Jon Cannell

Where do you live?
North Bend, Washington (where David Lynch filmed Twin Peaks)

Where have you lived?
Denver CO, Yuma AZ, Tucson AZ, Mesa AZ, Switzerland, Seattle WA

What medium do you use?
Pen and ink, watercolor, collage

How do you stay inspired?
Read, sketch, experiment, watch my kids draw and paint, look through old Graphis magazines from the 30s-60s, go to art exhibits, surf the web, look at magazines.

Where do you buy your art supplies?
Daniel Smith

Do you work traditionally or digitally?
Both.

What color combination are you most excited about right now?
Warm red, brown and aqua blue.

What blog(s) do you read?
Etsy, TypePad.

Why do you like being an illustrator in 10 words or less?
I like the freedom to experiment and try new things and integrate illustration into my design work.

If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be?
Tennis coach.

What illustration job would you love to get (your dream job)?
Bedding patterns for Land of Nod, a project with Target, a film’s opening title sequence.

Name something you do in your spare time.
Play tennis for a USTA tennis league.

What’s the strangest work experience you’ve ever had?
When I was at a focus group and the client went on the other side of the glass and started arguing with the focus group when they were criticizing his product. Good times.

What are you reading now?
H.G. Wells assorted short stories and The Trial by Franz Kafka.

What recent book do you recommend for a good read?
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series.

Where would you like to travel to next?
Italy or Spain.

What’s your favorite TV show?
Lost, The Office.

What’s your favorite NPR show?
This American Life.

What movie have you seen several times?
Blade Runner.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Spy vs Spy (Mad Magazine)

Who are you in “The Office”?
Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

What is your favorite cheese?
Muenster

If you could name a nail polish, what would you name it?
Fancy Fingers.

Do you wear shoes when you do art?
Not usually.

What do you listen to while you work?
Echo and the Bunnymen, Air, Portishead, Massive Attack, Led Zeppelin, Love and Rockets, The Smiths, Radiohead, NPR.

What artist are you reincarnated from?
Ben Shahn or Miroslav Sasek.

What’s your middle name?
Clark

If you could eat only one food, what would it be?
Thai

How do you stay in shape?
Playing tennis 3-5 days a week and working in the yard.

How don’t you stay in shape?
Working on a computer all day, I get bored working out in the gym.

What is your current favorite font?
Gotham

How do you take your coffee?
Quad Grande Nonfat Latte

Whom would you like to meet?
Bjorn Borg

What question would you most like to be asked?
About going to Art Center Europe in Switzerland. Very fond memories.

What recent illustration job have you enjoyed doing?
My Travels with Clara children’s book.

What was your favorite illustration assignment?
My Travels with Clara children’s book with Getty publications.

Client List

The Boston Globe
Chronicle Books
Disney/Hyperion
Family Fun Magazine
Galison/Mudpuppy
Getty Publications
Grey Advertising
The Land of Nod
Live Happy Magazine
Madison Park Greetings
Periscope
Random House
Shape Magazine
Stamen Pistil Advertising and Design
Starbucks
Time Magazine
Tufts University
Unicef
Village Voice

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