If a psychic had told me in high school or even college that I would be working today as a freelance illustrator, I would have laughed in their face and demanded my $10 back. Someone would pay me to draw stuff?! Anyway, I find myself now doing exactly that. I am not one of those people who knew exactly what they wanted to be at the age of 5 and followed that path all the way through adulthood. If I did that I would be a cashier at the grocery store. I think at 8, I wanted to be a nurse. At 12, a fashion designer. At 17, an architect. At 19, a psychiatrist. Still now, I almost feel like I'm not exactly sure where I'll be 10 years from now...and that's pretty exciting (and scary, too).
The freelance illustration part of my career is completely unintentional, just so so accidental. It basically started when Chronicle Books asked me if I wanted to illustrate my Space Planner book--and I was like, sure why not? Now, I'm working on illustrating a cookbook (with an ex-Chronicle designer & editor). The images above are a few of my spot illustrations. It's a fun change of pace since I've never drawn food items really. Bummer though, the client didn't really dig the white silhouette of a spoon on the right (not their style), so I had to redraw!
I'm just allowing my creativity to take me wherever it can, down roads I never thought I could go (sounds cheesy, but true) and gathering random paychecks along the way...
What a shame they didn't like the white spoon it's great!
Posted by: mk | January 30, 2007 at 07:05 PM
love the garlic drawing. :) have you seen the illustrations in laurel's kitchen? (click my name)... laurel herself did all the illustrations; your work reminds me of hers. She's actually a good friend of my family's!
Posted by: phoebe (silk felt soil) | January 31, 2007 at 10:05 PM
no, i haven't seen that cookbook. nice illustrations. thanks for sharing it with me!
Posted by: meg | February 01, 2007 at 02:09 AM
I love those illustrations... very retro. They remind me of the cook books my mum used to have growing up. But with a modern twist.
Posted by: monica | February 01, 2007 at 02:54 AM
oh hey...yes! that feeling of not knowing what is in store for you resonates with me, a lot. scary and exciting, all at once! thank goodness we never have to pin ourselves down to just one sure thing and that's the end.
the illos are so cheerful, simple and good! and congrats on the book!
Posted by: jenny | February 04, 2007 at 01:32 PM