Chat with Pop Surrealist Painter & Comic Book Artist Camilla d'Errico (2)
So the she's, she would be considered one of the rainbow children.
And I branched off from doing what people expected me to do. And I took a risk because anytime that you have collectors or you're doing like, uh, or you're a musician or something, and then you have a change of style, suddenly you could lose a lot of people. And it's like, you've built this audience and what if I'm betraying them by giving them something they don't expect?
Uh, so that for me was a show that I, I had to do it because if I didn't, I wouldn't be true to myself as an artist because when you have all these ideas in your head and I want to explore those, I don't want to put myself in a box, a creative box, you know, so that was definitely a make or break a show where I was like, I'm going to do this.
And if it fails, then that's fine. I'll just be a comic book artist. And I'll like, I can hang my hat as a painter. And I'll do it proudly. I'll do it with like flare. Um, and you know, it turns out that it was my, one of my most successful shows in terms of like, I really surprised people in a good way. Like they were blown away by these rainbow girls.
Like I think I have a, yes. So this was one of my rainbow children. This is the very first one up. It's a... so this was the dream melts and she's just crying these rainbows. And I don't think anyone had ever seen that before. And after that, I mean, you see people melting rainbows and dripping all colors. And I, I can see that that's influenced probably by what I did, what I've been doing for the past 10 years.
So...
Elle: Yeah, that must be amazing to see that, to see your idea, your work in other people's work. Do you feel kind of, do you ever feel like "hey, that's my idea".
Camilla: I have definitely experienced direct rip offs, which is, oh yeah. But that's like another... I do think that like obviously artists, we inspire each other and it's like, if you, if one person does one idea, then like someone else will take it and be like, you know, make it their own.
And, and that's totally fine. I think it's just when people do that direct, um...
Elle: right
Camilla: ...copy where I'm like, you are not being true to yourself as an artist. You're just taking someone else's popular idea and trying to make money, which isn't what artists should be doing. I mean, maybe this is the starving artist thing, but you need to be creating art because it comes from yourself, from who you are.
Because you like what someone else is doing and you want to be popular to do you know what I mean? So, yeah.
Elle: And how did the toys and figuring creation come about?
Camilla: Oh yeah. That's so that actually was probably since 2009 or eight. Yeah. Yeah. So I was doing what other, like at the time I was just doing prints and I was doing, um, books, but because I love comic books and I go to conventions and you see, they make action figures out of the art and like anime figures. I, I love those so much. And I always wanted my art to be three dimensional because it adds another level. It like, it brings something that, you know, I had an idea and it brings it like literally physically to life.
So I've always wanted that. And so when my sister started working with me and we started to, she started to do the merchandising side of things because I needed to focus on art creation. I needed to focus on like galleries and doing that. And so taking, bringing my sister on board helped me to all to um, I guess brand myself into merchandise, which I previously hadn't really been able to do because I didn't have the time and I didn't have, I mean, there's only one of me.
Right? So.... yeah. And then eventually my sister moved on to a different career, which is, I'm so happy for her. And, uh, and I just kind of took over and it was like, I was in the position then where I've, I'd learned a lot and now I have umbrellas and kimonos and I mean there's...yeah. And the figures too, like, yes, I work with other companies to do sculptures and figures of my artwork, because I'm, I'm not an expert there. Like I have to, I'd rather collaborate with other people and have their expertise, like bring something to life versus me trying to, you know, make a mold, which I don't know how to do that. So, yeah.
But yeah, it's it's so it's like really cool to see all the different ways that you can take your art and make it wearable or add it to someone's life, you know, and it's not just on their wall anymore. It's like they could take it outside and they can wear it, you know?
Elle: Yeah. That's very cool. Um, so I mean, it sounds like it's such a wonderful career. Clearly you're doing well and you've rebuilt this amazing life and career with your art. I wonder is there a kind of dark side to the career. I mean, I know you mentioned, you've mentioned the kind of people copying you straight ripping you off. Um, what have been some, some of the obstacles you'ev faced as an artist?
Camilla: Oh boy. You know, that is a whole other, like, do you have three hours? Well, it's such a... artists can really be taken advantage of unfortunately, and if you don't know how to protect yourself, you don't even know that there's people who will take advantage of you. So, and that's why being an artist you have to really have a good sense of business, because if you don't, then there's this naivety about artists, where we were like, we're so, we can be so positive and we're creating this and we, you know, we give it to somebody else to do something with it.
And you expect that they're just gonna honor your trust. Uh, you know, but I think one of the lowest points for me was when I was working on an Avril Levine manga, so it's an Avril Levine comic book and was just, yeah, crazy and insane. So it was a two part series and I didn't have a contract with the company and I'm like, okay, well I did the first book without a contract, but I'm like, well, I need a contract.
Like it has to happen. You know, I'm working on the second book I just want to protect myself. And my lawyer is going back and forth with the publisher. And then um, I'm still working on the book as the contract is kind of being negotiated. And then I get a phone call saying, oh, we'd like to meet at, uh, uh, you know, I should've seen it coming, uh, at like a public location.
And there's just like, yeah, you know, like, uh, we're gonna have to terminate you. And I'm like, but I'm almost halfway through the book. And there was this particular kill clause in the contract where if they terminated me and 50% of the art had been done they owed me for the entire book. And if they, which that's a, that's a pretty, it's a standard thing. Right? But for them, they were really pushing against that. And I understood why, because they had actually hired somebody else who was, had been, who was working on the book while I was working on the book and they were negotiating with me. So that was really gut-wrenching because I brought them the, this, the writer, I brought them the co... like everything in order to develop that book and then they just outsourced it. And I was, yeah. And I was like, I was 40% done. And so I, yeah, I was like just at the edge, you know, and that was really disappointing. And people actually, uh, you know, they don't, a lot of people don't realize that I didn't do the second book because they hired the company to basically recreate my style.
So...
Elle: Oh wow.
Camilla: Yeah and they use my, they used my cover for the second book. So when you look at it, you think that, oh yeah, Camilla drew it, but I didn't. So shady, shady. And of course I'm not going to say who it was, but, um, you know, so there was that there's a low point and then there's like, there's other things that happen where it's so frustrating and it's not like, uh, like for example, when I, when I was doing conventions before the apocalypse, uh, before the pandemic, uh, you know, you would, you would, uh, I would have stuff mailed. And I remember one time specifically, I opened the box and half of it was empty and I called my, my team who had packed it. And I'm like, Hey, like, you guys didn't, did you not, did you not fill the box? And I'm like, where is everything?
And they're like, no, like we sent you everything. And it turns out that somebody mid transit opened the box, took out hapf the stuff and then kept it going. So. Yeah. So someone just stole thousands of dollars. Um...
Elle: oh my goodness.
Camilla: And you know that that's through FedEx, which is the reliable pla... and they're like, well, we delivered it.
I'm like you delivered... and there's no way there's no recourse there. They're not going to like... it got delivered.
Elle: No insurance.
Camilla: Nope. Well, they can't, they can't because ithebox wasn't stolen and I can't prove that someone stole what was inside, you know?
Elle: Goodness.
Camilla: Yeah. So. Oh, no, I know. And then the last thing I will mention is somebody was made a whole entire show uh, that was my art recreated, my paintings, almost like, like exactly, I'd say like 95%, exactly. And had a show and then represented that art as their own.
Elle: Is there anything you can do in that case?
Camilla: Oh, yeah. I mean, you can contact the gallery. Well, yeah, you could sue. I mean, it was a young artist and I was, I was just like, I contacted the gallery and I let them know.
And this, the artist, you know, I'm like, you don't, you have to have some integrity, uh, because you may be my fan, but you're literally stealing from me. And if you're a fan of my art, that's a huge betrayal.
Elle: Um, so as much as you can plan these days, uh, how is 2022 looking for you? Any, anything going on?
Camilla: Yeah, I mean, with the hope that there's going to be a little bit more normalcy in 2022, I do plan on going to, uh, some of the major convention cause that I missed out on going this year because you know, living in Canada and the borders being so finicky, like they could just shut down at any point. I just decided to take a hiatus from doing the conventions, because even the conventions themselves, they don't know if they're going to happen. And, and also, and this isn't by any means to like... but I just don't think that even just during the pandemic, it's a good idea to you know, get 70,000 people together in one spot. So it's like, you know, for me, I understand that we're all boxed in and like, I basically have been living in lockdown for two years.
