Toronto Illustrators Archives - Alison Garwood-Jones Alison Garwood-Jones

Custom Home Portraits

Originally published in October 2020 in Blog, Holiday Gift Ideas, Toronto Illustrators

A custom illustration of your home makes an original holiday gift.

Avoid the hard sell

Originally published in October 2020 in Blog, Continuing Education, Social Media Instructor, Toronto Illustrators

As a University of Toronto (SCS) instructor in #DigitalStrategy, I like coming up with different ways to explain what it takes to build a commercial relationship with your audience, without being obnoxiously salesy or transactional. #AdBlockers When you want something too much … it doesn’t happen. #Desperation The art of persuasion is about laying down […]

Growing up in an artistic home

Originally published in October 2020 in Blog, Profile,, Toronto Illustrators, Video

The soil I grew up in was planted with art, music and literature. Mind you, I didn’t start seriously reading until university. I was too busy staring at the layout of my marker sets. The following clips are from my interview with Nargiz Mammadova, the co-founder and CEO of the Destin AI app, an AI-powered […]

Avoiding a scoreboard approach to social media

Originally published in September 2020 in Blog, Social Media Instructor, Toronto Illustrators, Video, Webinar Host, Webinars

Why it’s important to avoid a scoreboard approach to social media, especially if you are an artist.

My next IABC Keynote Address

Originally published in September 2020 in Blog, Illustration, Social Media Instructor, Toronto Illustrators

When Covid-19 sent us into lockdown in March, I spent the rest of the month, and all of April, endlessly scrolling on my phone, with no focus and zero discipline. By May, I was taking notes on how the pandemic was rearranging the economy. By June, I was ready to put myself back out into […]

Will the fashion industry listen?

Originally published in August 2020 in Blog, Pen Jar Productions, Surface Design, Toronto Gifts, Toronto Illustrators

As I search for a new fulfillment partner for my design biz, PenJarProductions.com, all eyes are on the fashion and garment industry. How long will it keep promoting a race-based caste system that only benefits people who look like me? And will it finally decide to listen to scientists and consumers who keep documenting and […]

Milton Glaser

Originally published in August 2020 in Blog, Profile,, Toronto Illustrators

Milton Glaser was (and is) my teacher. He didn’t know that. But I know it and so do the thousands of other attuned souls who sidled up to him for wisdom. When Milton explained that “Attentiveness is the great benefit of drawing,” I instantly understood why drawing had taken hold of me over words. Becoming […]

The Reinventionist

Originally published in July 2020 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

My brain cells were popcorn listening to Joe Jackman in conversation with Tara Hunt and Stefani Forster for the Anatomy of a Strategy Podcast (July 5, 2020 episode). As Joe says, “The future arrives daily. Create it now. Get it out of the lab. You don’t need to place big bets. Be thoughtful about where […]

Covid-19 Poster

Originally published in July 2020 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

Guess what? I added your suggestions and created “Business Is Up – Part Deux” THE POSTER (11”x17”) ✏️ In mid-March, still stunned that gyms and restaurants had suddenly evaporated, ☁️ I started pulling together a list of businesses that were growing during the Coronavirus Pandemic. 📈 I posted the first edition on Instagram last week, […]

Hotel Art

Originally published in July 2020 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators

In 2018, the designers at Mason Studio commissioned me to paint a series of tiny watercolour portraits for the Kimpton Hotel in Toronto. It was a cross section of local talent, from Drake and Deepa Mehta to Frank Gehry and Robbie Robertson. The small format makes you lean in and listen hard to their secrets […]

Alison Garwood Jones

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