Featured Artist: Kendyl Lauzon

Q: What was your creative process for this piece?
A: When I first entered the project, I had no idea what I was going to do. Instead of focusing on Shatner as a character, I wanted to look further into who he is as a person.What surprised me was his compassion towards animals and nature. I read an article about how he nearly began to weep while narrating a special about endangered species. Because the story was so touching, I couldn’t walk away from it. I now have much respect towards William Shatner as a person.

Q: What, if anything, was difficult about illustrating Shatner?
A: I wanted to stay away from any form of mockery against William Shatner as a person, although he has been so many interesting characters in his lifetime. I always find it more intriguing to look at what it is that people have on the inside rather than what is on the outside.

Kendyl recently graduated from the Alberta College of Art & Design. Her work is influenced by nature and inspired by childhood memories and personal experiences. She likes her illustrations to have an emotional context, but maintains a child-like quality that people can connect to. You can view more of her illustrations at www.dearlibby.net.