Artist Camilla d'Errico Talks Femina & Fauna, San Diego Comic-Con and Her Anime Fan Secret
Camilla d'Errico is part of a generation of artists whose work is as recognizable in art galleries as it is at fan conventions. Equally known as a painter and comic book creator (Tanpopo), d'Errico frequently depicts female characters that appear both hauntingly beautiful and fearless. Her new book Femina & Fauna, released by Dark Horse, focuses on her paintings of women with animals. It also includes a look at some of her recent pop culture-inspired pieces and glimpse into her painting process.
We recently caught up with the Vancouver-based artist to talk about her work, the influence of anime and manga, her convention appearances and how San Diego Comic-Con has changed over the years. L.A. readers, you will be able to see d'Errico's work in person on March 11 at Gallery 1988's show INLE and at Meltdown Comics on April 1 for Magical Girls: Art Inspired by Shojo Manga.
Camilla d'Errico "Zebramilk"
What do you see as the connection between women and animals in your work?
Photo courtesy of Camilla d'Errico Camilla d'Errico at work
Each painting is a puzzle. I use the imagery of the animals to create a visual riddle, each animal representing a part of the girl's personality, her secrets, desires, and emotions. I've always had a fondness for nature since I was a child, my parents are great nature lovers and raised me to see the beauty in it. This is something that I wanted to translate into my work. Many times people have preconceived ideas, or fears, of certain animals, and in my paintings I want to dispel those, so that people can see the animal for its beauty without feeling afraid or squeamish.
One of the most interesting elements of Femina & Fauna is the section where you take readers through your painting process. What prompted your decision to include this?
Image courtesy of Camilla d'Errico A Camilla d'Errico guitar
I've always been a fan of seeing an artist's work in progress. I love seeing the "behind the scenes" of any process, from how you make candy corns to how an artist creates a painting. In the past two years I've begun to document my process and share it on my blog and Facebook. No matter how much I share online, I could never get across the step by step process, so when creating the design of the book that was an essential element! I was so happy at how well the section turned out, it really feels like the painting is coming to life on the pages.
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