This week’s installment of Maker Monday brings you local Bloomington artist Vincent Desjardins!! Vincent is a force to be reckoned with in the illustration world; bringing us not only prints and cards (which are glorious) but also plush and pillows with his designs, and most recently a published book and infinity scarves for this glorious April weather we’ve been having! Let’s get to know Vince a little better, shall we?
- Who are you? What is your business?My name is Vincent Desjardins and I’m an illustrator, designer, maker, gardener, movie lover, reader and animal lover. My business name is “Vincent Desjardins, Illustrator” and though I also do design work, my ongoing dream is to illustrate children’s books.
- Where are you from?Originally I’m from Southern California where I grew up, went to school and found my first jobs in computer graphics. I left California in 1993 and moved to Washington state where i lived until 2007 when I moved to Indiana to be with my partner who was working on his PhD at IU.
- How long have you been making?I’ve been making things ever since I learned how to hold a pencil and use a pair of scissors.
- What is YOUR most favorite handmade item that you own?Some of the drawings and paintings that my mom made when she was a teenager. These were all done in the late 1930s or early 40’s when my mom would have been between 18 and 22.
- What is your ‘pie in the sky’ dream with your business/art?I have two ‘pie in the sky’ dreams. One is that I will be discovered by a ‘big-time’ illustration agent who will want to represent me and two is that I will get some licensing deals for my surface pattern designs.
- Where do you draw your artistic inspiration from?Vintage children’s books and nature
- Share 3-5 links that everyone who Loves handmade should know about.For sewing tips: https://www.youtube.com/user/ProfessorPincushion/videos
For crochet work: https://www.youtube.com/user/mikeyssmail/videos
For other tutorials and inspiration, I usually just browse through Pinterest - A few of your favorite things?
Favorite place to visit/vacation: ScandinaviaFavorite color: BlueFavorite food: PizzaFavorite store(s): I have three – Gather; the Book Corner; Vintage Phoenix Comics
- Share something fun, exciting, new or different about yourself.
In my younger years I worked in Hollywood at a video post-production studio where I met lots of celebrities including, Prince, Tim Burton, and Ricardo Montalban!
I have a children’s book coming out on April 5th that I illustrated. It’s titled “Mercy, The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh, Founder of the ASPCA and Friend to Animals,” by Nancy Furstinger.
And to end our interview, one of Vince’s favorite creative quotes, from Ray Bradbury:
“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t ‘try’ to do things. You simply ‘must’ do things.”
Gather 