Kim: My name is Kim Gadbois, I am a 25 year old artist from Montreal, Canada. I work 40 long hours a week in a video game company mostly trying to figure out a way to become a freelancer. I would either like to be my own boss or make a switch to work in the animation industry. I like chocolate cake, cats (I have the most adorable kitty) and my boyfriend, who is also an artist. I stated traveling last year and I can say that seeing the world and discovering more countries has quickly become one of my ongoing goals in life.
PP: Apart from creating art, what do you do?
Kim: I am a ballet dancer! Not professionally of course, but I started to dance when I was three years old and have continued to train at least once a week since. I must say that it is very difficult to find a balance between art and ballet because they are two activities that I have to squeeze into my spare time, and they both require a strong commitment in order to achieve success. Apart from these pursuits, I work every Saturday in a dance supply store. I sell pointe shoes and leotards all day long and I love it!
PP: What first made you want to become an artist?
Kim: Watching Disney's animated movies at a very early age , I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to become a Disney animator. I would spend my days copying VHS covers of the movies, practicing my coloring and painting skills, and imagining how great it must be to work for The Mouse. This ambition has stayed with me ever since but I realized my passion in animation school. When I learned that there are other jobs that support the animators in the industry--background painters, illustrators, in-betweeners--I decided perhaps that was the best route for my talents and interests.
PP: Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
Kim: I usually start with a quick sketch in my sketchbook. Depending if I want to make a painting or just a drawing, I will redo the sketch onto a canvas. This is the crucial step because sometimes I don't like the real drawing as much as the quick doodle I originally created and it takes time to figure out how to make it work for a finished piece. I also like to work digitally in Photoshop. In my Etsy shop, you will also find other art projects like crochet and Swarovsky rings. When I discovered Etsy in 2008, and I saw all of the different arts and crafts that people are offering there, I had a craft attack and wanted to try a bit of everything! I have finally decided to stick to promoting my drawings and paintings. I am also considering offering prints of my original works.
PP: What artists have influenced you and inspire you to create?
Kim: Apart from Disney artists in general, I have to say Eyvind Earl (who also worked for Disney). He was a genius background painter popular in the 1940's. He was the art director and painter for the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. Earl had such a mad attention to details and his work is simply magical. I'd also have to include Marcel Marlier, a Belgian illustrator famous for creating the Martine series of children's books. These books contain some of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen in my life and it's notable that he dedicated all of his career to creating this series. I would say that you can find a little of his influence in my drawings. These days I am influenced and inspired by art blogs created by students from every animation school in the world. I follow bloggers living, studying and working in California, France and Canada--all three areas have a high concentration of talented artists. I spend a lot of time watching what other people are creating. It helps keep my creative juices flowing.
PP: Where else can people find your work?
Kim: I have a deviantART gallery with almost all of the illustrations I display on my blog, Pantoufle de verre. I also sell my acrylic paintings on Ebay but always announce these offerings on my blog first. I may attend the Toronto Fan Expo this year. It is a convention where you can sell anything related to comics or cartooning and meet up with other artists. Networking and making connections in the art world is always helpful to my career!
PP: Oh, and just what does Pantoufle de verre mean?
Kim: The translated title of my blog would mean something like: Glass slipper in gravel!
The paintings, sketches, drawings, illustrations and animated film displayed in this post are the original creations of Kim Gadbois, and several can be found for sale in her Etsy shop, deviantART gallery and on Ebay. Enjoy more of Kim's work online at her Flickr Gallery.
