Like many artists of my generation, Disney's The Little Mermaid changed my young life. All I wanted to do was be a mermaid, but lacking the ability to hold my breath for long periods of time, I lived out my obsession through drawing mermaids--mermaids who were acting out some kind of story. It was the beginning of my journey as a narrative artist.
And my focus never changed. I grew up on a diet of beautifully illustrated books, animated movies, period dramas, and musicals. Receiving a typewriter, and then a computer, I wrote my own stories and drew the pictures. I went through my Disney animator phase in junior high, my anime and manga phase in high school, and discovered Art Nouveau and the Golden Age of Children's Book Illustration in college. Each stage informed and refined my tastes until I reached the conclusion that sequential art was, for me, the perfect marriage between pictures in motion and pictures embedded in pages of text. It was the perfect way to tell the hundreds of stories in my head.
Since receiving my Bachelor of Design from the Alberta College of Art + Design, I have worked predominantly with other storytellers, bringing their visions to life in comics and picture books. In 2013, I launched my own ongoing fantasy web comic Stray Sod. I have also done logos, infographics, illustrations for manuals, special occasion invitations and stationery, signs, corporate vehicles and trade show displays.
I also work in an elementary school library, and love having the opportunity to help children discover their future passions. And if it wasn't clear from a lot of my pictures, we have a dachshund who is amazing, funny, and typically stubborn. On occasion I get to read, travel, write novels, and bake cupcakes.
Conntect with me on one of the social media platforms below, or contact me directly at:
contact@chelseacrutchley.com
