Edward Kinsella: Every Picture Has A Story

Edward Kinsella knew from a young age that he wanted to draw. The biggest questions were how and where. After graduating from Ringling School of Art and Design in 1996 Kinsella attended the Illustration Academy for two summers and all of his questions were answered. “It really changed everything for me. The way I view art, the way I make images, and the way I live my life all came into focus. It set me on the right course and showed me how to live a simple life as an artist. The program helped me edit everything I guess you could say,” said Kinsella in an interview with Marie’s Nest, an art blog.

Kinsella now illustrates books and has won several awards.  His most recent award  was at the latest Spectrum Live 2012 in Kansas City, MO. Kinsella won the book category award for his cover work on Wooden Bones by Scott William Carter. His artwork has also been featured in his hometown magazine, St. Louis.

He recently ran a show in Richmond, Virginia, with fellow artist and friend, Jeff Love. The title of the show was Yugen, which in Chinese means “deep” or “mysterious”; the Japanese translate yugen as a mysterious profundity. Either way you take it, the pieces match the oddity of the word. The pieces included in the collection had calm, yet eerie feeling about them. Many highlighted certain body parts, often hiding the rest with a looming shadow, or a representation of snow. The faces were sullen and withdrawn, it was as if you could feel the shame and sadness the characters held.

Much of Kinsella’s work is very vivid, almost appearing to be a photo. Each face he draws has the emotion, right down to the wrinkles on the forehead. Even the eyes of his characters hold stories untold. Although Kinsella tries not to draw too much from other artists he does get inspiration from other works of art, “I love most art from the turn of the century and if it’s from France, Germany, or Japan I’ll probably like it,” he said in an interview with Marie’s Nest.

He also has a blog which is posts to on a regular basis; many posts are drawings from his galleries. However, his blog also includes pictures from his sketchbook with represent a different part of his creativity. “I treat my sketchbook a lot differently than my illustration work. The sketchbook to me is really about reaction. The marks I make are done quickly and that really dictates how they turn out. I think that is what I like about drawing in my book…the challenge of drawing/painting/composing on the spot,” he said in an interview with Marie’s Nest.

Be sure to check out this new up and coming artist at his blog http://www.edwardkinsellaillustration.com.

-Stormm Van Rooi