Category: new work
Featuring Mara Penny: check out TWO of her newest, fully illustrated books and her huge bolt fabric collection
Today, we’re delighted to feature our artist Mara Penny, who lives in Oakland, California. I fell in love with her work a few years ago when I spotted her in my courses at Make Art that Sells. She brings a joy to her work and fresh color palettes that are irresistible.
Dive in below and check out TWO of her newest, fully illustrated books and her huge bolt fabric collection (and a peek inside her home!)
Check out Mara’s fully-illustrated brand-new book, Like a Girl (Sterling)
Publishers Weekly writes, “Penny works in stylized collages that distinctively capture the likenesses of the women, who encompass people of varying backgrounds and abilities.”
Above: From Like a Girl(Sterling)
Animation by Natasha Dewitz
The Practical Witch’s Spell Book (Running Press)
The cool part about Mara is that she is able to paint such beautiful and magical subjects as you can see here, in her fully-illustrated book, The Practical Witch’s Spell Book. Her magical style was one of the many things that attracted me to Mara’s work initially, and I was eager for her to get a book that would showcase that part of her work, and so I was delighted when she was commissioned to illustrated this book.
A complete introduction to modern magic and witchcraft with spells and incantations for love, happiness, and success. See interiors below.
One of Mara’s dream projects was to design a bolt fabric collection, and so we were over the moon when she was commissioned to create several lines for the esteemed bolt fabric company Moda. She was asked to illustrate all 50 the United States.
Below, enjoy her first line from the Southwest region, called Desert Song. Mara illustrated the State Birds, State Flowers, and State Maps of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona for this collection.
Above: Mara was asked to create four different colorways for each pattern, which was a treat for this master colorist!
Mara’s studio
Mara Penny writes, “I have a gallery wall next to my desk that includes a portrait of my grandmother (top left) when she was about my age. That oil painting was my security blanket when I was very little. It was unframed and I would drag it around the house with me. The edges are roughed up and dog-eared. She was an artist, and the first oil painting she made was of an olive tree that hangs next to my desk. My daughter’s name is Olive so it’s a full-circle moment!”
“What do you look for in an artist?” Hear what Mitch Nash, co-founder of Blue Q, says when I ask him that question.
We’re so excited about our upcoming three-day 5th Annual Artists and VIP Retreat beginning this Sunday. Eleven of our artists are flying in from all over the planet to attend, and we can’t wait! Enjoy some shots from previous years.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we will be doing live posting and Insta stories during the Retreat. You’ll see lots of art, some mini interviews with the artists, and maybe even a shot of vintage bingo at break time.
Looking for some great art for your project? Contact us to assign or license. We’re happy to help!
Attending artists will be (in no particular order):
Kendra Binney, Washington
Sarah Papworth, England
Jessica Allen, Rhode Island
Asa Gilland, Jakarta, Indonesia
Anke Rega, Berlin
Julia Christians, Germany
Erica Root, Philadelphia
Bambi Ramsey, California
Mara Penny, Oakland
Kelly Anne Dalton, Montana
Jennifer M Potter, San Francisco
One of the highlights of the Retreat is Speed Art Dating with the art directors and our artists at nearby Mystic Lake. Our artists have a chance to visit with each art director and show new work. Want to see our artists’ latest art? Contact us! We’d be delighted to show you.
Click on the photo to hear what cool Mitch Nash, co-founder of the beloved company Blue Q, says when I ask him “What do you look for in an artist?”
Clairice Gifford and Flora Waycott showing their portfolios
We dedicate the entire day three of the Retreat for art making. Some years, the artists decorate blank white linen tote bags. Above, Trina Dalziel has appliquéd, embroidered, and painted a lovely pooch on the pouch.
Katie Vernon and her cheese labels; art from last year’s retreat. I had a vibe that if Katie creates some cheese packaging labels, it would attract a very very cool job. So Katie, being the lovely person she is, and brilliantly talented, created these gems. And lo and behold, she did get a very nice food packaging gig!
Taker a peek at Sarah Walsh’s sketchbook that she brought along to the Retreat.
Artist Marenthe from Amsterdam, agent Susan McCabe and artist Clairice Gifford from Utah having a good laugh.
Left to right: Coffee break time with artist Kate Mason of Australia; Janine Vangool, Publisher of Uppercase Magazine; Mitch Nash, co-founder of Blue Q; artist Flora Waycott of Australia
Sarah Walsh, Katie Vernon and Mara Penny working away on their art projects.
A workshop on writing children’s books on last year’s patio. I’ve completely re-landscaped the back gardens and patio. We’ll show plenty of pix in an upcoming newsletter.
Kate Mason’s bird house for Studio M, in my garden.
Get your hands on two fully-illustrated brand-new books by our stellar artists!
Get your hands on two fully-illustrated brand-new books by our stellar artists. I Know an Artist by Sarah Papworth is one of the most brilliantly illustrated books I’ve seen in a while (above), and Flora Waycott has created a masterpiece for all those wanting to draw even better (below).
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha Dewitz
From Sarah Papworth’s sumptuously illustrated book I Know an Artist: The inspiring connections between the world’s greatest artists (Quarto). Order your copy here.
—> BIG NEWS! We are delighted to announce Flora’s latest authored and illustrated book!
Pre-order Flora Waycott’s gorgeous book, Inspired Artist: Draw Every Little Thing: Learn to draw more than 100 everyday items, from food to fashion (Quarto). Written and fully illustrated by Flora, you’ll learn to draw and paint more than 100 of your favorite everyday objects.
Above: Interiors from Flora Waycott’s lavishly-illustrated brand-new book.
But wait there’s more!
All you have to do is email a screenshot of your receipt to florawaycott@gmail.com. Click here to pre-order!
Originally from Sweden, Åsa Gilland now resides in Jakarta, Indonesia, where diversity is a way of life. Her ability to draw such a rich range of characters with heart is one of the reasons that she is so heavily booked with children’s picture books.
Savor this lovely piece by the divine watercolorist Carolyn Gavin, from her travels to Cassis and Guatemala. You can see why L’Occitane has commissioned Carolyn to illustrate a number of their products.
Revel in Jennifer M Potter’s dreamy, slightly gothic illustration for Folktale Week. She depicts a character from a Slavic tale called Beauty and the Horns. Jennifer’s ability to render so vividly is one of the reasons that she is in such heavy demand in the book market.
Jessica Allen recently sent us this lovely shot of her painting mid-century feminist icon Betty Friedan.
Seems like we’re on a historical kick these days. Savor this cream-puff of an illustration by Kelly Anne Dalton. She recently completed a few covers for a major publisher depicting imagery from the 1920s.
There’s a reason that Tara gets a ton of greeting card, calendar and stationery commissions from all the best companies. Plus look for her collection for Anthropologie coming Fall 2019!
See Bambi Ramsey’s animated Farmer’s Market, Helen Dardik’s cookie packaging, and Katie Vernon’s Anthro bedding
Bambi’s red man bun, Helen’s porcupine, Rebecca’s sloth…Enjoy!
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha Dewitz
Our newest artist, Bambi Ramsey, delights us by illustrating places that we want to go to! Love the diversity of people, the ages, the red man bun, and the baked goods table.
Anke for my Make Art That Sells Home Decor class based on my trend board
Helen’s beloved and unmistakable style, for Fika’s Autumn cookie packaging
Dreamy watercolor bedding by Katie Vernon for Anthropologie
Rebecca Jones gets a ton of gorgeous animal work because she’s able to make her animals appealing to children. Tableware for Petit Monkey
The inimitable style of Sarah Walsh, gracing this oven mitt for Blue Q
Gorgeous original illustrations by Tara
Sneak peek! Wanna see the proofs of Hsinping Pan’s latest book for James Patterson?
I’m dying to show you the proofs for Hsinping Pan’s latest book for Jimmy Patterson Books. You can pre-order it today! Hsinping is hot, hot, hot! She’s very in-demand for book illustration and you can see why. Scroll down to see three recent books she’s illustrated.
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha Dewitz from Cuddly Critters for Little Geniuses
Be Kind (Storey Publishing)
I hope you enjoyed the show! Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs. Get to know us here!
GIANT NEWS! Introducing our newest Artist! Revealing her pitch for a book.
We’re absolutely delighted to announce our newest artist, Erica Root.
I first noticed Erica’s work in class, where her distinctive style showcasing soft textures and rich colors stood apart. Since then, she’s developed a strong body of work, and after working with her privately for several months, I am thrilled that she is now represented by us. I am eager to get children’s books for her, in part because that is her dream, but also because I can’t wait to see and hold the magical book I know she’ll create. I’m confident that she’ll be snapped up for commissions, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re interested.
We took her on for several reasons. In addition to being able to illustrate incredible children’s books with appealing characters, we can envision her powerful editorial work gracing the pages of magazines and websites. Check out her Ida B. Wells illustration below.
Read on to see her book pitch idea…
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha Dewitz
It’s not easy to recreate Alice, but Erica has made a lovely Alice here. Besides the elegant color palette, the floating items help tell the story.
Erica illustrated this spread to demonstrate how she might illustrate a story in vignettes. In class, we encourage showing dramatic poses in a pitch. Exhibit A: Alice falling down the hole, hair flying upward.
This is one of my favorite characters Erica has created. I loved the softness of her trademark shading, the quiet color palette, the hand lettering, and the bright eyes that suggest a story is ready to be told.
This powerful likeness was created for the suffragette assignment for my Assignment Bootcamp course. This may have been the point where I stood up and took notice of Erica. Once I pulled myself off the floor, I took a deeper look: the telling tattoo imagery on her body, the piercing eyes, the suffragette badge on her mustard hat. We’re constantly getting assignments to illustrate powerful women in history, so we saw this piece as a plus.
We were impressed with this fresh take on emotions, plus the lovely Freedom and Letting Go bird banners as an embellishment to the figure.
One of things I look for is wit in an artist’s work. That tells me the artist may be capable of initiating their own projects. See next image…
Erica was a student in my MBA course (Money Bad Ass) where I fell in love with the lists she created. I’m currently working with her on a book concept of 52 lists, so please don’t hesitate to contact us to see the pitch or to chat.
‘The Real Life Mom Recipe’ (excerpt). This is the kind of wit and style I love.
Reach out to us to see more of Erica’s work or chat about your projects. See more of her work on our site here or on her site here.
How does an artist illustrate Eva Hesse with string and lettering? Lots of lettering by our artists.
Want to see the various ways in which seven top artists create beautiful and brilliant lettering? Read on.
Fun Facts: Did you know that agent Kim Fleming is fluent in French, and agent Joanne Hus is fluent in Spanish? Yup!
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha Dewitz
“Let’s keep asking questions”
Clairice Gifford’s typographic illustration for Flow Magazine (France)
From the sketchbook of the genius Helen Dardik
Julia’s sketchbook from my MBA course
Lovely serif uppercase lettering from Marenthe’s sketchbook
We love this innovative lettering treatment from Sarah’s book “I Know An Artist” (Quarto)
Trina created delicate serif upper and lower case lettering in this gardening illustration for Baltimore Magazine.
Artists like painting animals and people and flowers. See why! Deer, rabbits, a tiger and some chickens.
Stay tuned for a big announcement from the Studio coming next week!
Artists love painting animals, people, and flowers, which is good news for our clients, because as you’ll see below, they are picked up for loads of applications, such as picture books, wall covering, even magnet sets.
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
I’m crazy about the style of course, but the color palette? Love.
From of a magnet set for Badge Bomb.
There’s a reason that Daniel gets a ton of board book work, and so many other things. His updated mid-century style, color palette, and vintage lithographic effect is so appealing.
If you like this piece, wait until you see the work Kendra’s doing for my Illustrating Children’s Books course. Stay tuned…or contact us to see more.
Like a Girl (Sterling Publishing)
Seriously, the colors. And the likeness. And the composition.
This may be why you opened this email! Sarah Walsh’s sketchbook. This is the kind of thing she does for herself.
Wall decor for Open Road Brands
Happy stylized sunflowers! Those pink cosmos blooms; the feathers on the chicken; the fine pen and ink lettering: you can see why this charmer was picked up for licensing.
Why does our artist Carolyn Gavin get so many commissions to illustrate things like wine labels, Anthro bedding, chocolate bars, and more?
We love our artist Carolyn Gavin, and we’re delighted to profile her today. From chocolate and wine packaging, to Anthropologie bedding, Carolyn’s work adds lush watercolor beauty to any product.
I first became aware of Carolyn’s work many years ago in a tiny paper goods shop in Rockport, Massachusetts. Her journals for Ecojot absolutely floored me–her style was truly original.
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Animation by Natasha DeWitz
Photo courtesy CreativeBug
Check out Carolyn’s CreativeBug Class, “Daily Painting Challenge: Flowers, Fruits and the Natural World”
Watercolors
Click on the image above to see a Carolyn watercolor painting in action!
Packaging
Packaging for L’Occitane en Provence
Gift box and Pumpkin Spice chocolate bar packaging art by Carolyn Gavin
Wine label for Georges DuBoeuf
Books & Products
Carolyn illustrated two books in the Kids Can Press “Nature All Around” series.
File this under very cool jobs: Carolyn Gavin was invited by Fossil Toronto to hand-paint purses, wallets and watches recently.
Bedding for Anthropologie
There are several reasons why our artists love illustrating for editorial. See new work by our artists for the Washington Post.
There are several reasons why our artists love illustrating for editorial. First, the manuscripts open new worlds to illustrate. Second, concepting adds a rich dimension to the piece. And third, the faster time frame keeps it fresh.
Today, we are delighted to feature recent work by several of our artists for the venerable Washington Post.
Contact us to assign or license–we’re happy to help!
Illustration on souvenirs from a variety of countries by Jessica Allen for the Washington Post Travel Section
Illustration on climate change by Jon Cannell for the Washington Post
Illustration on Father’s Day by Marco Marella for the Washington Post
Illustration on wellness by Sarah Papworth for the Washington Post
What to do in Anaheim and Orlando besides Disney by Trina Dalziel for the Washington Post Travel Section
Called “the Praying Mantis” for its shape, this illustration by Katie Vernon for the Washington Post illustrates the most gerrymandered district in Maryland.
