London-based illustrator and graphic designer Thereza Rowe loves drawing a lot, and it shows. Let’s pay her vibrant portfolio a little visit, shall we? Get ready to see color, shape, line, and pattern!

Thereza has a degree in Graphic Information Design from the University of Westminster in London. She loves to tell stories through her work, and each piece; whether through the characters, their expressions, stance, composition; tells a new story of it’s own. A child at heart and a daydreamer, this quirky and playful element is conveyed through her illustrations. I had the chance to ask Thereza several questions about her work, and she happily shares her answers with us.

When did you become interested in art?
I’ve always been interested in any form of creative expression; singing, drawing, collecting, etc… Those have always been present in my life.

How would you describe your art?
Simple, bold, minimalist, and capable of letting the viewer’s imagination wander and communicate to them.

Animals are always featured in her drawings as loyal and serene creatures, which reflects on her love for animals and for her two cats that keep her company as she is surrounded by mountains of paper and hundreds of pens.

The successful illustrator has been featured in countless publications, one of which is the beautiful Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration along with 39 other illustrators, which you can find here.

Please describe your process.
I don’t really have a set process. I keep sketchbooks and always carry a camera with me to document whatever I find inspiring. Other than that my actual process of image making always changes depending on the project. My main tools are colour, shape and imagination. So it all happens from playing with those elements.

Where do you find inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere. And because I have an obsession with documenting and collecting anything I find interesting, I guess it helps keeping the inspiration well always replenished. I also have a blog, which i update regularly as i believe inspiration is a give and take process. I’ve had my blog for three years and it’s been a fascinating adventure to follow both my own development and that of artist friends who i met through it.

Thereza also collaborates with other artists as well, motivated by the joy and excitement sharing a process. Isn’t she so inspiring? There are endless possibilities for creativity, and why not explore as much as you can! You can find more of Thereza’s work at her Tiny Red online shop.

Thank you so much Thereza for your time, and for sharing your work with us!

(images: thereza rowe)

If you haven’t seen the work of illustrator, textile, and stationery designer Leah Duncan yet, you’re in for a real treat! Mostly self-taught in all forms, Leah’s art is inspired by nature, animals, folk art, children’s illustrations, and the little moments in life.

Leah is a twenty-something artist based in Austin, and happily told me her inspirational story, with a brief intro into her art world and how she landed where she is now. Since she put it so well, I’ll let her tell it to you.

“I would certainly say I was born with a creative mind. Daydreaming has always been one of my favorite hobbies. After I graduated from college with a bachelor of science, I landed a job as a graphic designer. From there I worked in the screenprinting industry which is where I taught myself how to draw. Even though these were both creative professions, I never felt fulfilled walking into work everyday and knew I needed more. My husband and I packed up and moved to Austin two years ago. This is when I ventured out on my own and into the art world. I haven’t regretted it for one day.”

I am completely drawn to her gorgeous, colorful prints that although are ambiguous in subject, feel so nostalgic. Leah creates stunning imagery, with harmonious composition and color. I love that there is so much emotion in her animal illustrations, through their positions and expression – it creates a sense of reality and connection to each piece.

I asked Leah what her own favorite print is. “I have to say I’ve enjoyed my later pieces like “Harry had a bad feeling” and “My heart to your heart” in which I’m exploring the humanization of animal relationships.” Which is your favorite? Leah even has an Etsy shop where you can buy her lovely prints and products. And Leah doesn’t stop there! She even has “a special occasions studio” called Lulu Paper where you can order custom or boxed stationery.

I love learning about talented and ambitious people. Motivation is so contagious, which is why I love sharing the work and stories of independent artists and what they do so much. Partly to promote their lovely hard earned work, and to share and hopefully inspire others through their stories, to fulfill their hopes and dreams. If you’re not happy, then do something to change it – keep working towards that goal, and you will succeed!

(images: leah duncan)

I’ve got some more Belgian talent I’d like to share with you this week, but this time the artist is an illustrator from Brussels. Self-taught illustrator Raphaël Vicenzi is the man behind the name Mydeadpony, with illustration and watercolor works influenced by fashion, street art and graffiti.

I am so fascinated by Raphaël’s use of mixed media and contrast in bold shapes, type, organic and geometric designs, and soft versus deep and dark colors. His experimental style makes for such intriguing and exquisite illustrations, mixing digital media, painting, sketches, and drawing on watercolors while using layers and texture as strong elements in his work. Raphaël creates immensely detailed images that are soft, fragile, and meticulous, but also dark and edgy like no other.

There is so much emotion and expression through his work that each piece draws you in for more, don’t you think? Raphaël’s combination of hand drawings with design creates a beautiful imperfection that couldn’t be possible otherwise. I have several favorite illustrations, and couldn’t point one out – I specifically love his use of warm and feminine colors, against the rough motifs he often uses. If you love Raphaël’s illustrations, you can support him by purchasing his work from this online shop.

Do you have a favorite piece?

(images: mydeadpony)

I’m in the mood for a little shopping today, and I’ve put together a list of my favorite etsy shops for you to look through, get some inspiration and enjoy!

For a touch of feminine jewelry and homewares, look no further than UK-based shop Super Duper Things. Design Student Louise loves recycling one-of-a-kind pieces and transforming them into newer and nicer things. If you’d like to see her process and what she’s inspired by, make sure you stop by her blog.

Nan Lawson Illustration is the shop of illustrator and photographer Shannon Lawson in LA. With a love for clean lines, simple design and soft muted colors, Shannon creates beautiful, serene art. I particularly love her motivational quotes and sweet illustration style.

Sweet Poms is where you will find tissue pom poms to decorate your nook, or to accessorize any event! Using 100% recycled tissue paper, Sweet Poms are available in a variety of colors and shapes. From rounded ends, round pointed ends, to straight pointed ends, assemble any combination your heart desires!

Angela Stasio is an illustrator and crafter from Boston, with a shop under the name The Paper Apartment. From gorgeous, intricate illustrations to notebooks and bookmarks, you will find such lovely treasures in this shop! Aren’t these die cut feathers just beautiful?

(images: sources listed above)

The moment I set my eyes on Dublin-based illustrator Phil Dunne, I couldn’t wait to share his incredible talent with you! And I have a feeling you’re going to have a hard time looking away, as I’ve been swept away with the abundance of bright colors he uses, the intricacy of his illustration, and patterns he creates. I think this might just be my favorite type of illustration. I mean, what’s not to love?

Phil began his BDes degree in Visual Communications at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 1999. But he’s been drawing, painting and doodling for the past 29 years, and upon graduating in 2003, Phil began to build a portfolio of diverse projects and clients, working on illustrations for advertisements, magazines, design books, events and more.

My favorite illustrations of his belongs to a series he created for Lush Magazine, which consists of the intricate and colorful drawings on the women’s head shots or beauty shots. They work so well as spreads that look great in a fashion magazine, don’t you think?

I absolutely love the juxtaposition of illustration that is carefully created alongside the beautiful photographic work of Alkan Emin. The combination creates such an interesting image, with more elaborate stories to tell that emphasizes and brings out the photography. Phil creates such beautiful compositions with his colorful and contrasting illustrations, using and forming great focal points within each image through his drawing patterns. If you like what you see, be sure to visit Phil’s online portfolio for more of his gorgeous work!

Does this illustration style appeal to you? When paired together as a collage, how do you think illustration and photography work together to emphasize the strong points in both mediums?

(images: phil dunne)

Sandra Juto is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and artist from Gothenburg, Sweden. Sandra has created illustrations for a wide range of clients, and what I love about her work is that it goes beyond just one discipline into the mixed media department as she also crochets gorgeous and functional wrist warmers.

To get a better look of Sandra’s work, visit her portfolio, She also sells her illustrations and her handmade wool Wrist Worms in her online shop. My personal favorite is the first illustration, of the multi-colored triangles with the face of a girl that she created for Lines and Shapes. And the wrist warmers come in such a close second! I love all the colors they come in, and they could be so useful in the cold winter months! Do you have a favorite piece from Sandra’s shop?

I just find the composition so intriguing, and love the combination of geometric shapes, with the organic shapes of the round branches. The contrast adds that extra dynamic character to the drawing, and there is so much emotion in the girl’s greyscale face, from the shape of her eyebrows, to the  drop in her cheeks and big tear. It’s almost completely symmetrical, if not for the two extra triangles at the bottom, which makes the illustration more interesting and harmonious.

If you’d like to visit Sandra’s world for a moment and find out what inspires her, she shares all these things on her blog. She has such a playful element in her illustrations, they are full of contrast and color, and a whole lot of character – which I love!

(images: sandra juto)

It is technically Friday, and you might have noticed something missing today, and if so, you were right! I hadn’t had the chance to post my favorite etsy finds so far, but here it is, because I couldn’t possibly miss Etsy Love this week! Let’s take a look of what I gathered, shall we?

I have featured Kristy’s gorgeous photography here before, but I wanted to highlight the beautiful photographs you can buy from her etsy shop. Kristybee Photography demonstrates the everyday beauty in life shot in natural light, creating such a gorgeous soft palette. Kristy creates such a dreamy quality to everything she shoots in her photographs, and if you like what you see and would like more, you can put in a custom order. Just visit her flickr page to see a wider selection of her photos.

Moth House is currently featuring their Spring/Summer 2010 Collection, limited edition handmade jewelry from a combination of vintage and new materials. You will find soft and delicate, yet striking fashion jewelry that is one-of-a-kind that really speaks for itself mainly in gold and bronze shades.

Angie Johnson is the designer behind the diverse and distinct Norwegian Wood, based out of Montreal. Angie worked in the fashion industry for 8 years before moving on to work full time on Norwegian Wood. The edgy and playful necklaces and earrings are made using both vintage and new fabrics, various trims, and interesting shapes and sizes. Angie also has a boutique in Montreal where she sells her beautiful work.

How adorable are these Pop pop portraits! Helena loves to spend time in her Los Angeles studio illustrating these darling portraits, and all sorts of whimsies. Each portrait has a cute little story about each character to go along with it. What a great surprise gift these would make, and they’d be meaningful too!

What do you think of my finds? Do you love these shops as much as I do??

(images: sources listed above)

The intricate and superfluous art work of Swedish illustrator Linn Olofsdotter has got me smitten and examining every piece down to the last little detail.

Before solidifying her career in the illustration field, Linn explored several mediums including advertising, graphic design and motion graphics. Having gained experience in Europe, the US and South America, Linn now works independently creating artwork for a number of clients in the Fashion, Advertising and Editorial fields.

I adore Linn’s illustration style and find so much intrigue in the patterns, texture and depth she develops from the various shapes, sizes and colors of her designs. She creates contrast using bright colors to stand out against darker colors like browns and blacks, and also using composition to allow movement within her illustrations, bringing her pieces to life. I feel like each one of her illustrations tells a different and intricate story about the characters she creates, with different personalities and emotions from vulnerability to confidence and curiosity.

Did you notice the detail in the photograph of the real model’s shirt? It is so impressive how much attention is paid to the smallest objects. I love that the illustration is in black and white contrasting with the colorful designs in the background surrounding the model.

Is there anything that immediately stands out to you about Linn’s work?

(images: linn olofsdotter)

Good morning friends! Is your week going well so far?  What has been on your agenda lately? Ok, well let’s look at some places on Etsy where we can go shopping today!

From Leederville in Western Australia comes a lovely little shop called Mitchell & Dent that carries a variety of beautifully designed paper ephemera, that are fun and quirky. Visit their shop to get some gorgeous illustrations and cute note cards. Also, head on over to their blog and website to get a better view of their world.

At Yokoo you will find lots of warm and over-sized scarves and accessories – chunky is the way to go! In neutral, soft and dark tones, and in many shapes and sizes, you can wear these accessories with anything! Dress them up to create a high fashion look highlighting the size and volume of the pieces, or even pair it up with jeans and a t-shirt for a more casual look.

My Folk Lover is another shop with gorgeous illustrations and collages from Australia. Catherine Campbell creates colorful and intriguing prints inspired by folk design, mixing black and white with bright colors. If you love geometric shapes and bold patterns like I do, you will find so much beauty in Catherine’s compositions and layouts. Take a look at her blog to view more of her work.

Based in Montreal with several other locations in Canada, Noémiah is a place where you will find lovely, delicate jewelry, with designs all created from a single feather, metal and chains. Using color, texture, shape and length as inspiration, designer Noémie works with plated chains, metal pieces, beads and semi-precious stones to hand make her asymmetrical jewelry, adding contrast with a touch of color. You can see the current Spring/Summer collection on Noémie’s website.

(images: sources listed above)

If you haven’t yet seen the work of super talented Sydney-based graphic designer and creative Dilshani Jayawardene, then I must tell you to be prepared to drool. Dilshani creates stunning, dreamy illustration and photography collages, and her work has won her several well-deserved design competitions and features.

I am so excited to share this with you, as I really adore her work. Isn’t it just gorgeous? I feel like she maintains a touch of girly, flirty, softness but there’s also an edginess to her work. Dilshani has recently won Australian brand Sportsgirl’s design competition, which includes incorporating her design as the wallpaper backdrop on their website.

Dilshani has a unique eye, and I just love the stories her work tell, softness of her designs and her color palette. Although her work is digital, she creates such an organic feel and aesthetic, making her collages look very natural in a way.

Dilshani creates gorgeous compositions using a combination of organic and digital forms, creating a contrast between the gorgeous flowers she includes and the illustrated patterns and details. You can find Dilshani and her work online at her blog a new day.

Her beautiful work transports me into a different world, a fairytale. How does Dilshani’s design make you feel? Does it speak to you in a way?

(images: dilshani jayawardene)