As a child,
illustrator Marjorie Blais was lonely and shy. Her drawings were a way for her
to come out of isolation and draw people to her. Her colourful, childlike, and
naive world is a way for her to reveal herself, one pencil stroke at a time.
“Drawing has always been my passion. It’s
extraordinary to be able to imagine a world of my own, with my own characters,
and bring it to life on paper.”
When she was little, Marjorie Blais Simard drew “little
characters”. Even today, she knows she also has to work on the scenery, but
what she loves most of all is creating friends! When the time came to decide on
her field of study, she chose graphic design for her DEC and BAC, since
illustration seemed less interesting to her for earning a living. “I loved
graphic design. I am a very Cartesian designer, so I thrive within boundaries.
Work never stands still in this profession: every time we fall into new
universes, from one creation to the next, we push our abilities further and
further.”
After working in this field for a few years, she took
the plunge and started her own business. Then she contacted the Quebec children’s
clothing brand Souris Mini. “I sent them a cry for help: I want to do
children’s illustrations! I recognized myself in their collections, so I knew
we would be in harmony. And that is indeed what happened.” Marjorie Blais has
been an illustrator at Souris Mini for almost 10 years.
“I am a designer in the broadest
sense. I am still a child. I like everything cute and imaginative. I love
children’s books, graphic novels, baking, and video games. Some games make me
cry, they are so beautiful and poetic!”
Little Butterfly
Spreads Her Wings
Over the years, she has developed a desire to pursue
personal projects on the side. She has illustrated children’s books, created
tapestry designs for Décor Imprimé, and stocked her Etsy shop … and, of course, collaborated
with Demain Demain!
“Illustrations are not just beautiful in books or on
walls. They are beautiful everywhere, on bags or placemats; they tell us
stories. With Demain Demain products, we can enjoy them in our everyday lives.”
When she begins a new project, Marjorie always starts
with a pencil. She then scans her drawing on the computer to complete it, while
retaining a more pencilled style. Her creative hours are in the evening or at
night. It is in this more relaxed state that her best ideas emerge, with a
steaming cup of tea at her side.
For many years, the illustrator has been fascinated
with Japan. “It seems that the Japanese have no limit to their creativity. In
Japan, illustrations are everywhere, all the time. They are sometimes soft and
poetic, sometimes colourful, noisy and completely kawaii.”
“I evolve more in the children’s
style than in the adult. My universe is feminine, vintage, with old pink. When
I draw more masculine worlds, I fall into the retro, 30’s people with no
elbows, spaghetti arms and the old Mickey Mouse aesthetic.”
A word about
the “making of” Le monde des Crocs: I followed Anne’s order and adapted it to a style I liked. The
result is absurd with a hairy man, and the plants have an incredulous look…
Humour flows from this illustration.
A word about
the “making of” Jardin des merveilles: It’s a rather precise idea that Anne (Chabot, president of
Demain Demain) had in mind. We wanted to create an adventurous girl with
fantastic characters. In the illustration, you can tell she’s going to do
something extraordinary! It’s like a freeze frame in a movie before its
climax.
A FEW QUICK
QUESTIONS
An illustrator
you admire?
The Japanese artist LoveSoup. She has her own YouTube channel. Her work is infused with softness, she draws cherry leaves,
small animals. Her illustrations inspire me.
Your favourite
children’s books?
Anything illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, whose
pencil stroke is magical. If I could, I would wallpaper my house with the
illustrations from Jane, the fox and me. I also really like the books The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons
Came Home. These are really different from
Isabelle Arsenault’s style, but they are so cute, and I really like the texts!
It probably speaks to my tendency to imagine little living characters around
me, even more so if they are little pencils!
The
illustration that makes you proud?
The adventurous little girl I drew for Demain Demain!
I went back to my college days when I used to draw strong women, warriors. I
really like characters in action, and also the work of light and colouring of
this illustration, which create a beautiful atmosphere. And then, you’ll
recognize the nod to a certain Japanese character dear to my heart!
Where to find MARJORIE’s
creations:
