Big, big thank you to Liam Spradlin for having me on the Google Design Notes Podcast! If you want to hear a little more about my illustration work and process then I hope you'll have a listen :)
Design Notes, Episode 12: Libby VanderPloeg, Illustrator
Google Podcasts, Google Play, iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Deezer, RSS
And here's a peek at the highlights:
Hey friends! I'm happy to share that I have an exhibition opening later this month in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at Finlandia University in Hancock. So if you've been looking for things to add to your Michigan summer travel/ art itinerary, then I would love for you to come see some work :)
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THE DETAILS:
Finlandia University International School of Art and Design
Libby VanderPloeg: Sharp Edges
EXHIBIT DATES:
July 26 – September 6, 2018
Please join us for a closing reception:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 7:00 – 8:30 PM // Artist talk beginning at 7:20 PM
Finlandia University Gallery Finnish-American Heritage Center
435 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI (906) 487-7500
Gallery Hours
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Monday–Friday
Happy June, friends! Excited to share that I teamed up with 21Wallpaper to bring you 3 fresh and colorful wallpapers for your phone or desktop. Check out their site to see more artist collabs and grab some wallpapers to brighten up your workspace :)
Thank you to everyone who came out to hear me talk a couple of weeks ago at Creative Mornings! If you weren't able to make it to the event, then you're in luck because we have a lovely recording of it, which you can watch here:
And a huge thank you again to Molly Benningfield Singleterry for the opportunity to share my story, to Inkling Pictures for the amazing video, and to Leigh Ann Cobb for these wonderful photos!
Photo by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography
Photo by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography
Photo by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography
Photo by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography
Hey NPR junkies! Angela Garbes, author of Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy (published by Harper Wave), will be talking about her book today, Tuesday 5/22, on Fresh Air! Good choice, Terry Gross! I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to illustrate her book cover. The book is available for preorder, and officially out in the world on 5/29/18.
Got a creative kid in your life? Looking for fun summer activities to stave off their summer boredom? Then sign 'em up for my Summer art workshop at Saugatuck Center for the Arts, July 19-20! Join me for two days of "Drawing Remixed," a drawing and collage workshop for 7-14 year-olds. It's gonna be fun!
“Work alongside professional illustrator Libby VanderPloeg learning to take playful drawings in new directions by incorporating collage. During this two-day workshop children learn about visual storytelling using cut-paper techniques to rearrange, edit, and remix their drawings, characters and settings. Play with design, color, and visual textures to reframe the way you see your own artwork. No drawing experience needed.”
Tickets available here: https://www.sc4a.org/events/drawing-remixed/
Hope you can join me and lots of other sparkly, creative minds on the morning of May 18 in Grand Rapids, MI for my Creative Mornings GR talk on the topic of COMMITMENT! It's always such a fun event and you get delicious breakfast and coffee too, so why would you want to miss that? Join their mailing list for updates on the event location and for alerts on when tickets go up :)
Happy to announce that I'm now being repped in the UK by the outstanding illustration agents at Snyder New York. I've been repped in North America by Snyder since 2015, and am looking forward to more fun projects with them abroad (and excuses to travel to London, always).
Cheers!
Attention stripe fans! The Art of Stripes, the latest book in my Art of series with Hardie Grant UK, is out! As a total stripe junky (I have SO MANY STRIPES IN MY LIFE), this book is near and dear to me. Tops to bottoms, scarves to socks, this handy little lookbook is full of inspiration for how to wear all your favorite stripey pieces, plus profiles of some of the women who've made this pattern a style classic. It's available now on Amazon and in fine book shops.
If you're in Austin this month, make a point to check out all of the amazing SaveArtSpace billboards that are up around the city! I'm honored to have my Vote Vote Vote artwork included as part of their #whatwillyoudo exhibition, in conjunction with Tumblr. You can find the Vote Vote Vote billboard on the North side at 3810 Medical Parkway.
From SaveArtSpace:
“SaveArtSpace has partnered with Tumblr to bring Public Art to Austin, Tx. for SXSW.
2018 promises to be a historic year. The midterm election will be a referendum on countless issues central to the our communities: Racial justice, immigration, healthcare, education, LGBTQ+ equality, and more. It all comes during a once in a generation resurgence of activism and volunteerism. We want to inspire the community to write the history of 2018 as it happens.
When historians write about 2018— What would you want them to say and what will you do to make it happen? #WhatWillYouDo
This public art exhibition is made possible by Tumblr.”
Thank you to both Tumblr and SaveArtSpace for supporting artists and finding creative ways to bring more public art into the world!
I think I've made somewhere around 50 maps since I've been an illustrator, and ever since I starting making them I've wanted to create one of my home state of Michigan. Well, fiiiinalllllly I did! Keeping things very local, they are printed on French paper, out of Niles Michigan, by the amazing silkscreen artists at Grand Rapids-based End Hymns. These 5-color, limited edition prints are now available in my Print Shop!
Hey friends! What a #@!*#* year. If you're looking to adopt a new mantra, then perhaps consider "VOTE." And it never hurts to have an aesthetically-pleasing reminder up on the wall to get you into your polling place. Just in time for the holidays/ special elections/ midterms/ smashing the patriarchy, I'm now selling my "Vote Vote Vote" print! This giclée print is printed with archival, pigment-based inks on heavy-weight, hot-pressed, archival paper in natural white, and available in a variety of sizes. A portion of sales will go to Emily's List, working to get more pro-choice, Democratic women elected to office.
Holiday shoppers! If you're looking for something fun to do in Brooklyn this weekend, stop by the Our Damn Selves Market on Sunday, November 19 at 150 Greenpoint Ave, hosted by my favorite Greenpoint vintage girl, Dusty Rose Vintage! Not only will it be full of amazing artist-made goods, but it's a benefit for Planned Parenthood. Win win. This beautiful flyer is made by Stone and Vein.
Completely sickened, but sadly not surprised, to hear of another mass shooting in the U.S. today. I am thinking about the scientific method right now, and wondering-- if thoughts, prayers, and complete legislative inaction seem to be yielding nothing but greater and greater tragedy, then why not f*ing try to enact stricter gun laws? What will it take to get our governmental bodies to open their lock-tight minds to listen to the majority of Americans instead of the NRA? If you're in the mood to tell your reps how you feel about their inaction regarding gun control legislation, then feel free to download a pdf of this postcard and print from your home printer. It's often said that our reps DO listen to their constituents, although that's starting to sound like some whimsical folklore, given their inaction on the topic to date. Looking forward to midterms in Michigan!
If you're as into analog maps and calendars as I am, then I have some exciting news. I've created a 2018 calendar of maps with Antrhropologie, now available on their site! Whether you're looking for some travel inspo or just trying to remember your parent's anniversary, this sweet piece of print ephemera has got you covered. You can purchase a copy here through Anthro's website!
I hope you are having a nice start to Autumn! Even though it's 90 degrees in Michigan, I'm still feeling the magic of my favorite season. Time for cider donuts, leaf piles, and scratchy wool. So. Much. Wool.
Happy Women's Equality Day to all my fellow ladies! When we support equal opportunity for women from the day they're born on into their golden years, we foster healthier, more peaceful, and more sustainable societies.
Less than 100 years ago, a group of strong-willed, persistent (see: nasty) women succeeded in getting the 19th amendment certified, gaining women in the U.S. the right to vote. Obviously no small feat. In 1971, NY Congresswoman "Battling Bella" Abzug prompted congress to designate August 26 as Women's Equality Day, to commemorate the efforts of the suffragettes and the 1920 certification of the amendment. Feeling thankful for the advocacy of these women who were confident enough to speak up for their rights and strategic enough to secure their equality with legislation. Respect.
Been riding my bike a lot lately, as I just moved to a new city with new ground to discover. It's been a truly awesome way to learn the pathways of my new home, and to get out the stress of work and political rage. But I just gotta vent about one thing! Ladies and gents: please wear a helmet when you ride. No one cares how cute your hair looks as it lightly blows through the wind. It might be one less thing to pack, but it's the one thing you ought to pack! I've heard to many tragic stories to go without one. Hope you'll take to protecting your watermelon too! Here's some cool styles to check out if you're interested in something a little less conventional
Ever wonder how I got into gif-making? I gave a bit of insight into the topic on Brwn Paper Bag today.
“While writing a recipe column (I love cooking too) for my neighborhood blog, Greenpointers, I started playing around more with gif-making to create funny accompanying illustrations for the recipes...Once I had my animation process worked out, I got kind of hooked on gif-making, and started just doing them for fun. ”
You can read more here, and learn about some of my other favorite artists and illustrators on Sara's amazing blog!
I hope you honor this special day in your own special way.
If you love indie press and the printed page as much as I do, then please consider backing Got a Girl Crush's Kickstarter campaign! If you're not familiar with this little powerhouse of a zine, then you can learn more about it here. It's seriously such a gorgeously conceived and executed publication. Check it out :) . I'm proud to have created the accompanying portrait for a profile of Ada Colau, mayor of Barcelona.
Ada Colau, by Libby VanderPloeg, for Got A Girl Crush Issue 6
