produced by VANESSA WILSON
Somewhere in Victoria, Canada is an artist who produces quirky compositions, which are then uploaded to his blog: Serious Drawings. Bearded fish, a pipe-smoking rabbit, a couch threatening to breathe heavily on you if you sit — these are some of the smile-inducing creations Marc Johns brings to his viewers. He embraces negative space, allowing his witty creations to exist in simple environments that focus the viewer’s attention.
Since its creation in 2006, Serious Drawings has gained a serious amount of attention with Johns’ artwork exhibited internationally in places like Bristol, Zurich and Amsterdam, as well as commercially on music albums and as magazine illustrations for Reader’s Digest and National Geographic to name a few. His work is so popular that even a number of his followers have made his illustrations into tattoos. Johns has published a few books of his drawings, including: H is for Holy Crap, and his most recent, I MADE THESE DRAWINGS FOR YOU — all of which now allows him to work full-time as the author and illustrator of Serious Drawings.
In this episode of Ampersand, Marc Johns chats with Vanessa Wilson, a longtime fan, (no she does not have a Johns tattoo) about his work, inspiration and process.
