Customer since: October 2020
CanSpace has been a game-changer for my website. Having a reliable hosting service ensures my portfolio is always live which is crucial when you’re trying to impress potential clients with your latest work.
Lee Abbott, Multidisciplinary Artist and Designer, leejamesabbott.com
Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are located.
Born in London, UK, and moved to Vancouver 8 years ago to get out of the big city to see what nature looks like. Turns out nature is in fact beautiful and so I decided to stay and put further roots down by becoming President of Dundarave Print Workshop, Western Canada’s oldest-running printmaking studio.
Tell us about your professional background and your favourite experience(s).
I spent my early years working in advertising agencies but moved to Canada just in time with some soul intact. I was awarded my first artist grant from the arts organization Canada Council in 2021 creating my first artist residency on Vancouver Island which launched me into taking my art practice more seriously. Another favourite experience has to be designing the movie poster for a short film funded by 20th Century Fox, celebrating the 40th anniversary of my favourite horror film, Ridley Scott’s “Alien”. You can view my work at https://leejamesabbott.com
Why and how did you get into this line of work? What’s the best thing about it?
When I used to go to live music shows as a teenager, I would always spend a good chunk of the night at the merch table checking out the shirt designs and gig posters for the show. I loved seeing into the artist’s mind. I thought the concept of creating a kind of visual time capsule, something tangible serving as a reminder of the gig, was so cool. It was the complete opposite of so much graphic design that I’d seen, which has become increasingly digital and disposable. When I discovered the designs were hand-screenprinted, my love for printmaking began.
It’s not every day you meet someone who designs movie posters. How did you get into that specific segment of design?
After spending my youth designing and printing gig posters for the different bands I played in as a drummer, it was a natural progression to move onto movie posters which came with my physical move to Vancouver, also known as “Hollywood North”. I’d say 80% of people here are employed by the film industry as most of Netflix is filmed here. I’ve had the privilege of working with some talented teams creating some great films.
What does it take to be successful at what you do?
I believe networking and building real-life connections are the most important factors in my progress as an artist and designer. While a strong online presence matters, face-to-face interactions at industry events, meetups, etc. can lead to great opportunities. People would rather work with a good designer who is a solid human and easy to collaborate with, rather than a great designer who possesses the social skills of a brick wall.
How does CanSpace solve the objectives you have for your website?
CanSpace has been a game-changer for my website. Having a reliable hosting service ensures my portfolio is always live which is crucial when you’re trying to impress potential clients with your latest work. The seamless customer support means I can focus on my art and design work rather than troubleshooting tech issues.
