6/22/23
We’re thrilled to announce the US publication of Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief, published by Nosy Crow, in partnership with the British Museum, stunningly illustrated by LRS artist Sarah Walsh. Read our interview with Sarah below.
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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Sarah Writes:
It stemmed from a partnership with the British Museum. It was created to be a companion for their Goddess exhibition. The book was originally released in February 2022 in the UK only. But a very exciting development recently occurred…. Goddess will be published in the US this Fall!
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50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief
Written by Dr Janina Ramirez Illustrated by Sarah Walsh
Published by Nosy Crow.
Out September 5th, 2023.
“This amazing book contains goddesses, guides, spirits, saints, witches, demons, and many more female figures that have played an important role in shaping belief today. This incredible introduction to goddesses throughout history will entertain, engage, and empower readers everywhere.”
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Why was this a favorite project?
Because the research part of it was fascinating, there was lots of creative freedom and I got to draw mythological figures, animals and powerful women!
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What did you learn from doing this project?
It affirmed my love for mythology, folklore and all things magical. I also learned about SO MANY different cultures and new figures in folklore history that I had never heard of before which was thrilling to say the least.
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What do you love about this project?
I wish I had this book when I was a kid. It definitely would’ve been one of my favorite’s because of the bright color, the powerful feminine energy, the mystery, the stories and all the symbolism.
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Where did you find inspiration for this project?
Nosy Crow and the British Museum provided some reference for each Goddess/Spirit/saint but I did a lot of digging on my own as well. I created a Pinterest board and collected images inspired by each figure. Then I would do a doodle page while looking over all the research.
During the process I would take notes and call out interesting things that inspired me. Then the designer would go over my doodles and pluck things out that caught her eye as well so it was a very collaborative process.
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What did you love about the characters, story or theme?
I’m a big fan of fantasy, folklore and magical things. And of course feminine power.
This book project weaved them together to make a very special concept. I have a little boy and we watch a lot of dude superhero movies. While working on this book, it struck me that the mythological gods, goddesses, spirits and saints might have been perceived as feminine superheroes back in the day. They all had an origin story and although most of them were flawed like humans, they all had different powers and strengths beyond anyone’s imagination. I think that’s all incredibly cool. :)
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What medium did you use for the illustrations?
Acrylic gouache, water-based gouache and colored pencil.
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How long did you work on illustrating this book?
There are 50 detailed full bodied portraits and about 3-5 spot illustrations on each page so it took a while, from approximately the Fall of 2019 through late Summer of 2021. I basically worked on Goddess almost all of Covid and it was definitely a bright spot.
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Thanks so much Sarah!
in the US.
See more of Sarah’s amazing work here.
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6/15/23
Beautiful books, gorgeous greeting cards, a classy calendar, it’s all here for your viewing pleasure!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
| Happy Juneteenth! (a bit early)
This ecard available at bluemountain.com (American Greetings) |
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| “The King Without Muscles” (Van Holkema & Warendorf)
Buy it here. |
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| My First Book of House Pets is a beautiful introduction to the world of furry, fluffy, and all-around adorable pets for babies and toddlers.
Published by Duopress.
Buy it here. |
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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| Climate : Our Changing World. (Albert Whitman)
192 pages on climate change beautifully illustrated by
Jenny Miriam!
Buy it here. |
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| Flora’s illustration for the lovely Frankie Magazine. |
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| Check out this rug made by hand from one of Tara Lilly’s illustrations!
Gorgeous!
(Wool song) |
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| This Week’s Featured Toy Pitch |
| Our Toy and Games Agent Riley Wilkinson has been working with our artists on some fabulous toy concepts for you. Feast your eyes! |
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| My English Tea Room by Trina Dalziel |
| This collection of pretend play toys could transform a child’s room into a proper dining experience complete with table numbers, a cash register, and a gramophone. Children will take a leisurely stroll back in time as they imagine themselves dining or serving one another. |
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| Contact us for more information about this fantastic toy pitch.
See more toy concepts–ready to license–here.
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6/6/23
| It’s Pride Month! Scroll down to see our artists’ images celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Plus lots of rainbows.
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project! |
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| Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History(HarperCollins)
Fabulously illustrated by Sarah Papworth.
Internal illustration of Pauli Murray below.
Buy it here. |
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| From Reading Adventure: 100 Books To Try Before You’re 12 (DK Books)
Buy it here.
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| Available for licensingas of this writing. |
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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| Available for license as of this writing. |
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| This Week’s Featured Toy Pitch |
| Our Toy and Games Agent Riley Wilkinson has been working with our artists on some fabulous toy concepts for you. Feast your eyes! |
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| Moon Town by Erin Vanessa |
| Artist Erin Vanessa has created this imaginative playset where characters live in self-contained biomes on the moon.
Erin has handcrafted a galactic concept prototype that’s sure to become the center of any child’s universe.
Suit up and lift off! |
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| Contact us for more information about this fantastic toy pitch.
See more toy concepts–ready to license–here.
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5/26/23
| Below, see some of our artists’ fresh new work!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project. |
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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| Cover Art for a songbookErin writes: Bonjour mes amis!! It’s so cool to see my artwork as an album cover on Spotify! Madame B’s incredible album La vie est belle is now available for kids (and adults) learning French. Her beautiful, happy songs (not to mention her killer bass ukulele playing skills) take me back to my days as a kid growing up in Montreal.
Buy it here. |
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| This Week’s Featured Toy Pitch |
| Our Toy and Games Agent Riley Wilkinson has been working with our artists on some fabulous toy concepts for you. Feast your eyes! |
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| Woodland Magic Matching Game byBambi Ramsey |
| This mystical, magical cast of characters will delight children! Kids will sharpen their visual memory skills as they search for Bambi Ramsey’s beautiful animal pairs. Can you spot the paper hat? |
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| Contact us for more information about this fantastic toy pitch.
See more toy concepts–ready to license–here.
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5/16/23
Our annual LRS Residency started yesterday!
One of my most favorite things in the world is to help top artists make even more brilliant work, develop their unique gifts, and broaden their career opportunities. So, with that in mind, we are incredibly excited to offer our LRS Residency again in 2023 to our artists, focusing on illustrated non-fiction books, a.k.a. arty books.
Editors and art directors, we’ll be in touch when our artists’ brilliant pitches are ready, but as always, don’t hesitate to give us a shout should you like to see what we’ve been up to.
Last year, we focused on author/illustrated children’s picture books. Many of the pitches have been picked up by top publishers!
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2022 Author/Illustrator Residency Zoom
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Below is some of the work from previous Residencies for you to enjoy.
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Kendra’s tender and imaginative story of two children, one who is afraid of the ground, and one who is afraid of the sky. Through visually gorgeous illustrations of steampunk-style Rube Goldberg-type contraptions, they find a way to connect.
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Through nature and a new friendship with a caterpillar, a busy pony who thinks being alone is boring, learns how to enjoy her own company.
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A bat that’s afraid of the dark? Meet Fergus, a lovable scaredy-bat!
With compassionate help from three nocturnal friends, Fergus finds the confidence to fly at night, but will he be brave enough when confronted with the gloomiest, spookiest depths of the forest?
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This heartwarming story is a fresh take on anxiety. Frankie Fox present shops for her best friend’s birthday. She falls in love with each cool toy she picks, but then quickly questions each one and gets discouraged. She ultimately pivots to create her own toy that reflects their friendship.
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What I love about Mara’s pitch is her ability to tell a laugh-out-loud story about an insecure snail in a cool way that imparts lots of nutty snail factoids. This book celebrates mucous and other gross features such as the dung beetle’s poop.
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My Kid Book Pitch, my one-of-a-kind picture book writing course is specially designed for creative people just like you!
Magic Cards (pictured above) are my secret weapon for helping you to unlock your magic imagination and come up with unique characters and a dreamy story idea.
By the end of this incredible four week course, you could have your own children’s book pitch ready to send (along with suggestions on who to send it to).
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5/16/23
Thank you for signing up for the morning tour of Mara Penny’s creative nest in Oakland, CA. Please keep all limbs inside the vehicle at all times and do not feed the animals.
Take it away, Mara!
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Hello! My name is Mara Penny. I would like to formally introduce myself and give you a little peek behind the curtain.
I live in a small house in Oakland, CA with my husband, our two teens, our cat and our sweet dog, Lucy.
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Left: Illustration of my Oakland home
Above: Oakland map
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I work from home at a little desk tucked in a corner of my living room. I primarily work on my iPad and computer these days, it suits me just fine. I spend most of my time here.
Right: My cozy desk space
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I love science and all things transcendental.
I was raised on astrology. I am a mother nature super fan.
I love the night sky! I try to find ways to sneak stars into my work.
I am definitely a space girl and not an ocean girl. Although, I do love drawing fish and sea monsters.
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My latest pastime with my husband is gardening. We are not great at it and I honestly cannot believe that human beings figured out how to plant seeds and consistently have enough food to live. Like, what?!
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Above: This flowering plant is nearly nine feet tall! It’s called the Tower of Jewels and it just began blooming. This has caused much wonder and delight in our house. #nerds
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Although I am not the best gardener, I do love to draw flora and fauna. They’re my favorite. Here’s a recent collection I made based on the plants and creatures living in the forest. It’s called Evergreen.
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That concludes our tour for the day. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Mara! You can see more of Mara’s beautiful illustrations here.
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My Kid Book Pitch, my one-of-a-kind picture book writing course is specially designed for creative people just like you!
Magic Cards (pictured above) are my secret weapon for helping you to unlock your magic imagination and come up with unique characters and a dreamy story idea.
By the end of this incredible four week course, you could have your own children’s book pitch ready to send(along with suggestions on who to send it to).
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5/9/23
| We love picture books. We can’t get enough–from sweet lullabies, to hilarious adventures, to non-fiction topics. Here are eight recently released picture books by our artists. Take a look!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project! |
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| Wonderfully Wired Brains (DK Children) |
| “An informative and inclusive children’s guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent.
This inspirational book written by neurodiverse author Louise Gooding challenges misconceptions and shows how neurodivergent brains work a little differently. ”
Buy it here. |
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| This is Our World: Celebrate With Us! (Macmillan)
“The follow-up to the critically acclaimed This Is Our World, this book is a vibrant and colorful celebration of our planet’s cultural diversity―an unforgettable journey that brings the people, customs, and religions of 20 places around the world vividly to life for young readers. ”
Buy it here. |
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| Come Back to Me: A Bedtime Story for Sleepy Eyes (Andrews McMeel)
“Written from the warm and comforting perspective of a parent and illustrating the beauty in childlike imagination comes a timeless new lullaby from New York Time bestselling author and poet r.h. Sin. Come Back to Me is a sweet celebration of dream-filled slumber.”
Buy it here. |
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| My First Book of Dinosaurs (Walker Books)
“The perfect gift for any young dinosaur-lover, this beautifully illustrated information book is an ideal introduction to the world of prehistoric animals!”
Buy it here. |
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| The Best Bear Tracker (Templar Publishing)
“How do you spot a bear? The rules are quite clear, but maybe, just maybe, our heroine might not be as good at tracking as she thinks.
This hilarious picture book is full of quirky charm. Little readers will love laughing at the main character, who is oblivious to the bears following her through the forest. But are they really what she is looking for?”
Buy it here. |
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| La Grande Fête des Licornes (The Great Unicorn Party) (Fleurus Editions)
“Sunday is the big rainbow party in the land of unicorns. A contest is organized, and Titou intends to win it!
Seven stories for seven days to accompany the young unicorn in his last week before the big day… Despite all the obstacles, will he manage to win the contest?”
Buy it here. |
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| My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me (Yeehoo Press)
“A moving tale about the depths of love and care a grandfather and granddaughter have for one another.
Of all the trees in Grandpa’s orchard, one tree is his favorite–a pecan tree, planted for his granddaughter on the day she was born. It’s for just the two of them and all the ways their relationship grows as they care forthis special tree together.”
Buy it here. |
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4/27/23
Today we’re showcasing our artists’ work in advertising, packaging and editorial. Enjoy!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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| This Week’s Featured Toy Pitch |
| Our Toy and Games Agent Riley Wilkinson has been working with our artists on some fabulous toy concepts for you. Feast your eyes! |
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| Tuna Heist by Åsa Gilland |
| Take a trip through a townhouse with this group of mischievous cats in this feline-themed detective game.
Be the first to collect five items to win the game.
The adorable cats and townhouse also double as a playset. |
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Contact us for more information about this fantastic toy pitch.
See more toy concepts–ready to license–here. |
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4/24/23
Ever wanted to see inside Flora’s sketchbook? Where do her brilliant ideas germinate? Where does she find inspiration? Read on to find out more.
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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Hello, I’m Flora and I am an artist and illustrator. Today I would love to share with you some pages from my current sketchbook!
Sketchbooks are a great way to document your interests and try out new techniques. Some of my sketchbooks have become like diaries; documenting a moment in time to remember forever, whilst further developing my style.
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Q. What made you start this sketchbook?
A. I started this sketchbook during a trip to England last year as a way to preserve memories of a special trip. It soon turned into a little personal project; documenting objects I came across which I found inspiring!
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Q. Where did you find inspiration?
A. On the trip, I kept coming across a multitude of interesting objects – some old, some new; items at my family home or friends’ houses, in charity shops and at flea markets. Often when you travel, you look closer at everything…even though these objects are everyday items, to me they were treasures which have / had been loved and meant something to someone.
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Q. What is your favourite page and why?
A. I love this page (below) because the objects belong to my parents and have been in the family for a long time. I enjoyed loosely capturing the details and love working with this blue!
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Q. What medium did you use in this sketchbook?
A. I used pencil, gouache, colouring pencils and watercolours. I particularly like painting the objects in gouache and then using a colouring pencil to roughly fill in the background. I also use pencils to add details here and there. I enjoy the two mediums side by side and the contrast it gives, encouraging me to practise playing with mediums without being too precious.
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What is the sketchbook brand and can you share which art supplies you use?
The sketchbook is a Daler Rowney Ivory sketchbook (softback). The pages are a soft, creamy colour which I love! My paints are Holbein Artists’ Gouache and Winsor and Newton Designer’s Gouache. I have a pan of Sennelier watercolours and for colouring pencils I like Faber Castell polychromos. I use a small brush for these paintings as the sketchbook is small – a number 1 or 2 and I like using a rigger brush for finer details.
I always use a Steadler 92525 drafting mechanical pencil for sketching. I love the precision it gives.
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Q. Do you have any tips or advice for starting a sketchbook?
A. Absolutely! There are no rules about how to use your sketchbook, but here are a few tips if you have been wanting to keep one but not sure where to start. I would start by choosing a sketchbook which has paper you love and in the size you know you will enjoy using.
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Here are some ideas:
• Studies of a particular subject matter (eg. nature studies – leaves, seed pods etc)
• Keeping a record of an event – a holiday, travel experience, meaningful time of year etc – A visual journal – drawing and writing your days
• Exploring a new art medium
• Patterns / doodles for mindfulness and mental health
• A keepsake of treasured drawings / small artworks to look back on in years to come.
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Thank you for joining me today and wishing you a wonderful, creative sketchbook journey!
Flora xoxo
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Thanks so much Flora! You can see more of Flora Waycott’s beautiful work here.
4/19/23
| We can’t get enough of our artists books and puzzles. Enjoy!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project! |
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| It’s a puzzle bonanza with Jenny Miriam!
Above: Moonlight Journey puzzle for Buffalo Games.
Buy it here.
Below: Woodland Picnic for Mudpuppy.
Read a fun review by a puzzler here.
Buy it here.
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| Fabulous new picture book illustrated by Erica Root (Doubleday Books).
“This joyful, energetic, uplifting book honors the magic of teachers and mentors.
Perfect for Teacher Appreciation Week and graduation, it is an ode to the extra-special teachers we remember all those years later.”
Buy it here. |
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| Love this adventurous picture book illustrated by Julia (Scholastic).
“There’s a mysterious bookshop, tucked away from the world, with a rather unusual bookseller… Mr Leopard!
And as one little girl is about to discover, Mr Leopard’s Bookshop is the most magical place in the world…”
Buy it here. |
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| Maria illustrated the 2nd in a series of “Terysa Solves it” picture books.
They even made pyjamas based on her character!
Buy it here.
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| Check out this beautiful picture book illustrated by Albert Arrayás, published by Yeehoo Press.
“A charming picture book tale that showcases how the rewards of our efforts can come from the most unexpected of places.”
Buy it here. |
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| Sarah continues her incredible “A Life Story” series with Scholastic.
Buy it here.
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