1. Congratulations on publishing Timbertown Tales: Chester Gets a Pet! Can you tell us a bit about the book and what it means to you?

JB: The whole idea for the book came from meeting a couple of wonderful ladies, Tonya Martin and Meghan Hague. We met at the Culture Crawl in my Studio. They were very complementary about my furniture. When I found out that they published books, I suggested we should do a book about my furniture. They told me that they do children's books and I said even better and let's do a book about my furniture coming to life. We all agreed that would be a great idea!

2. How have your studies at Emily Carr University influenced your work and career?

JB: Everything. Everything I learned, all my teachers, all the materials I worked with, I use that knowledge everyday. "I never wanted art school to end." I started a studio to keep that curiosity going, a place I could hire creative people and create the same atmosphere I had at Emily Carr.

3. You are a Board member of the Emily Carr University Alumni Association. What are some of your goals on the Board?

JB: Very simple for me, I wanted to work with students. My plan is to mentor students especially 3rd year going into 4th year. That is a crucial time for students or at least it was for me, one year before school ends. Help prepare them for life after art school.

4. What is your plan for 2017? Any upcoming projects?

JB: I am always coming up with different furniture that are whimsical and one of kind. I am working with a manufacture in Dubai right now and a potential project coming up for Hong Kong.

5. What advice would you give to current Emily Carr students and fellow alumni?

JB: What it was for me was hard work, put your time in. Also keep in touch with alumni friends you went to school with, as it’s always nice to have a good circle of people around you.

1. Congratulations on designing and illustrating Timbertown Tales: Chester Gets a Pet! Tell us a bit about the book and what it means to you.

BC: Timbertown Tales: Chester Gets a Pet! is a wonderfully funny and heartwarming story, based on the whimsical creations of world-renowned furniture designer Judson Beaumont, about a young dresser named Chester and his dreams of owning his very first pet. This was an incredibly exciting project for me, not only for the opportunity to work and collaborate with Judson, a fellow ECU alumnus, but also because it marked my first published title as both an illustrator and designer. As a 3D-modeler for animation ‘by day’, illustrating and designing a book was something completely new to me and totally out of my comfort-zone. My job was made so much easier, however, with the help of Tonya Martin and Meghan Hague from McKellar & Martin Publishing who had such a strong vision for the book and were able to see how my background in animation could take Judson’s designs to the next level. Paired with Joanna Karaplis’ humourous writing, everything just sprung to life on the page.

2. How have your studies at Emily Carr University influenced your work and career?

BC: I can honestly say that I do not think I would be where I am today, with all of the opportunities that have been afforded to me, without my education from ECU. In 2014, I graduated with a Bachelor of Media Arts in Animation and almost immediately found myself working in my chosen field utilizing the skills, training, and critical thinking I received during my studies. I’ve had many exciting opportunities come my way due to my connections both with and at ECU, and also credit the curriculum there for supplying me with the latitude and versatility to take on new and exciting projects such as this book.

3. What is the most interesting part of doing what you do?

BC: Definitely what excites me most about what I do is getting to try new things and wear many different hats. When McKellar & Martin first approached me about the book, they were looking only for an illustrator. Later on in the project I was asked if I would be interested in designing the book and I jumped at the opportunity. The whole world of book publishing was brand-new to me, and I had to squeeze everything into evenings and weekends while I balanced my full-time job. It was very stressful at times, but the end result was so rewarding and I was very proud of everything I had learned and accomplished over the course of the project.

4. What's your plan for 2017? Any upcoming projects?

BC: For the time being, I am taking a bit of a break from the freelance world to focus more on my animation career and balance my time with personal projects. I would love to have the opportunity again to design and illustrate more children’s books and am hoping with the success of Chester Gets a Pet! we can continue to build upon the Timbertown Tales series.

5. What advice would you give to current Emily Carr students and fellow alumni?

BC: My biggest take-away from this experience was learning to take more risks and to not be afraid of trying something new, even if it meant stepping outside of my chosen discipline. I think the importance of experimentation is really underscored in the classroom, but it becomes more difficult when you leave school and are first starting your career. I would encourage all students and alumni to continue to challenge themselves, explore their diverse interests, and push their boundaries as they continue to grow as artists.