the collection of colors
A collection of swooshes, swirls and light which explore the unseen energetic, emotional and divine connections between all living things.
Link NFT collection on Voice
Link NFT collection on Voice
Link NFT collection on Opensea
Link to Footwear collection at Gavners Footwear
I'm Gavner, a digital artist, 3D illustrator & UK Adobe ambassador. Born and raised in the UK with Caribbean origins. Over the last 15 years I have illustrated for the largest clients in the world, including The NBA, Sony Music, Adobe, Microsoft, Vogue, Ferrari, F1 Team Lotus, Sky T.V and more.
Each swoosh and swirl is a unique expression of my fascination of the flowing unseen energy that could be described as spiritual, vibrational or chi energy. As I understand it, every thought and feeling carries some type of continuous energy which is manifested through a spectrum of related color.
I've been working on these types of flowing images since my mid 20's when I started freelancing as a full time illustrator. I have a strong interest in all things spiritual and the way in which art can be used for color therapy. While I have other prominent interests, my art always seems to swing back to my deep desire to illustrate the realm that lives parallel to our own. Growing up I have always had the ability to sense, see and feel spiritual energies almost 24 hours a day. I couldn't often describe what I sense, feel or see, which would make it difficult for me to share my experiences with others around me. Creating my art is the best way for me to articulate the positive and negative experiences I continue to have to this day.
In my late 20's I went through a very low period in my life as a freelancer without any real identity. I was able to create so many different styles of art but I didn't have a real focal point. I was creating digital art for clients that didn't reflect my true passion. My wife's health also took a sudden downturn as she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue, which we later found out was a neurological disorder that can sometimes affect her ability to function from the waist down under certain conditions. My son was only young so I decided to stay home and focus on my family and homeschool my son to take the pressure off my wife as her energy levels could often be low. I let go of most of my freelance clients to focus on my family, but I wanted to figure out how I could still succeed as a digital artist.
Prior to these unfortunate circumstances, I actually had a great deal of success working with some of the biggest brands in the world including Adobe, The NBA, Microsoft, Sony Music, Vogue, Persil, Formula 1 Team Lotus and more. I also still work with Adobe as an ambassor in the UK, hosting and speaking at local and online events. I was being hired to create swooshes and swirls for advertising campaigns and merchandise for brands in various countries. I even had the privilege of traveling to different countries to work for major brands and speak at major events in the creative space. I just didn't realize at the time that my true identity was in creating swooshes and swirls, as this has always brought me the most success and attention. I was even fortunate enough to be asked to create tutorials for the largest global design publications, blogs and e-learning platforms at the time.
Link NFT collection on Voice
Link NFT collection on Opensea
Link to Footwear collection at Gavners Footwear
This success didn't stop me from creating completely conflicting styles of art, as I often illustrated whatever clients asked even if it wasn't in line with my true values. This is what led to me to my lowest point in my creative career. I felt like a jack of all trades instead of a specific expert in my field. I wasn't enjoying a lot of the work that I was being paid to create and it got to a point where I wanted to quit freelancing entirely and find something that brought me a real sense of joy and purpose. I stopped creating personal work for about a year to focus on my own personal development. I wanted to find out what truly made me happy as an illustrator. I asked myself what was the highest point in my career and why ?. When was I at my happiest or most peaceful state ? When did I feel fulfilled and excited to wake up in the morning ?. Was it the money ? the clients ? the pressure or absence of it ? Which software and style of art did I enjoy the most and why ? Did I enjoy illustrating to meet a client's brief ? or was I more interested in creating something which can help change someone's mood even if it's in some small way. I remember realizing the art that I created subconsciously, without making any real conscious effort to hit a goal or agenda, was my best art. I realized that art that had been published on the covers of magazines was the art that reflected who I really was inside. It was as if I had been blinded by creative trends that are only in demand for a short period like the fashion industry. I already had the answer right under my nose but I was too busy worrying about following another trend in fear of not getting work from potential clients.
After months of self reflection and realization I decided to take down the different styles of art that I had in my portfolio in order to focus on what mattered to me the most. No more vector illustrations, photo manipulations, random graphic design material. I deleted everything that didn't move my soul until I was only left with what did. I then questioned why the swooshes and swirls moved me and how I could expound on that style. I realized that the single most important thing that mattered to me was my relationship with the divine creator and unseen realm that lives parallel to our own. I realized that I was expressing my fascination for it even when illustrating hoopers for the NBA or F1 cars for Team Lotus. Whenever I had creative license I would instinctively add that divine energy / emotion / vibration to the subject to give it life. It became apparent that it wasn't the subject that intrigued me, it was simply the effects. I decided to eliminate the subject/character and create an ongoing collection of images that only expressed the effect.
I then researched the impact of color therapy in relation to art and how being exposed to different colors affects our moods. I also researched sound energy/vibration and the way in which matter can be created through sound alone. I came across certain experiments which prove how sound (through our voice or music) can affect matter in close proximity. Dr Imotos rice experiment is a great example of this. I looked at sound waves and the patterns that can be created on sand from high pitch singing or music. I researched the impact that people's energy can have when they walk into a room and how others can feel someone's vibe/presence without even seeing them enter the room. I thought about how animals can feel your fear and I questioned how all of these unseen connections or languages would look like if I put on a pair of divine goggles. While I do see /feel the energies around me I don't actually see it in color.
So I feel like what I'm expressing is coming from a deeper place within me. If someone is experiencing elation, fear, sorrow or compassion, what does that energy look like in that moment of time ? If we could see the scent of a flower or perfume radiating around us, what would that look like ? When you listen to your favorite music what do the sound waves look like as they flow and vibrate through your soul ?
I then decided to separate my art into categories in order to clearly define the theme. The first collection of 1:1 images are from 'The Color of Love' collection. I'm also working on the following collections of 1:1 art as follows, 'The Color of Hope', 'The Color of Peace', 'The Color of Joy', 'The Color of Creation' and so on. This is an ongoing project or journey that I use to explore the infinite possibilities of the eternal world that will always be in existence. I create the images based on how I feel or what I'm experiencing in that present moment. All of my art is created using Blender and Photoshop. I chose to create everything in 3D space as it's as close to taking a snapshot of a real life experience as possible, with infinite camera angles.
the merch
Link to Footwear collection at Gavners Footwear
Besides creating art I also have a passion for fashion. Much like my art journey, I have launched various clothing lines going back as far as the year 2000. However, this time round I feel compelled to focus on footwear instead of the usual t-shirts, mugs and wall art. My footwear collection consists of several styles of canvas shoes for men and women. My art collections will be synchronized with the footwear collections, with 'The Color of Love' being the primary category.
the colors
press / media
Current & Previous Clients Include
Media as an Adobe Ambassador
How Stock Photography Is Changing - Adobe Stock | Adobe UK
Adobe Creative Collabs: Adobe Stock Remix Live with Gavin Campbell
Event host - Adobe Stock Remix Live | Adobe UK
Event host with Ron Timehin - Adobe Stock Remix Live | Adobe UK
Event host with Lucy Hardcastle - Adobe Stock Remix Live | Adobe UK
Gavin Campbell At The New Adobe Create Now Meet Up | Adobe UK
Backstage with Rufus Deuchler, Tina Touli & Gavin Campbell - Adobe #CreativeMeetUp
Live from the sofa with Tony & Gavin Campbell | Adobe Live
EDITORIAL & WEB HIGHLIGHTS
Creative Bloq Interview
Featured on Adobe.com Homepage & Interview
Computer Arts Magazine - Freelance Advice
Advanced Photoshop Article - Tips & Tricks
Advanced Photoshop Creative Masterclass Article - Tips & Tricks
Advanced Photoshop Masterclass Annual Edition - Interview & Tutorial
Advanced Photoshop Masterclass Annual Edition - Interview & Tutorial
Advanced Photoshop Pro Panel Article - Interview & Advice
TESTIMONIAL HIGHLIGHTS
"I was in charge of finding creative talents on Behance for our "New Creative" campaign at Adobe. The idea was to elect the most creative talents in Europe. Gavin's work quickly made it to the top of the list and he's one of the first official Adobe New Creatives. He's also a great speaker, and we invited him to share his passion with other designers at our New Creative event in London."
Michaël Chaize - Adobe
"I have found Gavin to be incredibly flexible, creative and original with our briefs. Co-ordinating conversations between a host of various brands and artists on our roster, it is important to visually create something attention-grabbing which we can essentially use to tailor the various elements of the potential campaign for each individual project, giving us the ability to put out a single coordinated message. He has definitely helped to cement a few of our projects by visually constructing our vision for brand partnerships".
Helen Olaniyan - Sony Music UK
"As part of our sponsorship of the Gadget Show, we developed a social interactive idea that Gavin was at the heart of. He was quick, efficient with excellent interpersonal skills, interacting brilliantly with the crowds and was a pleasure to work with. We saw all our key social metrics increase due to the excellent quality of the creative output and high standards Gavin employed across the designs and I’m pleased to say that we were shortlisted at the DADI Awards for best interactive campaign".
Caroline James - Microsoft
"Gavin created some fitness illustrations for the June 2014 issue off Top Santé, they were great and full of energy, they had a great marriage of realistic photo like quality along with illustrated effects."
Michael Thomson, Art Director - Bauer Media
"Gavin has done a lot of work for us at RCA creating pitches and presentations. He is a fantastic designer who executes tasteful, slick creations which are impactful and always have the desired effects. He works closely with you listening to your needs and can always deliver to your time frames, no matter how little time you give him! He is a fantastic and professional. Thanks for all your help, and look forward to working with you in the future."
Charlotte Kantor - RCA Records UK
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