Anisa Makhoul loves to design patterns and loves to travel! She has lived in Amsterdam and travel extensively, most recently to Germany with the agency for Heimtextil. About Anisa recent work for the home decor market, she writes "I like that I can see these on a number of home decor products. I love a bright happy pattern. There’s a good amount of folk art invoked here, which helps to tell a story. I obviously love pattern on pattern and any opportunity to pattern clash.”
Miriam Bos's the Hidden Garden Collection for Birch Fabrics
I am so happy to announce that the Hidden Garden collection made with Birch Fabrics is finally open for orders.
Last year Birch Fabrics approached me to create a fabric collection inspired by ‘The Secret Garden’. A classic novel (1910) by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It’s a beautiful story about the friendship of a girl and two boys, who find a secret garden and work hard to make it bloom again. Of course, this is only a very modest summary. I’d love to encourage you to read it some time, if you don’t know it yet.
I was listening to the book when I was working on this collection, and it literally got me in the mood. It’s been such a dream project to work on. I love working with Birch Fabrics. These are real kind people who put great effort and love in producing beautiful fabrics.
A few weeks ago Birch Fabrics attended the International Quilt Market in Houston. They shared a few photos on their Instagram account, and I loved seeing my artwork making it to actual products like onesies for baby’s, dresses, pillows, and curtains.
Birch Fabrics also sent me a huge box of fabrics, and I really wanted to share some photos to give you an impression of their beautiful and intense colors and detail. I love the quality of their fabrics.
The fabrics are online available at Fabricworm.com and on the website of Birch Fabrics. Birch Fabrics also wrote a lovely blog about the collection!
Scroll through the gallery below for more imagery.
Enjoy - Miriam
Welcome Jill McDonald!
What agent wouldn't be delighted to have the renowned Jill McDonald join their already stellar roster? I am absolutely gleeful to represent Jill starting today!
Jill brings a portfolio rich with decades worth of stunning illustration. Her color palette and cut paper/paint work is striking and unique. I adore her lettering and the whimsy she finds in the very smallest detail of her work.
Jill's archive is crammed full with sugar-plum-wonderful Christmas illustrations, florals like you have never seen, and narrative composition that makes for the sweetest dreams. You'll notice that Jill also has a particular knack when designing for boys - a rarity in this corner of the market.
Oh, and did I mention - stunning florals for grown ups too?
Please join me in welcoming Jill to JNA. We are so very pleased to have her with us! To see Jill's brimming archive, just send me a request. Enjoy! - Jennifer
Stamps by Monika Forsberg
As a member of Jennifer Nelson Artists I enjoy the work of the other illustrators but I don’t often get to see them or work with them. Here’s what happened when we had a rare chance to collaborate.
One night at dinner whilst doodling with some fellow artists, I noticed that some of us have a tendency to fill up every available space in a drawing, while others (like me) tend to use a lot of negative space. So I thought I’d try switching it around and experimenting with adding art to every inch of the page.
I met Anisa Makhoul my fellow artist at JNA for the very first time this summer. We met by the sea in Brighton when she was travelling around in Europe with her family. Anisa and I enjoyed a couple of days together and our sons Oslo and Reginald became friends, laughing, eating ice cream and getting up to mischief. I love Anisa's work, she is a fantastic girl and so funny. We had a blast and we said “We need to find a way to collaborate.”
What we came up with was to make stamps, because its a way to travel the world without getting on a plane. Being an illustrator gets rather lonely sometimes and projects like these are a brilliant way to communicate and spend time with like-minded people.
The first theme chosen was horses so I indulged in a bit of pony homage and drew some chubby horses. Then I got sidetracked into making motorcycles as my mind raced away with a made-up word association game. Horses - Horsepower - Motorbikes.
Anisa chose the second theme: love. I got off to a rocky start but then I started drawing little tiny Mexican tin hearts and soon... my love stamp was born. That’s the true story behind my new stamp art. Enjoy - Monika
