Papergirl met with illustrator and graphic designer Dan Sullivan at his home/studio on West Broadway. By day, Dan designs kids media, such as activity books, games and apps, for Kidzsmart Concepts based in Gibson, BC. By night, Dan freelances as an illustrator, and occasionally animator, under the moniker Exploding Haggis Artworks (yes, this is something that can happen if you don’t prepare haggis correctly!) Dan studied graphic design, transitioned into TV and film production for a few years then fell into animation for a while before finding his way back to graphic design with a particular emphasis on illustration. Old cartoons, travel and his great sense of humor influence his style. Taking advantage of the ability to work remotely, Dan has lived in South Africa, the United States and the Caribbean and somewhat recently moved to Vancouver after living on the Sunshine Coast for a few years. Under Exploding Haggis Artworks, Dan hopes to one day develop a line of kids books, graphic novels and comics.
You can find more of Dan's work at Exploding Haggis and follow him on Twitter.
Our Q&A with Dan:
DS: Honestly, I am just a fan of really pretty things! I think for myself and for other artists that have similar styles that a lot of what we do is chasing ugliness away by creating beautiful things.
PG: Do you remember the first time you created something?
DS: I began drawing at an early age. My mom actually anticipated that I would end up pursuing some sort of artistic career! When I was working in TV and film production I actually stopped drawing, and only got back into it when a friend asked me to draw something for him. I realized that I hadn’t lost my abilities and was able to pick it up again naturally.
PG: What is your creative process?
DS: I usually like to get into my own little zone by putting on some music, which is something my girlfriend finds pretty amusing because I usually end up dancing in my chair. What I listen to depends on what mood I’m in but I tend to listen to soul or HiFi garage rock, music that has a lot of energy and that can keep me from getting distracted.
My artwork is pretty much completely digital at this point, but I still do some pencil and paper work as my starting point. I find it very hard to let go of that. A lot of my sketches will start out pretty crude, I just scribble as much as I can until something comes out of it. My ideas come from a lot of different places -- I think about artists that inspire me or the things I liked growing up such as old cartoons. Since I work with a lot of kid’s stuff cartoons is always a good starting point for me. But inspiration can really come from anywhere – I can be on the bus and see someone who has a charismatic face and be like “that person needs to be a cartoon character!”
PG: Do you think about the relationship between artist and viewer when creating?
DS: I do, all the time. For me if I’m not thinking about my audience then my artwork is more of a hobby. My end game is sharing my artwork with other people, even if it’s just on the level of posting something online and having a friend say they want it as a wallpaper for their computer. Engaging my audience is what motivates me, and I love being able to connect with other artists and appreciators of art through social media.
PG: What does community mean to you as an artist?
DS: Community is what builds the art, or the expression, or the idea that you are trying to get across. There is an energy that feeds off of itself that I think is very important. As an artist, or even just as an individual, you need a community and that collective experience of being with other likeminded individuals who share your passions and your ideas. Any change that you want to see needs a community behind it.
I think of cities or towns as a blank slate and people as your colors and your paintbrushes. Artists can be the people that help shape what you love about where you live and personally, I see myself as a cog in that wheel. I’m just another person who is passionate about what they do and I want to contribute to what people love about their community.
PG: How are you supported as an artist in Vancouver? Are there changes or improvements you would like to see?
DS: I feel supported as an artist by groups like Papergirl and the changes I would like to see are more community organizations that help to connect artists and community. There are a lot of small collectives and it would be nice to see more people getting involved with the arts and experimenting with what they would like to see. Far too many people say that there is nothing going on in Vancouver but I think a huge part of that is what you personally make of it. That said, there are so many amazing people in this city that volunteer their time to make the arts happen and they are the core support that I experience. People like Michele (our project manager!) or Chris Bentzen, the owner of Hot Art Wet City, have so much energy and support for artists. Individuals like them are so great and necessary for pushing people forward, regardless of what you produce as an artist.
PG: What interests you about Papergirl?
DS: I am interested in the inherent charm of it all! I’ve known about the project since it began and have looked at the websites and videos of other Papergirl projects from around the world. I really think that it helps bring art back to the community. I love the attitude and spirit of sharing artwork with people and making those connections. I really don’t see anything negative about it.
PG: At Papergirl, we are all about the art of giving art. What is the greatest gift you have ever received?
DS: For me my greatest gift ties into community. Whether it is love or friendship on an intimate level, or a group of people I love being around, it is that collective experience of being with good people. I see a lot of wealth in having that.
PG: To finish, a fun question: what kind of bike would you be?
DS: A hover bike, hands down!