The Penn Stater Magazine

Adventures in Illustration

November 10, 2009 at 6:28 pm Carole Otypka 4 comments

Choosing an illustrator is always an adventure; finding an artist whose style matches the mood and direction of the story you want illustrated is no easy task. We’ve been lucky to work with some extremely talented illustrators.

In our Nov/Dec issue, we featured the work of Ann Boyajian, whose work graced the pages of the Long Way Home feature—a first-person essay by an alumna traveling through Slovakia in search of family roots. Ann did her research and perfectly captured the feel of a Slovakian village, complete with its folk patterning and lace curtains. I should know—I’m a Czech girl who’s lived in the Czech Republic, and those lace curtains are in every window. Ann’s images gave the feature a real sense of place. (Personally, I love the rooster… )

Ann Boyajian

Also in the Nov/Dec issue, we featured Jon Cannell’s work for the My Thoughts Exactly essay. Jon is an illustrator and designer, and if his images look familiar, you’ve probably seen the artwork he created for Starbucks. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for anyone who draws aqua scooters, but Jon’s art brought great energy to Pete Lisicky’s essay on writing a real-life resume after an 11-year career in professional basketball.

Jon Cannell

Coming up for the Jan/Feb issue, I’m excited to be working with Susy Pilgrim Waters. She uses lots of layers, rich textures and hand lettering in her collage-style illustration. I can’t wait to see how she brings our latest My Thoughts essay to life. Her images are below and you can also see her work here.

Carole Otypka, art director

Susy Pilgrim Waters

Entry filed under: Illustrations and Illustrators, The Penn Stater magazine. Tags: Ann Boyajian, illustrators, Jon Cannell, Long Way Home, My Thoughts, Susy Pilgrim Waters.