Adam Klassen
Have you always wanted to be an artist?
Yes always, my grandmother always tells me I used to sit and draw all day as a child. I would sit and fill pages with eyes and mouths and hands. She would say "Adam, why do you keep drawing the same eyes over and over?" "It doesn't look good enough yet", 4-year-old Adam would respond. As I got a bit older comic books became a big part of my life. Many of my fondest memories in my childhood are of making art. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to pursue it as a career.
What type of work do you do for your clients?
I have been working in the Animation industry for 15 years, many of those I spent animating. My main focus now is rigging, technical and animation direction. I figure out the tech that is built into the characters the animators use to make beautiful animation. A few of my credits include: Technical Director on the film "The Breadwinner" and Animation Supervisor of Nickelodeons "Shimmer and Shine"
Which of those do you enjoy most?
I love bringing characters to life with animation. It is a symphony of art, a combination of sound, film, cartooning, painting, writing, acting and so much more. It is truly the highest of arts and I would love to make my own short film one day.
What type of work do you do for your own enjoyment?
Raising my daughter. I have realized this is the most important and enjoyable job of all. Being present for her, and my beautiful wife. Being aware this is the best time of my life.
We have surrounded ourselves with an amazing Tribe in a vibrant community. We raise our children together, eat and laugh in the good times and hold each other up in the bad. This is the job we will remember when we are old and withered.
What work of yours would you like to be remembered for? Or is it something you are working on?
Legacy isn't something I think about. If I am to be remembered I hope it is for being a kind and generous person.
What is your creative process?
No matter what type of art I am making: a painting, Illustration or animation I will approach it in a similar way. I start with lots thumbnails and sketches, I try to find the movement and composition of the piece with loose gesture drawings. Then refine that down by redrawing it over and over again until I am happy with the piece.
What are you planning to create next?
I am hoping to slowly move away from studio work and focus on my own projects. I would love to make a short film, sculpture, woodcuts. I feel the need to make more physical pieces of art, working in a digital environment for 15 years can leave you with an empty room. I want to make some art I can hold in my hands.
What is your biggest indulgence?
Well, I have a few too many of those. Sex, Drugs, Music, Coffee, Sex, Food... I'm not sure which is the greatest, I will let you know when I figure it out.
Where do you find inspiration?
My Daughter, she inspires me to be the best I can be. To be brave, to do more, to be someone that will inspire her. When I feel myself faltering it is definitely her that gets me back in focus.
How do you feel about being involved with Wrappr?
I love being involved with Wrappr. Wrappr gave me the freedom to make my own art, they really appreciate the creative process of the artists and it is great to get a commission on the sales. It is nice to do work for a company that keeps the artists wellbeing and creative control in mind. It is so great to see my work on a physical print being passed from person to person, I think it is an interesting art medium in that way. Art that you share with gifts, who wouldn't like that.
What are your thoughts on the climate crisis, zero-waste products, things you’re doing to be environmentally friendly, etc.
I see us at a tipping point right now and we are quickly running out of time to make the right decisions as individuals and as a country. But I see Hope in the younger generation, they seem to understand the urgency of the problem better than many of our leaders do. It really saddens me that my daughter will grow up in a world with less biodiversity than the world I grew up in just a short time ago. But I also feel that with science, technology and most importantly action, we can avoid complete catastrophe.
