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 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

Creator Crush: Yuliya Gwilym

March 29, 2017 by Claire Astrow
 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

One day I was flipping through a draft of Illustoria Issue 3: Outside-In and Yuliya Gwilym's illustrations immediately caught my eye. The bold shapes and extraordinarily unique color palette struck a chord in me, as if my subconscious always wished and longed for Gwilym's unmatched style and then boom -- it was miraculously handed to me on a silver plater.

 Yuliya's piece, "Axe Soup," in  ILLUSTORIA issue 3: The Outside-In Issue . 

Yuliya's piece, "Axe Soup," in ILLUSTORIA issue 3: The Outside-In Issue. 

I became quickly obsessed with the graphic simplicity and dynamism of her artwork, reminiscent of the Soviet illustrations of Nathalie Parain and Suprematist Kazimir Malevich. Gwilym's accessible, energetic, and endlessly playful work will add an extra dose of happiness to your day. We're so lucky to have the chance to interview Yuliya, as well as showcase her work in Issue 3 and Issue 4 (which comes out this spring)! Make sure to catch more of Yuliya's work at http://cargocollective.com/yufrukt.  

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently experimenting with a flip animation book that tells a story about a little elephant. I’m also designing a little game kit for kids with special needs.

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym 

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym 

Can you talk about your process of creating a project, from start to finish?
I start by talking about an idea I have with my partner or artist friends. I try to turn visuals I have in my head into words which usually helps me get a clearer idea. I then do a lot of rough sketches and after that go straight into finals, that way I have some room for experimentation and mistakes which sometimes bring the most fun results. I like to work with different media so my design process varies from time to time. 

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Kiev, Ukraine. It’s a big but very cozy city, I spent my summers in the countryside hut built by my grandparents, helping grandma harvest tomatoes and pick up lost animals from the forest in my spare time. For the past 10 years I’ve been living by the North sea, in the Hague, the Netherlands. I definitely miss hot summers and sweet tomatoes but I love to live abroad -- exposure to other cultures brings out the best in people.

 photo by © Yuliya Gwilym

photo by © Yuliya Gwilym

What were you like as a kid?
Its hard to say these things about yourself, my mum says I made friends with everyone wherever I went and was generally very open (which often included telling our personal family stuff to strangers). 

What were your favorite childhood books?
When I was very young I loved the poetry of Samuil Marshak, I knew most of his books by heart and they had beautiful illustrations by graphic artist Vladimir Lebedev who I still admire very much.

  Slonenok  ( The Elephant's Child ) by Vladimir Lebedev

Slonenok (The Elephant's Child) by Vladimir Lebedev

A bit later my favorite books were A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Adventures of Family Mumin-trolls series by Tove Jansson and Karlsson On The Roof by Astrid Lindgren.

Did you have a favorite subject in school? A least favorite subject? 
I liked classes of drawing, crafts, mythology, choreography and biology. I really didn't like math…

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

When did you know you wanted to be an artist and writer?
In primary school I wanted to build hotels for homeless animals (there are a lot of stray cats and dogs in Ukraine) or be a vet. Later in high school I decided I want to be artist and designer.

Who or what inspires you?
My biggest inspiration comes from children, listening to the weird things they say. I love starting strange discussions with kids and seeing where it brings their adventurous minds. I also find animation and movies very inspiring, old things and folklore, stories from when my grandma was a little girl, I’m inspired by Japan and Japanese yokai, traveling and meeting new people.

 photo by © Yuliya Gwilym

photo by © Yuliya Gwilym


What is the most challenging part about being an artist/writer/maker?
Constantly promoting your work, communicating the value, time and care you put into your craft to people who aren’t artists/makers themselves. Staying organised and being able to push forward and keep working even when you’re “not feeling inspired or motivated.”

When do you feel your most creative?
Just before I get into bed.

What advice would you share with young aspiring artists?
Try to be patient. When things seem slow, its not because you're not good it just takes lots of time. Make friends with other artists! It's so much easier when you're not alone and I find young artists’ community very supportive.

 artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

artwork by © Yuliya Gwilym

March 29, 2017 /Claire Astrow
CREATOR CRUSH, YULIYA GWILYM, ARTISTS, FAVE ARTISTS, PROCESS, CREATIVITY, INSPIRATION, KIDS, COLOR, ISSUE 3, CONTRIBUTORS
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ILLUSTORIA on Instagram

*GIVEAWAY!* Let the world know you make good trouble, necessary trouble every day. Andrew Aydin, co-author with Congressman John Lewis of the graphic novel series MARCH, has a guest post on our blog (link in bio) today, on the importance of letter writing and activism. We’re celebrating with a GIVEAWAY of the newly released March: 30 Postcards to Make Change, a March journal, and a special edition #goodtrouble pin. 📩♥️📪
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This incredible graphic memoir series details the civil rights journey of Congressman & activist icon John Lewis and reminds us that letter writing is not only a heart warming art form— it’s a call to action. ✍🏽✊🏼✊🏽✊🏿
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TO ENTER:
1. Like this post & follow @illustoria_mag and @chroniclebooks if you don’t already 
2. Tag a friend or two in the comments
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Winner will be chosen at random at 3 pm PST 4/27. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. .
Thanks to @chroniclebooks for this giveaway partnership!
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#giveaway #chroniclebooks #illustoria #activism #letterwriting #march #goodtrouble
Color/cover/creativity inspiration at @colorfactoryco! 💛💛💛👀 Have you all been to this amazing pop-up color museum? Every Willy Wonka-esque color-themed room is pure eye candy, super interactive, and gets you inside the unique creative minds of the contributing artists. Of course, being bookish types, we went bananas over the yellow-themed books in the yellow room. Tasting color via @chantalguillon macarons wasn’t so bad either. 🧡😋💜💚 So exhilarated! Our next issue (coming in June!) is themed “Black & White”—we’re feeling pretty inspired to create a Color Issue soon...whatdayathink??
#colorhappy #colorfactory #books #bookcovers #art #design #print #inspiration
Feeling dreamy over @marinamuun, our Symbols Issue cover artist. ☁️☁️☁️ Swipe to see Marina’s Q&Artist interview with us. Find out what a typical day in her life is like, when she feels her most creative, and her sage advice to young artists. We just adore that her favorite childhood books include Alice in Wonderland and The B.F.G.! Among her advice to artists, Marina says, “avoid getting complacent” and “draw every day!” #faveartists #creatorcrush #illustoria #qandartist #kidlit #inspiration #interview #artists #illustrators
What were you like as a kid?@marinamuun illustrates her answers to our Q&Artist interview with her. We’ll be posting the full illustrated interview with our #6 cover artist tomorrow on our blog... don’t forget to come back to check it out! #marinamuun #qandartist #illustoria #faveartists #selfportrait #kidlit #thesymbolsissue
All together now! 🎶 Six issues and counting! Our amazing cover artists range from NY Times bestselling artists to young, up-and-coming illustrators. They hail from San Francisco to New York, from Austria to the Netherlands. The many writers and artists who contribute between the covers are equally diverse and talented. Thanks to them, each issue of Illustoria has its own distinct flavor and mood, the collective, unpredictable result of the artistic perspectives and unique voices of our contributors. We’re honored to be sharing these beautiful publications with you! We know our readers also hail from all parts of the world and it’s each one of you—your curiosity, passion, and creativity—who holds us up to our highest standards. Thanks to this great community for getting us to issue 6 and beyond! 🙏🙏🙏✨✨✨ .
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Cover Art:
Issue 1 Beginnings @ehaidle
Issue 2 Canvas @hervetullet 
Issue 3 Outside-In @lisabrowndraws 
Issue 4 Grow @lindsayvictorialee 
Issue 5 Motion @yufrukt 
Issue 6 Symbols @marinamuun 
#illustoria #indiemags #kidlit #art #stories #comics #interviews #diy #artists #coverart
Artist Manifesto by @jgcloutier 🙏⚡️✊🏽💙🧡✨(see her work in The Symbols Issue and a feature on Julie Cloutier in a future issue of Illustoria!) Repost @jgcloutier
・・・
Considering myself as an ”artist” has taking over two decades to feel comfortable and right. Now that I often get referred to as a “potter” or “ceramic artist”, I’m much more inclined to just say “I’m an artist”. (I honestly hate the term “potter” because it simplifies me and doesn’t acknowledge everything else I do.) I don’t like labels, but I do find it helpful in order to be confident with my work. So there, I’m an artist! I currently work with clay most of the time, but I also paint, draw and create art installations, design alphabets and screen-print works on paper. I realize I don’t share my other kinds of work because I’m either shy about it or want it to be better. But from now on, I’ll be more open to sharing my paintings & drawings, even if it’s just a hobby. Without creative side projects, I’d be lost. I’m really into painting these days, and as a kid I was very serious about it. Somehow the practice got lost in high school/college and I’ve always regretted not pursuing it. I’m working on a small collection of gouache and watercolor works which will be for sale in the coming months. Horrified and thrilled at the same time 😬 .
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Thank you @jgcloutier for sharing these words of inspiration and the truth of the daily practice and patience of an artist. We are so in love with all your artwork!!!
If @skylightbooks were an animal.... 🐟🐕🦋🕷🐱This Dr. Seussian creation by Skylight Books staff member Alex Hemming. Check out our Stockist Showcase interview with @skylightbooks manager Steven Salardino, who says, “There is a specific bookstore feeling that says, “This is what a bookstore should feel like,’ and then there is, ‘This is what _this_ bookstore should feel like.” On a good day, it feels “rènào* (热闹).” Find out what that means and what it feels like to step foot into their bookstore by heading over to our blog. Link in bio ✨
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#indiebookstore #indiemags #skylightbooks #losangeles #art #books #read #favestockists #illustoria #illustoriashopslocal
We’re launching #ILLUSTORIAshopslocal today, a showcase of some of our favorite @illustoria_mag stockists! First up: @skylightbooks, a fav indie bookstore in Los Feliz, LA. Link in bio for our interview w/ manager Steven Salardino! 🌞📕
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If you have been lucky enough to step inside @skylightbooks you know that it's more than just a bookstore. The instagram-pic worthy jokes on the chalkboard out front might hint at it. The ginormous ficus tree growing inside perhaps gives it away. But most of all, the friendly staff and lovingly curated shelves is what makes Skylight Books one of our favorite places in the whole world.🧡📚
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It takes a village to create our indie mag, and we're eternally thankful for the small business owners that provide spaces and shelves for creative projects like our to flourish. With our stockist showcase, we hope audiences can put a face to the owners of their most treasured neighborhood shops. Want to see @illustoria_mag in your favorite neighborhood shop? Tag them in the comments section, and check out  illustoria.com/stockists to find the closest seller near you! 🛍 📷 pc: @skylightbooks #indiebookstores #faveshops #shoplocal #stockistshowcase

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Thanks to our friends at Sakura of America, Tundra Books, and Case for Making for sponsoring our latest issue.

 
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