My contract with the Royal Alberta Museum is up and so is the exhibit I worked on: Cool & Collected. Here is a very tiny preview of the labels I created with the team at the museum. The exhibit was designed by a wonderful & creative woman, Marina Hulzenga, who organized the space into three quadrants: Gallery, Emporium and Laboratory. Each section has a different feel and utilizes a different colour scheme (as well as different artifacts with varying stories and ways of examining them). Beautiful work Marina and all those who worked with you along the way.

Cool & Collected at Edmonton's Royal Alberta Museum. This is the primary exhibit I worked on these last two months. Working hand in hand with curators, designers, writers and other wonderful staff at the museum I couldn't be more proud. The exhibit was completed under a tight deadline and is already drawing fantastic crowds. Shown here are some of the amazing artifacts in the exhibit.

From Top left to right then below: (for the collage with the bat, sword, bone...etc)

Just noticed I forgot the bat: It's called a "flying fox" and eats fruit. Watch those fangs baby!


1) "Play Football": Only 5 cents to play with these cool guys? (see the little guys along the bottom)
2) Entrance sign: Created by art director Carolyn Lilgert. Beautiful photography!
3) Chinese Lion Dance Costume
4) Brilliant hummingbirds.
5) Samuri Sword with Ray Skin handle ("firm grip for a bloodied hand")
6) Two headed Calf
7) Gas Pump (why aren't gas pumps this cool anymore?)
8) Alligator Skull (this skull once belonged to West Edmonton Mall and when the creature died the entire skeleton was donated to the museum!)
9) Gorilla Skull
10) Bone Tool (inuit)
11) Football game's little playing pieces
12) Cassowary Bird (bad taxidermy job!... see it up close at the museum!)

I would highly reccomend this exhibit. It's a great combination of weird, wonderful and amazing. Read the stories as most of the objects that seem plain to the eye aren't so. A piece of the Red Baron's plane might go unnoticed or a .22 calibre firearm belonging to Sir Conan Doyle might seem quite normal at first glance...

I will certainly miss going to work there each day. What a wonderful place! (sigh)...

Snowman Band



I got my postcards printed (& Bus cards to match) and they look great. I can truly say that there is nothing quite like finally having something to hand out to people when they ask me about my work. In retrospect I would have liked to have printed them on something a bit thicker (12pt perhaps) but as I plan to print postcards at least twice a year I'm sure I can try different thickness out as I go along.

Miss Dishy (new zealand illustrator extraordinaire) has recently started a blog of notice as well. Check it out: http://mishemcbride.blogspot.com/ as you'll really enjoy some of the more recent articals. She'll draw a chuckle everytime.

The last fun tid bit is that I have signed up for a fundraiser called Doctors and Derrieres II which involves creating art for a silent auction... This is an excerpt from an email I received asking me to join:

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"It's called "Doctors and Derrieres II: Posing for a Global Cause" It's a joint effort between local artists and a non-profit University of Alberta organization, International Health Initiatives by Medical Students (IHIMS) (and this year, Change For Children). This fundraiser will take the form of a silent auction where art will be sold. However, this is far from a regular silent auction. The subject of all the art pieces will be the nude human body and the model for each one will be a medical student, dental student, health professional or an MD from Edmonton's Hospitals. This event will raise funds for international health projects taking place in Tanzania, India, and Kenya. As well, funds will go to support a medical project in El Salvador carried out by a well established NGO, Change for Children. Last year we had a huge response from the public and the media. Raising over $5000.00. 17 artists participated and over 40 pieces of art auctioned off. This year I want to have more artists and more art because the exhibit will be held at the Red Strap Market. (2nd floor)The exhibit will run from the 21st to 24 of May. The silent auction will occur on the evening of the 24th from 7-midnight."

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So! A very interesting cause indeed. Already myself and friend/illustrator Gabe ( http://www.designustrator.blogspot.com/ ) are signed up as well as I'm sure many other fine artists around Edmonton. I hope to see some readers at the show this May.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: "I spy with my little eye"...



Can you find: Harry Potter, a clown, a dog, a cat, a robot (or two), a guy on his cell, a boy picking his nose, a super hero...

I was so excited yesterday to see that my mermaid painting had been chosen as the "feature image" on artwanted.com and even more excited that it recieved over 5,000 hits in one day. I'm beginning to think that this website might be worth upgrading so that I can publish more than three images a month on it. It seems to get some good exposure although admittedly I'm not sure how much exposure it gets by professionals? So far in less than one month there have been over 7,000 views on my three little images which is really neat.

I am officially an entrant to Edmonton's annual Art Walk this year. The event runs from July 13-15 and it's all along Whyte Ave. I'll be there "painting in action" and will have a few cards and prints to sell by then as well. If you show up you just might be lucky enough to get a free postcard which I am having printed this week.

I can hardly believe my contract with the Royal Alberta Museum is almost up. I've finished doing all the labels and signs for the "cool & collected" exhibit which I will try to post here after the exhibit is open to the public. I keep wondering if I should have applied to the full time job that came up a couple weeks ago as I am really frightened by the prospect of such an unsteady income but know I must give it a fair shot or I will truly regret it.

I have requested many quotes for my postcard mailer as well as for my bus cards and am waiting on several quotes to get back to me before I start spending money. I'm so excited to have postcards made up of my "spring girl" (posted earlier in this very blog). If anyone wants a copy simply email me (artist@crystaldriedger.com) and I'll see if I can't spare one for you.

Another fun tid bit is I'm seriously considering applying to our local "art walk" on Whyte ave this year. It's a three day event that allows you to "paint in public" (sounds naughty!) while selling prints and such of your work. For only $45 it's truly a steal of a deal folks... I'll let you know if I decide that is in my budget (but I think so).

Just a note that my first newsletter (April news) will go out in a few weeks so sign up via my website if you want a copy emailed to you.

It has been such a great week for me. I finally published my site and sent out a massive email for my website launch (complete with "e-donuts" which one person enjoyed while another was upset by as I ran out a little early: Sorry!). I also published some work on artwanted.com as well as portfolios.ca (click the links to the left for more info). I could hardly believe my eyes when my art made the "top ten" list for the day (http://www.artwanted.com/browse/topten.cfm?Artist=33483) which is of course an honor as I just joined this weekend. Artwanted.com seems to be quite an interesting site thus far as I have already garnered 1500 views of my portfolio (only three images allowed) where as on flickr I am nearing the 500 mark and I have been on this site for over a month now. Either they are skewing their numbers or I should upgrade to the full portfolio option because thus far they have proved to be a very "happening" place.

I also received a personal phone call from portfolios.ca (which I found on my answering machine) and can't wait to hear what they have to say as well as a request to submit art to an artshow in the U.S. near Chicago.

Nothing feels real perhaps because I am so happy right now. I could think of nothing more exciting than a career in illustration (especially freelancing, and freelancing for great people)... I thought it would take so much longer to get work and I do have so much farther to go but right now I couldn't be closer to cloud 9.

Thanks everyone who has stopped by the website this week. It has meant so much to me to have you all for support. Thanks guys!