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Hello! I’ve had a lot of new followers since starting my portrait series. Thank you for following along. Do you have a woman artist you’d like to see me illustrate? Here is floral card design I created this weekend. I’m sooooo ready for spring. I heard some birds yesterday for the first time this year, that’s a good sign! And milk glass reminds me of my great grandma, so I had to use that as my vase. #floralart #illustrationoftheday #surfacedesign #artlicensing #illustratorsoninstagram #womenwhodraw #weloveillustration
Hannah Höch was a Dada artist who pioneered the photo collage technique known as photomontage using images from popular media. She was the only female member of the German Dada group. Her work challenged gender roles, sexuality, racism, politics and the women’s liberation movement of the 1920’s. Höch was censored during the Nazi regime as degenerate art. After the war she continued to create and exhibit internationally until her death in the 70s. During her early years she worked for women’s magazines designing sewing, embroidery and handiwork projects for the publications. Her work at the time incorporated these elements with her collages. #portraitchallenge_2019 #arthistory #womenshistorymonth #strongwomen #hannahhoch #editorialillustration #womenofillustration
To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee. And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few. -Emily Dickinson I’ve been working on some floral designs this week, thought I’d share this one today. My sister has always been able to find four leaf clovers within a few minutes of looking, so this one is in honor of her today. #floralart #fourleafclover #stpatricksday #luckoftheirish #meadowflowers #wildflowers #artlicensing #patterndesign #surfacedesign #springflowers
Hilma af Klimt was a hidden treasure in art history that has only recently been unearthed. This amazing artist was the first abstract artist in history, 5 years before any of her male counterparts braved the world of pure color and form. Hilma was a spiritualist and felt her art was derived from communication with the spirit world. But I don’t think we can dismiss her abstract art as something other than Hilma’s brilliant creations. Maybe she gave herself freedom to explore spiritual ideas through shapes, colors and symbols but Hilma was a professionally trained artist with 20 years of experience before she started her abstract art. She made her living as a landscape painter. Unfortunately she showed her spiritual art to one of the leading spiritualist of her day and he dismissed her work. She hid her work away, over 1000 paintings and 125 notebooks with sketches and details about their meaning and the symbolism that she developed to portray her ideas of unity and balance. She felt her work was before it’s time and that was why it was rejected. She gave instructions to not show her work until 20 years after her death. She felt then that the world would be ready for her messages. 40 years later her work was introduced to an international audience. Her paintings are gorgeous explorations of color in geometric and organic shapes. Scroll through to see a few of my favorite paintings from her series of Ten that depict different stages of life. #portraitchallenge_2019, #arthistory #womenshistorymonth #hilmaafklint #womenartists #portraitart #editorialart #womenofillustration
Grandma (Anna Mary) Moses started painting when she was 76, after arthritis in her hands made embroidery too difficult. She painted over 1500 paintings in the next three decades, switching hands when one would start to hurt! “Painting's not important. The important thing is keeping busy.” Grandma Moses was an untrained artist who spent her earlier years as a farmer and serial crafter. Her first paintings were sold for $5-10, in 2006 one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million! Grandma Moses was a celebrity during her lifetime. Her art was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, Hallmark published her art as greeting cards, her work was licensed on a vast array of products and used in advertisements. Time magazine featured her on the cover celebrating her 100th birthday. I love the story of Grandma Moses, she teaches us it’s never too late to start something new and don’t worry about being perfect. #portraitchallenge_2019 #arthistory #womenshistorymonth #grandmamoses #womenofillustration #illustratorsoninstagram #editorialillustration
Amrita Sher-Gil was an art prodigy with her formal lessons starting when she was 8. At 16 she moved to Paris to study art. When she was 19 she was the youngest member elected as an Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris. She moved to India to study traditional Indian art and found her modern style during this time. Her work focused mainly on the poor and women and their daily struggles. Unfortunately she died very young when she was 28. She is a national treasure in India. Her work is beautiful, haunting and powerful. #portraitchallenge_2019 #arthistory #womenshistorymonth #strongwomen #amritashergil #editorialillustration #womenofillustration #illustratorsoninstagram
Here is the illustration I submitted for @theydrawandcook. I was super inspired by a week in the tropics and drinks on the beach served in coconuts! I’ll be back with portraits tomorrow. #theydrawandcook #eattherainbow #foodillustration #editorialillustration #smoothiebowls
I drew these little cuties last night for Mats Bootcamp. I had never thought of designing a pair of salt & pepper shakers. It was so much fun to do something a little more humorous and so vintage feeling. #matsbootcamp #makeartthatsells #artlicensing #illustratorsoninstagram #nauticaldecor #mermaid
Another image from the @illostories prompts for our artist biography. I just had to draw Marianne as a girl exploring in the @kewgardens palm house. #illostories #illostoriesartist #childrensbookillustration #kidslitart #illustratorsoninstagram
One of my art school day favorites! I was so in awe when I came face-to-face with one of her larger than life canvases. When you are looking at artwork in a book or on a screen you can’t really image the impact it will have in real life. Helen Frankenthaler created paintings that engulf you. They are mammoth canvases soaked in color. They are the exploration of color and form in a scale that commands all your senses. Her method of painting was to dilute oil paint with turpentine and literally soak raw canvas with the stains of color. She first created paintings that were categorized as abstract expression, taking her cues from natures’ inspirations. Later her canvases let go of traditional meaning as she worked in color fields that were a celebration of pure art elements. Her work was well respected and she enjoyed a successful career as an important figure in American painting. She taught at Harvard, Yale and Princeton. My inspiration for today was Ernest Haas’ powerful photo of Frankenthaler in her studio. #portraitchallenge_2019 #arthistory #womenshistorymonth #strongwomen #editorialillustration #womenofillustration #illustratorsoninstagram
Working on the prompts for @IlloStories. If you are interested in creating for the children’s book market their prompts are stellar. So inspiring and in-depth. I’m totally going to write a children’s book about Marianne North, I just have to! #illostories #childrensbookillustration #kidlitart #picturebookillustration
She was much more than just the creator of a beloved bunny. She was a noted scientific illustrator for her study of mushrooms, she self-published her first book, bought a farm and raised sheep. She was always serious about land conservation. When she died she left 14 farms and 4000 acres to the National Public Trust. So not only did she leave a lasting literary legacy, she provided the preservation of the natural beauty of her inspirations for generations to come. #portraitchallenge_2019 #editorialillustration #illustratorsofinstagram #portraitstudy #beatrixpotter