about
One of my favorite storytellers, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God.” I believe this applies to all the arts, including illustration.
My name is Emily Person and I am a freelance book illustrator from New England who loves to tell stories of goodness, truth, and beauty through traditional-media art for children’s book, YA, and fiction book publishers. I also create literary-inspired fine art for book-loving art collectors.
Growing up in Connecticut, I was surrounded by the beautiful old architecture and history of New England. The aesthetics of a place have always had a huge impact on me and my art. Unsurprisingly then, my work has been described as traditional, Victorian, and timeless. Compelling stories that ring true, like those of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, are an endless source of inspiration to me. I also draw inspiration from vintage books, the early 20th century illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Alphonse Mucha, classical architecture, art nouveau, trees, stained glass, and my Swiss-German-Scandinavian heritage. As a child, I was drawn to the illustrations in Tasha Tudor’s A Time To Keep. The words of the story were sparse but the watercolor illustrations of the English countryside were rich with magic, light, and warmth. It would be my dream to help the next generation of readers discover that same light and warmth, and fall in love with the profound power of story.
I currently live in Colorado, but will be relocating back to Connecticut by 2023.
My training includes private art lessons with Artistic Edge Studio in CT under the instruction of fine artist Heather Bondorew Sawtelle, as well as coursework at the University of Hartford in CT, Manchester Community College in CT, and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in CO where I graduated with a B.F.A. in Illustration in 2022. I held an internship with G.H. Ryan graphic design in 2017-2018, had my illustration work published in a friend’s short story in 2014, and worked with a number of clients including The Green Teahouse of West Hartford, CT in 2020. I’ve won a variety of awards and scholarships including the RMCAD Memorial Scholarship in January 2020, the RMCAD Artistic Scholarship in March 2019, and the HSLDA National Art Contest in 2014.
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