Ann writes:

“Hi Lilla!
I just did an interview with Ann Dziemianowicz, the author of Careers For Your Cat. I had a lot of fun answering her questions about my cats, and how they inspired me as I did the illustrations for her book. I included some photos of the cats and detailed the “careers” in which they were featured. She posted the interview on her blog – click here to read and see more.”

Suzy Ultman chats with Ryan Walsh about her latest fabric collection, Appleville. Read up here. (plus free giveaways! Hurry, contest ends July 6th!):

Monday: Karen’s Gallery Fiori fabric line

Suzy writes:

Lilla,
For a recent Chronicle Books interview, I photographed bits of my studio & the little collections that inspire my art. You can read more about my love of treasure hunting, my folk art roots & my kid-inspired work at chroniclebooks.com. It’s a little peek into what makes me tick. Enjoy.

Trina writes:

‘Hello
Thought you might like to read this. It was for the blog of a lovely woman, Deborah Henry-Pollard, who I met last week at a workshop on selling your product as a craft/design person.”

Trina Dalziel is a freelance illustrator who has created work for clients including, in the UK: Mini Boden, Cico Books, Duncan Baird Publishers, Health Service Journal, HarperCollins, Hodder and Stoughton, Marketing Week, Mitchell Beazley, NHS, Nursing Times, Red, Runners World, Sainsbury Magazine, She, World Wildlife Fund. In the USA, client include: Air Continental, BlueQ, Body and Soul Magazine, Boston Globe, Chronicle Books, Delicious Living, Family Circle, Land of Nod, Madison Park Greetings, Real Simple, Scholastic, Spa Magazine, Time Asia, Yoga Journal She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, Anglia Ruskin University, University of Wolverhampton, Southampton Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Middlesex University, University of the Creative Arts Maidstone.

In your professional life, what is the single best thing about what you do?

I think it’s probably getting paid for answering a brief and finding a visual solution for a client, and yet being able to put a lot of myself into the work.

The other thing that is great about my job is that it’s so portable…I could in theory be living anywhere in the world…. in reality I’m currently in a slightly grotty bit of South London…but the knowledge that I could up and move and I’d be able to take my job with me makes it bearable!
Do you have a creative hero / heroine and if so, why?
I think the people I admire most are those who achieve longevity in their careers and who manage to make a good living whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance. In these hard times that’s enough to impress me!

I’d just like to move to the countryside with my boyfriend to a house overlooking fields and have a wood burning stove, a studio and a dog. And to be able to continue working on projects I love. People who have led such lives are rarely heard of so rarely feature as creative heroes and heroines.

I’m currently applying for funding to instigate an oral history project where I intend to interview women illustrators who were working pre 1980 about their working lives, commissions and the combining of domestic and work life. Hopefully if I manage to get the project done I’ll have some new heroines!

What piece of advice do you wish you had been given at the beginning of your career?

“Be bold!” Though in reality even if it had been said I might not have been ready to hear it at the time!

Maybe also “It’s not rocket science!” I think even now I sometimes hold off starting new projects or exploring new opportunities – for example I’m keen to expand into applying my work to ceramics and fabrics and to also start up an e-newsletter – but I often feel there is some “secret” information I don’t yet know so I hold back when really I should just take the leap.

If you hit a creative block, what is your top tip for getting through it?

If I have an illustration commission and I can’t think of any ideas I go to one of my visuals files full of allsorts of printed ephemera – magazine cutting, postcards, flyers, Satsuma wrappers, found old photographs from European flea markets etc and just enjoy myself looking through for half an hour or so. I don’t worry about or focus on the brief. Then I take myself away to the kitchen or outside – away from my desk and then ideas just seem to come to me. I think “inspiration” balances on a fine line between on one side knowledge, preparation and research and on the other play and letting your mind fly.

And finally, for fun, if you were a shoe, what type of shoe would you be and why?

Perhaps felt pixie boots with hidden steel toecaps!

See more of Trina’s work here.

Monday: Suzy Ultman’s updated portfolio

Here is an excerpt of FAQs with Adolie Day on her blog.

Could you describe your career path ?

It will be a long story!!!
As long as I can remember, I always had a pen in my hands.
I redrew Disney’s princess and made horrible painting for the Mother’s Day.
All my junior high school’s notebooks were covered with tags, sketches, fashion’s drawing (and a lot of Kurt Cobain’s pictures).
After a high school diploma in literature and arts test, I was accepted at the Pivaut-Nantes school, where I followed the advertising graphics program.
I understood, at this moment that I will do it my job, It make me feeling alive, vibrate.
I admit, I wasn’t fond of the perspective and documentaries studies’ courses (whatever ^^)
It was very important for me to be in a school, learn the basis, be structured, and judged … it doesn’t suit to everybody, but it allows me to go beyond.
In this period, I acquired a kind of freedom in the drawing (thanks to the nude).
At the end of my studies, I began painting with animals painted on wood (acrylic and “gouache”) with an original frame make by my wonderful daddy.
I approached some decoration’s stores, and won my first orders.
Six months later, I answered to an announcement for a replacement as a textile graphic designer at “Alphabet”, six months at “Sucre d’Orge” and two months at Kenzo.
I decided to resign this last job to launch me in freelance. It was a vital need, like an obsession!
I got an exhibition for my series “Les Nicoles” at Le Bon Marché-Paris, it activated many orders.
I have still worked in the textile industry during two seasons as a freelance for Kenzo and Catimini.
But more the time passed, more the personal illustration took me time : exhibitions, press, editions. At this period, I can say that I have worked as a headless chicken, but I knew it was the tribute for having a name and additionally pay the rent!
I started having a well filed book and I had launched my blog. It is at this period the Amereta’s edition got in touch with me. They offer to me to create a little character who will be a book sage heroine for the little children (Lilichou was born).
In the same time, I got in touch with La Marelle (I was a real fan of all their artists and their range of products), and I was really surprised when I received Pascale’s answer “Ok”. I can remember very well this moment:
I read the mail and then I was jumping like a crazy girl in the entire flat ;) it was a great joy and it will stay one for ever.
I won’t tell everything in all the details, but everything happened in quick succession, and then my first album, good press articles, wonderful exhibitions …
One of the mayor point of my path is the meeting with my loved one who learnt me a lot and it continuous.

For the beginner, there is no mystery, to do this work you need passion, a lot of work, hours of practice, enjoy yourself, try but stay yourself in your drawings.
Don’t listen the others, make your own choices. It could be difficult sometimes when you will need money, to give up food propositions; you will have to find your balance.
And everybody make mistakes, some bad choices … it doesn’t matter, practice makes perfect!

Silvia Dekker writes:

“Hi Lilla,
I was interviewed by my favorite Dutch interiors and craft magazine 101 Living Ideas for their January issue. For a link to their blog with a bit about the article translated in English, click here. They asked me to design something for their readers so I designed this photoframe which is in the magazine in 2 colorways and can also be downloaded from their website for free.”

Wednesday: Illustrator Confidence Level is High for 2011

From the Esty feature:

“Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am Hsinping Pan. I grew up in Taiwan and then moved to Los Angeles to study animation. After eleven years in LA, I recently moved back to Taiwan. I like to draw colorful things and sometimes make stories for them. I found art is the best way to express myself and connect with the world — I like to make things that make me happy and also bring joy to viewers.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I like watching movies and reading books. I also love to travel and eat delicious food.

What first made you want to become an artist?

I’ve loved drawing ever since I can remember, but I didn’t think about becoming an artist until I went to college for business. I was really frustrated and confused by my classes and found my true passion in creating things. Now I really appreciate that I initially studied business because it helped me make up my mind to become an artist!

Please describe your creative process.

If it’s for a project, I will draw the first thing that comes into my head. Then I’ll do some research and add more details to my drawings. If it’s for myself, I like to doodle in a place where people are interacting, like in a seminar or coffee shop. Doodling in my sketchbook is a very important creative process for me.

When I color the image, I sometimes use acrylic, illustrator software, or I’ll mix a handpainted image with a digital image.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

My friend made a crochet lion and gave it to me when I was very sad. It was a cute doll and made me happy. But somehow I can’t find it anymore… I think maybe he went on his own journey. I will miss him forever.

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

Movies:
Amelie
My Neighbor Totoro
Au Revoir Taipei
Wallace & Gromit
Mother (Korean movie)
Books:
Dear Diary by Sara Fanelli
The Lonesome Puppy by Yoshimoto Nara
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
Un Lion a Paris by Beatrice Alemagna
My Friends by Taro Gomi

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Develop your own style and keep creating things. Love what you make and enjoy making it.

What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?

I really like that you can Shop by Color. It’s so fun to pick a color and find surprises. I also find the Forums very useful. I’ve learned many tips there.

How do you promote your work?

I am not a very good promoter, but I think updating your shop often with new work helps. I also make sure that each order is made with great quality, and I like to include a small thank you note.

In ten years, where would you like to be?

I would like to have my own studio and to work on interesting projects. I would like to make more art, books and films and also create my own stationery or toy line.”

See more of Hsinping’s art here.

Monday: Jackie Besteman’s work for Financial Post

Read an article about Lisa’s “A Collection a Day, 2010” (collectionaday2010.blogspot.com)
here.

See more of Lisa’s work here.

Wednesday: Jillian’s new Paperchase products

Sarajo writes us:

“Hi,
On Monday, May 3 at 4pEST, Mindy from Sirius/XM Radio’s Kids Place Live will be interviewing “Noonie’s Masterpiece” author Lisa Railsback and myself LIVE! This is also the first time I will be speaking with the author.”

To see a really cool animation of Noonie’s Masterpiece, click here.

Wednesday: New work by Rebecca Bradley

This is what Uppercase’s Editor, Janine Vangool, wrote in the Uppercase Blog:

“In our current issue, Aaron Leighton interviews artist rep Lilla Rogers. Lilla has an amazing roster of talent and I was thrilled to be able to include images by a few of the artists. Matte Stephens created an original illustration for the fox cover, and below is a photo of Sarajo Frieden’s work (left, with embroidery by Marci Boudreau) and Amy Blay (right).

Thanks, Sarajo, for sending me the picture of the magazine in your studio. Looks like your cat is quite fond of it. And thank you, Lilla, for graciously lending your time for the interview — and for the lovely bouquet this week!

Congratulations to Sarajo on the release of Noonie’s Masterpiece, a children’s book she illustrated. Find out more about the book on Chronicle Books’ website.”

Wednesday: Marco Marella for ‘pastarito’ restaurants, italy