In an interview with The Picture Book Review Coppo remarked that she finds the form and structure of picture books extremely stimulating. “I love reading them and the idea to give this form to my stories came quite naturally,” she says.

Having studied illustration at MiMaster in Milan and children’s literature at the Accademia Drosselmeier in Bologna, making picture books (a hybrid between writing and drawing), was a natural progression. Currently based in Rome, Coppo also works as one of the curators of Tentacoli, an independent label that specializes in fanzines and handmade products. 

“Creating a book is an incredibly exciting and terribly frustrating experience,” says the Italian author. “Often I fall in love with the idea and lose sight of the bigger picture,” she admits. “In practical terms, it comes down to making compromises.” But at least judging by the finished result, her hard work seems to have paid off. See for yourself.

The post Marianna Coppo’s Illustrations are Aimed at Children appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Born in Italy to a Filipina mother and Swiss father, Giordano studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and at the European Institute of Design and has also earned a Master in Animation in Turin. His travels took him eventually to Tokyo, where he now lives and works full time as an illustrator. His work includes illustrating for magazines and publishing houses around the world, as well as illustrating books and book covers, designing toys, and animating.

“For me, illustrations meant the naturalistic ones, born from a close observation of nature,” he says. “That is why I have never drawn the human figure, avoiding it for years from my works. Only by participating in a tour organized by my school to the Bologna Book Fair, I discovered the world of picture books. I was surprised by the idea of expressing something I had inside, telling a world of pure imagination. I thought: ‘Let’s try to make a book!’”

His style of illustration is appealing to both children and adults and his work has received international recognition and awards including the Silver Medal by the Society of Illustrators and the White Raven Award. With more than 10k followers on Instagram, he’s also created a small buzz online. Follow his Instagram page for more.

The post Philip Giordano Creates Worlds of Pure Imagination appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“I feel like nowadays with social media it doesn’t feel as lonely,” Heywood shared with the Printed blog. “I’m part of a lot of online communities now and feel much more connected to my peers. I think it helps to understand that even the people you look up to are also struggling.”

A self-proclaimed nerdy gal, Heywood’s cutesy style is inspired by pop culture and animals, as well as everyday life. “I like to draw and make things,” she puts it simply in her bio shared on her website. “You’ll usually find me with a brush and ink in hand.”

She can also be found selling her merch in all kinds of places including fairs around the UK. Give this nerdy gal some love on Instagram.

The post Sophie Heywood’s Illustration Style is Undeniably Cute appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Based in England, her illustrations and designs are grounded in the shapes and colors found in nature. But Foster-Wilson admits she’s also equally inspired by song lyrics, books, and the things her children’s imagination. “Their little imaginations are such a good source of inspiration—they make up stories about twigs and things,” she once remarked in an interview with the Etsy Blog.

“Since I’ve had children, I’ve learned that time is quite precious,” she went on to explain. “I used to spend so much time procrastinating, but now I just start and see where it goes, especially with my drawing. Just make a mess, and see what gems you can find inside. That’s my approach.”

According to Foster-Wilson, the best thing about hand-printed goods is that they have a unique touch to them that makes each print a work of art in and of itself. “The hand that made the print can be seen in the outcome and keeping that quality is a nod to the printing days of yesteryear, before machine printed goods and mass manufacture,” she writes on her website.

Here are some of our favorite designs by her (though we admit, it’s hard to pick).

The post Lee Foster-Wilson Will Convince You That We Live in a Beautiful World appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“The first miniature I made was when I was around 10 years old,” recalled Paredes in an interview with The Daily Mini. “I made it with toothpicks and it was a little house with small furniture. I remember that in order to open and close the door, I used a piece of cloth. I still keep it with much affection.”

Years later, she’s now a well-respected model maker and miniature creator, known primarily for her miniature houses. Based in Spain, she mainly works with wood, clay, and acrylic paint. Her work incorporates various types of wood, including softwood like balsa or hardwood like linden. After making her houses, she adds detail in clay and then paints the finished product.

“One thing that I enjoy very much is making miniature versions of people’s houses,” says Paredes. “It is very exciting for them and I have a good time.” “For me, the most difficult thing is to make very small objects without losing too many details,” she adds.

Join her growing fanbase on Instagram.

The post Oh, to Live Inside Marina Paredes’ Miniature Houses! appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Now, a few years later, her brand is making quite a splash online, both on Instagram and YouTube; while her online Etsy shop is continuously restocking. Her merch includes a range of prints, pins, and other paper goodies, all infused with that Katnipp magic.

Based in North-East England, Kay is also working on her first children’s book for a small publisher in Scotland. “I have always had a passion for illustration & design for as long as I can remember,” she writes on her website. “I wanted to pursue this as a career but found jobs few-and-far-between and when a job did come up, I found it was someone else’s creative vision rather than my own.”

“Slowly but surely, I have created designs, from custom portraits to hand-printed mugs (which I do myself in my little studio),” she says. “I can honestly say this is my passion, I am so thankful everyday that I get to create and illustrate cute things with some of my favorite colors & inspired by the things I love the most (Anime, coffee, books & animals).”

Zoning in on the things that made her happy (meaning illustrating cute pastel happy stuff) proved to be the right decision for Kay. Now – through her buzzing YouTube channel – she encourages other creatives to do the same. Follow her lead!

The post This Illustrator Will Teach You How to Grow Your Independent Brand appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Einstein, who also goes by the name Panda, loves playing chase, giving face kisses, and making humans laugh. But he’s also described by his owner as a very gentle and loving dog. “One of my favorites is when a close friend brought her newborn to meet us,” his owner shared in an interview with Hello Bark! “I wasn’t sure how Einstein would do with the baby, but he was incredibly sweet and gentle with her. It was wonderful to see how caring he was with this tiny baby, and over the years their bond has gotten stronger and stronger.”

Adopted from a local shelter, his adoption process didn’t require much thinking on his owner’s part. “I was ready for a small dog, and was visiting shelters almost every day to find one that was a good fit,” he said. “One morning, I walked into a shelter and Einstein had been rescued the night before – there he was, staring up at me. I saw that he was a Havanese and I instantly knew he was my dog. I never expected to find a Havanese in a shelter, but it opened my eyes to the variety of pups who can be rescued the same way.”

Make your parents proud by following Einstein on Instagram.

The post This Adorable Pup Was Named After Einstein appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Looking extraordinarily dapper, Gringo shares a home with his Pawrents, Sabrine and Romain, and his brother Milko. “Gringo is a happy kitty, full of life and with a really nice personality,” Sabrine told Just Something. “He loves to play all day and all night, get up to mischief like climbing on curtains, scratching the couch and jumping in the plants.”

According to Sabrine, Gringo (who also goes by the name “Mustache Tornado”) can stand on his back paws, just like a meerkat. “He can stay a couple of minutes in that position, and it’s hilarious,” she says. And of course, he’s very much into food. “Gringo always sniffs our plates to see if there’s something good for him to eat, and he likes to steal our sponge from the kitchen just to chew it, so we have to hide it every time,” she says.

With more than 50k followers on Instagram, you’d want to join in the hype.

The post Here’s Another Instagram Cat You Should Follow appeared first on MobiSpirit.

His owners, Nathanial Green and Elliot Green, say that Merlin is so well adjusted that they forget he actually can’t see. Adopted in 2017 at the Lynchburg Humane Society on their ‘Free Cat Friday,” Elliot Green admits that he was a bit worrisome of his condition at first.

“As a full-time student also working two jobs, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to provide Merlin with the attention he needed,” he explained in an interview with Bored Panda. “As soon as I got to hold him, I think it was pretty obvious that he was perfect.”

“Honestly, we forget that he has blind eyes,” he added. “When we first moved to our apartment, he definitely had trouble navigating, but he learns quickly and really knows how to own the space. His greatest recurring struggle is from our coffee table’s glass edges: Every now and then, he’ll jump or walk into it, but we think he’s learned. All he really cares about is where the food is and how far away it is from his dads.”

Just look at this cutie pie!

The post Prepare to Fall in Love With Yet Another Instagram Cat appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“I’d always loved drawing and story-telling, ever since I was a kid in fact,” she stated in an interview with Inky Goodness. “I’ve now grown into an artist/illustrator, with quite a broad and experimental approach spanning illustration, fine art, comic book design, toy design, ceramics, and pattern design.”

Her creations include book art, products, magazines, posters, and store installations; collaborating with clients like NIKE, The New York Times, The New Yorker Magazine, and Washington Post. “I don’t really think that [there’s] a distinction between my work and my hobbies,” she admits. “I generally really like to be creative. I’d happily just sit in a studio in my spare time and make 100 tiny ceramic mice… that would make me super happy.” Sounds like the absolute best plan to us.

The post Add More Cuteness to You Life With Aya Kakeda appeared first on MobiSpirit.

In an interview with The Picture Book Review Coppo remarked that she finds the form and structure of picture books extremely stimulating. “I love reading them and the idea to give this form to my stories came quite naturally,” she says.

Having studied illustration at MiMaster in Milan and children’s literature at the Accademia Drosselmeier in Bologna, making picture books (a hybrid between writing and drawing), was a natural progression. Currently based in Rome, Coppo also works as one of the curators of Tentacoli, an independent label that specializes in fanzines and handmade products. 

“Creating a book is an incredibly exciting and terribly frustrating experience,” says the Italian author. “Often I fall in love with the idea and lose sight of the bigger picture,” she admits. “In practical terms, it comes down to making compromises.” But at least judging by the finished result, her hard work seems to have paid off. See for yourself.

The post Marianna Coppo’s Illustrations are Aimed at Children appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Born in Italy to a Filipina mother and Swiss father, Giordano studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and at the European Institute of Design and has also earned a Master in Animation in Turin. His travels took him eventually to Tokyo, where he now lives and works full time as an illustrator. His work includes illustrating for magazines and publishing houses around the world, as well as illustrating books and book covers, designing toys, and animating.

“For me, illustrations meant the naturalistic ones, born from a close observation of nature,” he says. “That is why I have never drawn the human figure, avoiding it for years from my works. Only by participating in a tour organized by my school to the Bologna Book Fair, I discovered the world of picture books. I was surprised by the idea of expressing something I had inside, telling a world of pure imagination. I thought: ‘Let’s try to make a book!’”

His style of illustration is appealing to both children and adults and his work has received international recognition and awards including the Silver Medal by the Society of Illustrators and the White Raven Award. With more than 10k followers on Instagram, he’s also created a small buzz online. Follow his Instagram page for more.

The post Philip Giordano Creates Worlds of Pure Imagination appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“I feel like nowadays with social media it doesn’t feel as lonely,” Heywood shared with the Printed blog. “I’m part of a lot of online communities now and feel much more connected to my peers. I think it helps to understand that even the people you look up to are also struggling.”

A self-proclaimed nerdy gal, Heywood’s cutesy style is inspired by pop culture and animals, as well as everyday life. “I like to draw and make things,” she puts it simply in her bio shared on her website. “You’ll usually find me with a brush and ink in hand.”

She can also be found selling her merch in all kinds of places including fairs around the UK. Give this nerdy gal some love on Instagram.

The post Sophie Heywood’s Illustration Style is Undeniably Cute appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Based in England, her illustrations and designs are grounded in the shapes and colors found in nature. But Foster-Wilson admits she’s also equally inspired by song lyrics, books, and the things her children’s imagination. “Their little imaginations are such a good source of inspiration—they make up stories about twigs and things,” she once remarked in an interview with the Etsy Blog.

“Since I’ve had children, I’ve learned that time is quite precious,” she went on to explain. “I used to spend so much time procrastinating, but now I just start and see where it goes, especially with my drawing. Just make a mess, and see what gems you can find inside. That’s my approach.”

According to Foster-Wilson, the best thing about hand-printed goods is that they have a unique touch to them that makes each print a work of art in and of itself. “The hand that made the print can be seen in the outcome and keeping that quality is a nod to the printing days of yesteryear, before machine printed goods and mass manufacture,” she writes on her website.

Here are some of our favorite designs by her (though we admit, it’s hard to pick).

The post Lee Foster-Wilson Will Convince You That We Live in a Beautiful World appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“The first miniature I made was when I was around 10 years old,” recalled Paredes in an interview with The Daily Mini. “I made it with toothpicks and it was a little house with small furniture. I remember that in order to open and close the door, I used a piece of cloth. I still keep it with much affection.”

Years later, she’s now a well-respected model maker and miniature creator, known primarily for her miniature houses. Based in Spain, she mainly works with wood, clay, and acrylic paint. Her work incorporates various types of wood, including softwood like balsa or hardwood like linden. After making her houses, she adds detail in clay and then paints the finished product.

“One thing that I enjoy very much is making miniature versions of people’s houses,” says Paredes. “It is very exciting for them and I have a good time.” “For me, the most difficult thing is to make very small objects without losing too many details,” she adds.

Join her growing fanbase on Instagram.

The post Oh, to Live Inside Marina Paredes’ Miniature Houses! appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Now, a few years later, her brand is making quite a splash online, both on Instagram and YouTube; while her online Etsy shop is continuously restocking. Her merch includes a range of prints, pins, and other paper goodies, all infused with that Katnipp magic.

Based in North-East England, Kay is also working on her first children’s book for a small publisher in Scotland. “I have always had a passion for illustration & design for as long as I can remember,” she writes on her website. “I wanted to pursue this as a career but found jobs few-and-far-between and when a job did come up, I found it was someone else’s creative vision rather than my own.”

“Slowly but surely, I have created designs, from custom portraits to hand-printed mugs (which I do myself in my little studio),” she says. “I can honestly say this is my passion, I am so thankful everyday that I get to create and illustrate cute things with some of my favorite colors & inspired by the things I love the most (Anime, coffee, books & animals).”

Zoning in on the things that made her happy (meaning illustrating cute pastel happy stuff) proved to be the right decision for Kay. Now – through her buzzing YouTube channel – she encourages other creatives to do the same. Follow her lead!

The post This Illustrator Will Teach You How to Grow Your Independent Brand appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Einstein, who also goes by the name Panda, loves playing chase, giving face kisses, and making humans laugh. But he’s also described by his owner as a very gentle and loving dog. “One of my favorites is when a close friend brought her newborn to meet us,” his owner shared in an interview with Hello Bark! “I wasn’t sure how Einstein would do with the baby, but he was incredibly sweet and gentle with her. It was wonderful to see how caring he was with this tiny baby, and over the years their bond has gotten stronger and stronger.”

Adopted from a local shelter, his adoption process didn’t require much thinking on his owner’s part. “I was ready for a small dog, and was visiting shelters almost every day to find one that was a good fit,” he said. “One morning, I walked into a shelter and Einstein had been rescued the night before – there he was, staring up at me. I saw that he was a Havanese and I instantly knew he was my dog. I never expected to find a Havanese in a shelter, but it opened my eyes to the variety of pups who can be rescued the same way.”

Make your parents proud by following Einstein on Instagram.

The post This Adorable Pup Was Named After Einstein appeared first on MobiSpirit.

Looking extraordinarily dapper, Gringo shares a home with his Pawrents, Sabrine and Romain, and his brother Milko. “Gringo is a happy kitty, full of life and with a really nice personality,” Sabrine told Just Something. “He loves to play all day and all night, get up to mischief like climbing on curtains, scratching the couch and jumping in the plants.”

According to Sabrine, Gringo (who also goes by the name “Mustache Tornado”) can stand on his back paws, just like a meerkat. “He can stay a couple of minutes in that position, and it’s hilarious,” she says. And of course, he’s very much into food. “Gringo always sniffs our plates to see if there’s something good for him to eat, and he likes to steal our sponge from the kitchen just to chew it, so we have to hide it every time,” she says.

With more than 50k followers on Instagram, you’d want to join in the hype.

The post Here’s Another Instagram Cat You Should Follow appeared first on MobiSpirit.

His owners, Nathanial Green and Elliot Green, say that Merlin is so well adjusted that they forget he actually can’t see. Adopted in 2017 at the Lynchburg Humane Society on their ‘Free Cat Friday,” Elliot Green admits that he was a bit worrisome of his condition at first.

“As a full-time student also working two jobs, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to provide Merlin with the attention he needed,” he explained in an interview with Bored Panda. “As soon as I got to hold him, I think it was pretty obvious that he was perfect.”

“Honestly, we forget that he has blind eyes,” he added. “When we first moved to our apartment, he definitely had trouble navigating, but he learns quickly and really knows how to own the space. His greatest recurring struggle is from our coffee table’s glass edges: Every now and then, he’ll jump or walk into it, but we think he’s learned. All he really cares about is where the food is and how far away it is from his dads.”

Just look at this cutie pie!

The post Prepare to Fall in Love With Yet Another Instagram Cat appeared first on MobiSpirit.

“I’d always loved drawing and story-telling, ever since I was a kid in fact,” she stated in an interview with Inky Goodness. “I’ve now grown into an artist/illustrator, with quite a broad and experimental approach spanning illustration, fine art, comic book design, toy design, ceramics, and pattern design.”

Her creations include book art, products, magazines, posters, and store installations; collaborating with clients like NIKE, The New York Times, The New Yorker Magazine, and Washington Post. “I don’t really think that [there’s] a distinction between my work and my hobbies,” she admits. “I generally really like to be creative. I’d happily just sit in a studio in my spare time and make 100 tiny ceramic mice… that would make me super happy.” Sounds like the absolute best plan to us.

The post Add More Cuteness to You Life With Aya Kakeda appeared first on MobiSpirit.