end, tell us where would you like a TAXI to take you to now?

Blair Kelly Well if it was a magical flying taxi, I would love to go to Australia! I have been fantasizing about traveling there since I was a kid.