Jon writes:

“Hi Lilla!
Holiday just launched at Starbucks. I illustrated most of the campaign in a completely different style than I usually work in. The inspiration comes from classic Art Deco artwork from the 20s and 30s. I worked mainly on the illustrations and the talented designers in the Starbucks Creative Group translated them into signs, coffee bags, gift boxes etc… I hope you like it!
Take care.”

Wednesday: Suzy Ultman – Felt Creations

Trina writes:

“Hi Lilla

I’m sending you some new work. They are ink drawings and mostly about A2 in size. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve ever worked this big and this messy before. It’s easy to blame external blocks – years in a small rented flat with the proverbial British carpets, not enough space on my desk once my computer, scanner and A3 printer are on it, “What would I then do with work so big?”, “They won’t fit under my scanner”, “How would I get that to the art director”….and on and on.

It may be something more subtle though – “artists work big but I’m an illustrator”, “To do a big self initiated piece I ought to have something serious or special to say”, “beautiful paper needs something good on it and it might not turn out good!” or maybe with my ingrained Calvinism “That is just too much fun to consider”!

Now with a bigger space and floorboards and a table in the kitchen for craft projects all the reasons seem silly. But maybe it isn’t so much gaining physical space but just allowing myself mental space to play. I’ve always known, in theory, how important it is to play and experiment as a way to moving your work along but somehow it always gets moved right down my list of priorities to somewhere under “send out mailers” or “clean bathroom” and time goes by!

I’m really loving working this big and the spontaneity of using inks and water. Sometimes starting with a very light pencil outline, but mostly just starting. But with years of drawing elements on separate bits of paper – easy to throw away if not right and then working in Illustrator where the delete button is there as a constant comforter it is a shock when I realise changes can’t easily be made! But I actually find it quite relaxing if I accept that this is part of the process, finding ways to reshape and change elements as “mistakes” happen and accepting I can’t control everything as I go along. If I get to a stage where I can control the results and everything turns out as expected I guess that’s when I should move on to some other technique!”

Friday: Studio Carta Grand Opening

Marco writes:

“ciao lilla!
here is the last ‘gastronomica’ mag assignment: i had fun, and art director frances baca is delighted with it…”

Allegra writes:

“Hello to everyone!
Here the new work just made for the Philharmonic of Scala (the Opera house of Milan): I had to reinterpret their logo for children and the make the poster for a series of concerts for schools about the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It’s a work very important and representative as it’ll be in all the catalogues of the season.
Have a good day and a good weekend!”

Monday: Recipe illustrations by Marco Marella

Adolie writes us:

“My new book comes out Tomorrow

Sleeping beauty

A childhood dream but also an illustrator.
I stuck with it for many winters,
I’m bitten with pictures of young princesses, kings and colorful’s fairies.
Now, the book finished  and the story done, I can sleep too.

Tell me your travel, your emotions in this tale,
spread the news in your kingdom so that does not lose the magic of stories.

Thank you for sharing my dreams.”

Allison writes:

“Below are some images from a recent assignment for Parents Magazine, they were wonderful to work with!
I illustrated a spread and three spots for an article about the role that birth order plays in personality development.
I also had the opportunity to try out a new technique that I have been working on for a while. My goal was to combine the texture and shadow from my cut-paper fine art with the drawing style of my editorial work. I hope you like how it turned out!”

Wednesday: Adolie’s new book

Trina Dalziel writes:

“Hi, Lilla

I’ve been having lots of fun at Cosmo China in Bloomsbury, London recently painting plates and mugs and egg cups and butter dishes etc with this circus theme.

It developed from the circus design I did in the spring as part of a collection of circus themed repeats. And they, in turn, came from a little sketch in my sketchbook done in the winter. I love the way ideas, themes and projects can grow and in doing so change form.”

Monday: Allison Cole – new work in the October issue of Parents Magazine

John Coulter writes:

“Hi Lilla,
This is my latest illustration for Seattle Met. I was really trying to push the colors and textures on this one.”

Friday: Trina Dalziel’s Cosmo Circus Ceramics

Trina writes:

“One morning a few weeks ago while on the island of Skye we went to an otter haven. To get there it was several miles on a single-track road with breathtaking views across to the Scottish mainland. It was just across this stretch of water that Gavin Maxwell, the naturalist and author, lived during the 1950s and where he wrote his famous book about otters, “Ring of Bright Water”.

There was a wooden hut on a hillside overlooking the sea with big windows, seats and binoculars. We waited and waited and waited, looking and scanning the sea and the beach. I so wanted to see one I started to think I did – every ripple on the water or long bit of seaweed on the beach. The closest I came to an otter was the beautiful carved wooden one in the hut!

Eventually we gave up and as we walked back through the forest to the car I imagined what it might be like to meet a standing up clothed one possibly offering us hot chocolate from small cups. This drawing came from that wishful hope!

I think I sort of like otters all the more for being so reclusive and elusive.”

Friday: Allison’s fun sock design for Sock it to Me

John Coulter writes:

“Hi Lilla,
Attached are jpegs of my most recent illustration for Seattle Met Magazine. It was for an article about people keeping roosters and chickens in the city.
Thanks
John”

Friday: Suzy U – Open for Business (ETSY & more)