David Derrick
David Derrick is the creator of Sid the Squid. He is a story artist at DreamWorks Feature Animation. He has worked on the films Bee Movie and Flushed Away.
A wildlife artist and bronze sculptor, he wrote African Diaries: Sketches & Observations. He has participated in the United Nations 2009 Year of the Gorilla campaign. David has donated artwork to raise awareness and funds to save these primates and their habitat.
In December 2009, he was awarded the AFC Conservation Artist Award for my ongoing efforts in supporting conservation primarily of gorillas and chimpanzees. The "Artists for Conservation" award is awarded monthly to honor a member for outstanding artistic talent and extraordinary contribution to the conservation cause. As the AFC noted:
"David has been promoting conservation through his artwork on his own at an extraordinary level - traveling to Germany to sell art for conservation, hosting Ian Redmond at DreamWorks, and participating in several auctions and fundraisers.
The artwork of David Derrick is unique due to his experience in the film and animation industry. To animate literally means to give life. David conveys movement and life in his pieces through strong poses and powerful gestures. When preparing a sculpture David spends hours observing and sketching his subject matter. Heavily influenced by great animalier sculptors Rembrant Bugatti, and Antoine Louis Barye, David adds his own unique style and perspective thanks to his extensive experience as an artist in the animation industry. Once completed David’s sculptures are cast and bronzed using the lost wax method."
Previously he contributed the illustrated story Kadogo: The Next Big Thing in the children's anthology Scrambled Ink.
Having graduated from the University of Utah, he attended California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he created the short films 2+9 (an official selection Savannah Film Festival and New Orleans Film Festival), Cretaceous Christmas (winner of 2003 Student Emmy award, and Best Animation at the Hollywood International Film Festival), and Midnight Blue (Honorable Mention, Angelus Award).
He and his family live in Valencia, CA.
Visit his official site www.dgderrick.com.
"David Derrick has a profound interest in the conservation of the natural world - especially gorillas, which goes beyond mere statements of support to include considerable personal effort and expense. His artwork is the main method of support. David is a professional artist, passionate about the creatures he portrays and was attracted to AFC because of its mission and by many of its members."- Artists for Conservation
