Bel Johnstone is an illustrator based in Brisbane who has been previously known for her distinct
‘Dotsploration’ style
characterised by fine hand-drawn dots. Bel’s illustrations have been seen in various
publications
including
Computer Arts
magazine,
Desktop Magazine, Blanket Magazine, CURVY and also in
numerous exhibitions throughout
the
country. In 2009 she
received an
'Award
of Excellence' in the
Communication Arts Illustration annual.
Lately her style has
taken
a diversion and she has
allowed her obsession and
her love for illustrative
typography to shine through. In all her illustration work she
feels strongly about
being an innovator and her type
work is
no
exception.
Her type
explores the restraints of legibility allowing the letterforms to control the
composition
and
become the main
focus
of expression, working
alongside any pictorial elements that are included. She aims
for the
compositions
to be
free
flowing
and for the letterforms to interact
with
one another becoming beautiful pictorial
elements
of their own not just
type
sitting
rigid
on a page. To achieve this most of
her
type is drawn free-hand without the use
of
fonts,
except for
the
occasional reference as inspiration.
Exhibitions
2009 - 'Curvy 6' Travelling group exhibition, Mori gallery (Sydney) and Nine Lives Gallery (Brisbane)
2009 -Solo show "Dotsploration", Raw Space, 99 Melbourne Street, Brisbane. 4 Sept - 16 Oct
2009 - Leeloo 'Once Upon' exhibition, Ambush Gallery, Sydney. 19th Nov - 22nd Nov
2010 - 'Ah! Melody' exhibition, Mart Gallery, Sydney. 7th May - 22nd May
2010 - 'Desperate Spaces' exhibition, P.S Gallery, Brisbane. 2nd - 17th July
Awards and Prizes
2008 - Winner of the Fortitude Valley train station 'Emerging artist billboard competition'.
2008 - Brisbane Writers Festival, Children and Young Adult Illustration competition, 2nd place (Graphic novel)
2009 - Yen Magazine Australia 'CURVY 6'
2009 - 'Communication Arts Illustration Annual #50' Award of Excellence, Unpublished category
Publications and Print
'Curvy 6' - Yen Magazine - 2009
'Communication Arts' Magazine, Illustration Annual #50 - July/August 2009
'Computer Arts #170' - December 2009
'Blanket Magazine #21' - 2010
'Desktop Magazine' - June - 2010
Client List
Mooks
Blanket Magazine
