Isabelle Arsenault (born 1978) is a Canadian award winning illustrator living in Montreal, Quebec. She is known for her elaborate yet simplified artwork in children's literature.

Isabelle Arseanault photographed in Montréal , Québec, Canada at the Salon du livre de Montréal 2017.

Biography

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Arsenault was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec. She received a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the Université du Québec à Montréal. After completing her studies, she specialized in illustration. Arsenault has won awards from competitions sponsored by Communication Arts, American Illustration and Applied Arts.[1][2]

In 2005, she won the Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration for Le Coeur de Monsieur Gauguin; the text was by Marie-Danielle Croteau.[1] She won the same award in 2013 for her illustration of the graphic novel Jane, le renard et moi with text by Fanny Britt; this book also won the Joe Shuster Award for outstanding artist, the Prix Bédélys [fr] and the Prix Réal-Fillion [fr][3] and the English translation Jane, the fox and me was named to the New York Times list of the ten best illustrated books for children for 2013.[4] Migrant, illustrated by Arsenault, was named to the New York Times' list for 2011.[5] In 2012, she won the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration for Virginia Wolf; Kyo Maclear provided the text.[1] Additionally, in 2020 IBBY Canada nominated Isabelle Arsenault with the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her accomplishments towards the ongoing expansion of children's literature were noteworthy enough to consider her for nomination.[6]

Early life

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Childhood

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Born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Arsenault and her family moved to Île-Bizard and lived there much of her adolescent life.[7] As a child Arsenault took part in a contest for illustration, that her local newspaper was holding at the time for Christmas.[8] It was at this stage in her life that she had realized her passion for artistic endeavors, and this was made more apparent by her winning the contest. She notes "I understood that I really enjoyed drawing, and I could use my ability to create something unique".[8]

Art education

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Arsenault spent many of her childhood years never going to art schools, as she was not aware that art was to become her future profession. However, she did take various arts studies within her Secondary school education. It was through her various art classes that teachers inspired her. She claims she would spend hours at a time on art through various mediums outside of her classroom.[9]

Approach to illustrations

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Visual style

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Arsenault's art style is often described as minimalist in nature, and for the most part very colorful. Instead of opting for hard lines and detailed backgrounds and characters, she often illustrates with an ease of hand, but conveys emotion through these simple images and their text. Much of Arsenault's art attempts to evoke emotions in the reader, with more interest in showcasing the character's state of mind, and less the external causes for their state of mind. In her seminal work for Maxine Trottier's Migrant we see this at work, as much of the environment is less focused upon; when in contrast the young Mennonite farmer's child envisions herself and others visually as jackrabbits and kittens.[10]

Planning

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example

Arsenault attributes her style to doodling early drafts as rough as possible, so to understand the overall visual story she wishes to produce. Arsenault explains in her blog that it grants her a level of freedom that allows for her emotions at the time of finalization to be expressed through her art. Much of her style is derived from her experimental improvisational approach, filled with potential mistakes.[11]

Publication

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Year Title Illustrator ISBN Publisher
2008 My letter to the World Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 978-1554533398 Kids Can Press
2010 Spork Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 978-1553377368 Kids Can Press
2011 Virginia Wolf

Migrant

Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 978-1554536498

ISBN 9780888999757

Kids Can Press

Groundwood Books

2012 Once upon a northern night

Jane, le renard & moi

Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 978-1554981380

ISBN 978-2923841328

Groundwood Books

PASTEQUE

2014 Alpha Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 9782923841618 PASTEQUE
2016 Louis Parmi Les Spectres

You Belong Here

Cloth Lullaby, The woven life of Louise Bourgeois

Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 978-2-89777-000-6

ISBN 1938298993

ISBN 978-1419718816

PASTEQUE

Compendium Inc

Harry N. Abrams

2017 Colette's Lost Pet Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 9781101917596 Tundra Books
2018 Captain Rosalie

The Honey Bee

Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 9781536205206

ISBN 9781481469975

Candlewick

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2019 Just Because

Albert's Quiet Quest

Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 0763696803

ISBN 9781101917626

Candlewick

Tundra Books

2021 Maya's Big Scene Isabelle Arsenault ISBN 9780735267602 Tundra Books

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Isabelle Arsenault". Kids Can Press. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  2. ^ "Conférences de diplômé(e)s de l'École de design" (in French). UQAM. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  3. ^ "Jane, le renard et moi" (in French). Les Éditions de la Pastèque.
  4. ^ "La BD Jane, le renard et moi sur la liste du New York Times" (in French). ICI Radio-Canada.
  5. ^ "Isabelle Arsenault dans le palmarès du New York Times". Le Devoir (in French). November 15, 2011.
  6. ^ "Hans Christian Andersen Awards – IBBY Canada". Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  7. ^ "Children's books: Isabelle Arsenault creates vivid scenes of a Mile End alley". montrealgazette. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  8. ^ a b "Isabelle Arsenault: illustrator extraordinaire! - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  9. ^ "An Interview with Isabelle Arsenault". Art of the Picture Book. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  10. ^ Trottier, Maxine (2011). Migrant. Quebec: Groundwood Books. ISBN 9780888999757.
  11. ^ "Isabelle Arsenault". Picturebook Makers. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
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