Nancy Miller Illustration

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5.13 Samantha Cotterill, Children’s Book Author and Illustrator

samantha cotterill childrens book author and illustrator, my creative life podcast with Nancy Miller

I came across Samantha Cotterill’s work will in my graduate class and fell in love with how she creates these magical 3D worlds. I was honored to be able to interview her and learn more about her process. Here is a bit about Samantha Cotterill.

Samantha Cotterill is an award winning picture book author and illustrator of many books for children. Samantha has been featured in The New York Times (as illustrator for Just Add Glitter, written by Angela Diterlizzi) and The Wall Street Journal for her art in The Jinx and The Doom Fight Crime! (written by Lisa Mantchev). She has recently launched a book series for kids on the Autism spectrum and/or with sensory issues entitled Little Senses, with This Beach Is Loud! chosen for Dolly Parton’s 2020 book list for The Imagination Library. Samantha is represented by Kirsten Hall of Catbird, and works out of her studio in Upstate New York where she lives with her husband and two teenage sons.

To see her work visit.

https://www.samanthacotterill.com/

To listen to the interview visit My Creative Life.

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5.08 Caroline Hanlon, Illustrator

On this episode, I have fellow grad illustration student Caroline Hanlon on my podcast. Here is a little bit more about Caroline. My name is Caroline Marie Hanlon. I was born in Washington, DC in 1995, and grew up in Maryland – where you can still find me happily exploring.I’m a Summa Cum Laude alumni from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration and a focus in Animation. I’m influenced by everyday life and the world surrounding me. My work is filled with whimsicalness, with a hint of an underlying reality. When I’m not illustrating, I’m usually eating vegan food or walking about.To see Caroline work visit www.carolinehanlon.comIG Caroline.Imagines

Listen on My Creative Life.

#carolinehanlon #illustration #illustration #mycreativelifepodcast

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5.07 JaVon Townsend, Aspiring Children’s Book Illustrator and Author

javon townsend illustration my creative life podcast

I met JaVon through the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Critique Session. Her story was inspiring and I wanted to learn more about her and her aspirations to become a children’s book illustrator and author. I thought it would be interesting to hear from someone who is starting out in the industry today and what they have learned. To see her art visit

IG javonmakesart

Listen to the interview on My Creative Life.

#illustration #childrensbooks #javontownsend #illustrator #author

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5.06 Yevhenia Haidamaka, Professor and Illustrator

Yev Haidamaka illustrator my creative life podcast

I always say I’m excited to interview my guests, but I’m super excited to have my illustration Professor Yevhenia Haidamaka on today. She is also a full-time freelance illustrator I love her work in children’s books. Here is more about Professor Yev. Yev Haidamaka is an award-winning illustrator working for clients in Publishing, Editorial, Advertising, and more. Professor of Illustration and Foundation studies at SCAD. Fulbright Alumna, TEDx speaker, Red Dot Award recipient. Yev is based in Ukraine, inspired by slow life and nature.

Yev Haidamaka illustrator my creative life podcast 2

Her illustration work is whimsical and nostalgic, focused on the beauty of little things around.Highlighted clients: World Health Organization, Boston Globe, Amnesty International, Lenovo, Corriere della Sera, Reader’s Digest, European Union Association, Old Lion Publishing, Thomson Foundation, Callisto, HMH, TimbuktuTo see her work visit www.yevhaidamaka.com IG Yev Haidamaka

Listen to the interview on My Creative Life.

#illustrator #yevhaidamaka #childrensbooks #illustration #mycreativelifepodcast

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5.05 Yiyi Chen, Illustrator

yiyi chen illustration my creative life podcast

Today I have Yiyi Chen an illustration student and enjoyed the tips she shared with her use of color and concept. Her finished pieces are digital but use traditional techniques for the textures.

To see more of Yiyi’s work visit

Yiyi Chen Instagram

Yiyi Chen’s Website

Listen to the interview on My Creative Life.

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5.04 Maggie Roth, Artist

In this episode, I have a return guest Maggie Roth (Episode 3.12) , and she talks about how she has transitioned from a full time artist. She gives some great advice about what it was like and things she learned in the process. Here is more about Maggie:Maggie Roth is a Pennsylvania based artist. She received her B.F.A in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art & Design ‘19. Maggie is passionate about illustrative/cartoon drawings and abstract minimalist line art. The line art is focused on exploring complexity through simplicity. To see more of her work

https://www.maggieroth.com/IG MaggieRoth_

Listen to the interview at My Creative Life.

#maggieroth #mycreativelifepodcast #artist

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5.03 Chinmayee Bagade, Illustrator

Chinmayee Bagade, illustrator,
my creative life podcast

I interviewed fellow illustration student Chinmayee Bagade. She is a talented illustrator, photographer, and designer. She is originally from India and we happened to be in an illustration course this past quarter. It was lovely getting to know her. To view more of her work visit. https://www.instagram.com/chinmayee_bagade/
Website: https://chinmayeeb.com/

Listen to the interview on My Creative Life.

#illustration #illustrator #mycreativelifepodcast #chinmayeebagade

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5.02 Robin Martéa, Illustrator

Hi Everyone, on this episode of My Creative Life I have Robin Martéa a fellow grad illustration. I got to speak with Robin and discuss your work and her process. She offered some great marketing advice for artists starting out. Here is a bit more about Robin.Robin Martéa is a visual artist, born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. Since grade school, she has been heavily involved in the visual arts and has since then, developed a strong foundation in mediums ranging from painting to photography. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

“I like to think of my paintings as a window into my daydreams. Chasing my dreams is often done in the most unconventional way: through a brush and a canvas. My art, which is a direct reflection of my imagination, is illustrated through drawings that are grounded in hope. What motivates me are the works of artists and illustrators whose art tells a story in an imaginative way. When viewing my work, I’d like for the audience to bring all their aspirations to the table. Whether young or old, my hope is that they leave with their minds full of imagination and their hearts full of inspiration.”See her work at https://www.robinmartea.com/

Listen to the interview at My Creative Life.

#mycreativelifepodcast #illustrator #robinmartea #artist

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5.01 Jamie Zollars, Children’s Book Illustrator and Author

Jamie Zollars Children's Book Illustrator and Author The Truth About Dragons.

This season I have many more illustrators since I’ve been focusing on children’s books. It is exciting to have Jamie Zollars on the podcast. Here is a bit about Jamie. JAIME ZOLLARS began making art at a young age, but her illustration career didn’t take off until second grade, when she started drawing unicorns on friends’ Trapper Keepers for shiny nickels. She went on to draw local library brochures and elaborate student council campaign ephemera, quickly sealing her fate.

To make it official, Jaime spent seven years in college, earning a BA in photography from UMBC in 1999, and a BFA in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design in 2003.While waiting for her first illustration jobs, Jaime worked as an extra on movie sets, tried out for every game show imaginable, and went for runs on the beach, because this is what people do in Los Angeles. Five game show appearances and a first (and last) marathon later – she was making art full-time.Jaime has illustrated children’s books, magazines, newspapers, and ad campaigns. Her clients include United Airlines, Random House, The American Red Cross, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Little, Brown, Clarion Books, Quarry Books and the L.A. Weekly.

She has also created artwork for galleries including Copro Nason, Gallery Nucleus, and Giant Robot.Jaime’s art has been recognized by a bunch of great publications and societies, including Taschen’s Illustration Now, American Illustration, Communication Arts, The Society of Illustrators, 3×3, Spectrum, Curvy Australia, Design Taxi, XFuns Taipei, DPI Taiwan, BBC’s Culture Shock, Small Magazine, Creative Quarterly, the SI-LA, and the SCBWI.You can see her work at http://www.jaimezollars.com/ or on IG Jamie Zollars Art

Listen to the interview at My Creative Life.

#childrensbooks #childrensbookillustrator #mycreativelife #jamiezollars

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Deborah Lee’s Talk Gives Inspiration for Becoming an Illustrator

I was watching a video of Deborah Lee and her story about how she became an illustrator. She started with a compromise with her parents to study design at Carnegie Mellon. She talks about how she got an internship at Linkedin. I then heard her story about how she met another illustrator Alice Lee in the Bay area. She later became an illustration assistant to Alice Lee.

Those types of relationships can go a long way. I’ve found that I’ve learned so much from talking with other artists and creatives. These learning experiences I feel like they are a great opportunity to not only learn but creative an archive to share with my students in the future. That’s why I have the podcast I’ve been working on for the past 3 years. It’s gone by fast.

It’s hard to imagine where things can take you, and that it’s great hearing from Deborah Lee about her journey to becoming an illustrator. Here is her talk with Procreate. Which eventually she got commissioned to do work for Procreate.

Every creative’s path is different and she talks about how she talked with other creatives to get help. Networking and having an honest passion to learn and pursue your dreams is amazing.

I think becoming a freelance illustrator is about being persistent and trying to keep at it. You have to be mentally tough enough to realize there is a lot of competition, but during the process you are working on improving your work.

She learned a lot from her mistakes and kept working at it and improving her craft. She would redo illustrations and trying to enter competitions. She looked at her work objectively and tried to make her work standout.

Lee explains how style and voice in illustration are different from each other. I could go on and on about the great content in this video. She talks about her graphic novel that ties into her feelings about not fitting in as Korean or American. The dysphoria that it created in her life. I can identify with her feelings on this. Inspiring and motivating.

#deborahlee #illustrator #illustrationcareer #procreate

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My Creative Life Season 5

I can’t believe I am on Season 5 of My Creative Life. Podcast about creatives and their art journey. It’s been amazing to talk with the fantastic creatives. I just had an interview with Samantha Cotterill the other day and learned that even the most established award winning illustrators have to draw limits on what they can get done. Take measured steps towards success. There’s always time in the future to work on things. Here is the schedule for season 5 that starts Jan. 3, 2021. Their IG handles are at the end.

1. 1/3/21 Jamie Zollars, Children’s Book Writer and Illustrator, @jaimezollarsart

2. 1/10/21 Robin Martéa, Illustrator, @robinmartea

3. 1/17/21 Chinmayee Bagade, Illustrator, @chinmayee_bagade

4. 1/24/21 Maggie Roth, Artist, @maggieroth_

5. 1/31/21 Yiyi Chen, Illustrator, @yiyich_chen

6. 2/7/21 Yevhenia Haidamaka, Professor/Illustrator, @yevhaidamaka

7. 2/14/21 JaVon Townsend, Aspiring Children’s Book Writer/Illustrator, @javonmakesart

8. 2/28/21 Caroline Hanlon, Illustrator, @caroline.imagines

9. 3/7/21 Reema Zoumut, Animation Teacher, @bolsagrande_animation

10. 3/14/21 Heather Tietz and Myself, Applesauce Books, @applesaucebooks_

11. 3/20/21 Ryan Bird and Stephanie Bott, Toy Designer Bird Bott Toys, @birdbotttoys

12. 3/28/21 Nikita Prokohova, Professor/Graphic Designer, @typebynikita

13. 4/4/21 Samantha Cotterill, Children’s Book Author and Illustrator

14. 4/11/21 still to come!

Thank you to everyone for their support in listening. It’s a hobby and something I enjoy doing and learning from.

Listen to past interviews at My Creative Life Podcast.

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My First Blog Post

I’ve abandoned my blogger blog to start this new blog. I had been using Blogger for over a decade, but realized it hasn’t kept up with the times. It’s gotten kinda clunky and it doesn’t offer as many features that WordPress does for blogging. I decided to move it here. This blog will be about my graduate studies in illustration, freelancing, teaching, surface design, children’s books, and life in general as an artist.

Update 2022

There has been so much that has happened since I last made a post on this blog. I finished my MFA and started a new teaching position. I have spent the past 2 years improving my portfolio to work in the children’s book market and even started writing stories for children. I decided it was time to return to the blogosphere, add new art lessons, and share my art and how I’ve improved as an artist. I appreciate the support I’ve gotten from the art teacher community.

On to 2023 for a bigger and brighter year!

5.15 Online Schools

On this episode I’m going to discuss some of the online school options for illustration. I did my own illustration boot camp last summer by taking classes on these online schools. I felt like I didn’t have time during classes to brush up on the areas I was weak in. Here are the links below for the 3 online schools I tried.

New Masters Academy https://www.nma.art/
Schoolism https://www.schoolism.com/
SVS Learn https://www.svslearn.com/

This review is based on my personal experience. Everyone is different and some people don’t need a formal art education to be successful. As an art teacher, I’ve seen some really skilled high school students if given the right direction an online program might be a great option for them. These online programs are a great place to start.

To listen visit My Creative Life.

5.14 Adam Strickland, Animator

I interviewed fellow SCAD student Adam Strickland. Adam is a talented graduate animation student that I met during art criticism class. Here is a little more about Adam.

I have several years of motion graphics and graphic design experience. My primary services are creating motion graphics for online advertisements and graphic design for print and digital media. I also do storyboarding, writing, voice narration, and video editing.

Check out his Demo Reel! It’s excellent work!

It was inspiring to speak with Adam. Listen to his interview on My Creative Life.

#animator #animation #adamstrickland #mycreativelifepodcast