We Were Both Broken in Our Own Way

I don't generally like talking about the influences and the meaning behind art pieces - and I'm not about to go into much depth on a piece by piece bases - but I owe a lot of credit for the next series of illustrations to some pretty specific influences (other than the normal influences from life). So I felt it was acceptable this time to share a little information.

Ever since Arcade Fire's album The Suburbs came out I've had the desire to ground a series of artwork even more in regular life. The influence can be seen as early as the piece with people walking around Toronto on a winter night, and the one of people at a bar having some drinks. Now the real beginning to the next series of images is the girl in her room studying. That piece is really a prologue to these ones because that unnamed girl comes back for a couple of these new pieces.

So if it began with The Suburbs, this small series of illustrations really started taking shape when I heard Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues and later became fully formed when Death Cab's latest, Codes and Keys came out. While Arcade Fire brought on the desire for drawing the youth in real life, Fleet Foxes helped me break out of the Suburbs mentality, but Death Cab is what brought it all together, particularly these lyrics:

And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born
Then it's time to go
And define your destination
There's so many different places to call home
Because when you find yourself the villain in the story you have written
It's plain to see
That sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemptions
Would you agree?
If so please show me

I'll be posting a new image every Monday for the next four weeks at least to make sure I keep all this regular. Well I've already written more than I'm normally comfortable with, so enjoy and I appreciate you reading.