As we talk, Nico Humby says he’s ready to hit the roads again. It’s been a while since he last played bluegrass music around the world in non-COVID times, and it was on the roads where Humby first got inspiration for his En Route illustration series.
He calls the series “a continuation of documenting snippets of cinematic scenes” that he witnessed in daily life.
“I wanted to say that my style jumps between minimalist and extremely full of details,” says Humby. “I do pay a lot of attention to the light and shadow when I observe the surroundings. It’s a habit I picked up since my photography days.”
As familiar as he is with photography, it took Humby some time at his first Royal Bison booth to realize that unlike for photos, many people prefer not to frame their purchased illustrations.
“By that time I had just learned how to build frames, so I framed all my pieces. But it was kind of over people’s budgets… You see where I’m going with this?”
Now a Royal Bison veteran, Humby still showcases his scenic illustrations in frames, but is glad to offer non-framed prints. If you missed out on his booth at the crowded fair, you might have seen that one artistic friend carrying the Royal Bison spring 2022 tote bag, featuring a printed green-coloured fish.
“It’s a Goldeye fish under a crabapple tree that I chose to represent springtime,” recalls Humby. “On the left hand [of the bag] side you see the empty branch, and on the right hand side there are flowers blooming. It’s like the fish swam its way into the progress of spring. I guess it’s also ‘en route.’”
Purchase screen prints and illustrations from Nico Humby.
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