You may recognize Julie Morstad's artwork from the cover of Neko Case's 2006 album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Julie, one of my favorite artists, has illustrated several books- Milk Teeth (by Drawn and Quarterly), Where You Came From, and the award-winning When You Were Small. Her artwork has adorned not only books, but galleries (Atelier Gallery and Antisocial), clothing (with Lifetime Collective), and wallpaper (at Moustache & Darling). Her commission work client list includes The Globe and Mail, Warner Brothers Records and The Walrus Magazine. Most recently, Julie and her brother, Paul worked on Neko Case's "People Got a Lotta Nerve" video. Julie shares with us a little glimpse into her world.
The Proof
1. Henry's tower. I think he actually called it a skatepark.
2. The Montessori "pink tower". I don't really know that much about Montessori schools except that they have RAD TOYS!
3. Detail of a painting done by the mother of my husband when he was a child. It documents different rooms of different houses they lived in. Places like Turkey, Africa... Edmonton.
4. Some favorite old books.
5. The beautiful playground in Stanley Park.
6. I would much rather play with the pretend food than cook or eat.seriously. I still do occasionally make the real stuff for the children.
7. Beautiful pattern by the amazing Stig Lindberg.
8. Some toys on a shelf in my daughter's room. Creepy handknit little friend was mine as a baby.
9. A wall in my studio.
The Questions
What do you do and where?
I'm an artist and a mother of three children. I make drawings and books mostly, though I have done a few animated videos. I work from home and from a studio on Main St. I've just finished the illustrations for a few different books and I'm working on some new work for a group show in Portland coming up.
What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in the Fraser neighborhood. I'm actually not sure what it's called here-it's east of the cemetery. We just moved a few months ago and it feels weird and quiet because we moved from Mount Pleasant where the firetrucks would whip by the window at all hours, sirens blaring. I miss Mount Pleasant. I think it's my favorite part of the city.
Where can we find your work?
My work can be found in various stores around Vancouver such as Eugene Choo, Lucky's Comics, Dandelion Kids and Antisocial.
You can see Julie's artwork at www.juliemorstad.com and on the Atelier Gallery site.
