Illustrator Spotlight: Abigail Rae
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| © Abigail Rae |
July 1, 2024
We are pleased to feature illustrator Abigail Rae and her website banner design. Check out her awesome art!
Tell us about yourself and how you came to illustrate for children.
I wasn’t always an artist, or at least I didn’t think of myself as one. As a child, I remember silently wishing for an art set and a sketchbook, believing that if I had the “right” tools, maybe I could be an artist. As a teen, I poured over the same four picture books. I tried deciphering the jumbled text, but more often, I was whisked away by the illustrations and their never-ending narratives. At University, I dual majored in linguistics and graphic design. Without knowing it, I was combining the study of language with the study of art as another way to understand, communicate and connect. After graduating and working for two years as a corporate graphic designer, I returned to University for my masters in education and became a high school teacher.
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| © Abigail Rae |
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| © Abigail Rae |
For a while, I kept these creative mornings to myself. Until one night, instead of bringing a pile of picture books back to bed, our youngest daughter returned with a small black book. She flipped to a familiar page, pointed and said, “what’s that?” She snuggled into bed, waiting for the story to begin. I tried to explain that the Deer Baby was a drawing and that the story hadn’t been written yet. She lay there quietly signing the word for more. I still remember the story—the pacing was a bit feral, but it continues to fill my heart and fuel my passion for making picture books. So here I am, an aspiring author-illustrator and homeschool teacher by day, wildlife rehabilitator, mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, coach and friend all those glorious moments in between.
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| © Abigail Rae |
Congrats on your banner design! How did you approach this project?
Thank you. Art has made such a meaningful impact in my life. It’s an honor to think my art could do the same for others. The idea for this project took root while drawing from observation. I was sketching our daughter and Kunekune pigs, when a tiny mouse carrying a sprig of grass walked by on a twisted vine. After a few poised steps, the mouse stood upright and paused…the mouse like a tightrope acrobat holding a grass bouquet. As I looked down to sketch the mouse, a free-roaming cat pounced from the trees! The grass bouquet went flying as the cat slinked in pursuit of the scurrying mouse. I was left there, wondering what happened further down the vine. Perhaps a scholarly mouse was waiting for its pupil to return with a snack…or was its pupil about to become a snack? Oh dear! When KitLit411 invited artists to create an “interpretation” of their original “birds on a wire,” I thought of this little mouse waiting in my sketchbook. I decided the coy cat and the scholarly mouse ought to come along too!
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| © Abigail Rae |
What is your favorite illustration medium/process?
Simplicity brings me joy. I tend to illustrate in a similar way: using a limited color palette, blending stumps and graphite pencils (so grateful to Faber-Castell for creating Pitt Graphite Matt pencils--I love them). When adding color, I have the most bold fun with gouache, feel the most at home with PanPastels and delight in making messes with homemade inks and watercolors. Sometimes a project leans into being styled, created or colored digitally and I’m a fan of that process too. I get pretty excited about trying new materials. Recently, I discovered translucent watercolor paper. The silky surface can produce spontaneous blooms of vibrant color! Perhaps my favorite illustration process is making art from scratch. I feel over the moon when I’m making my own tools to create art. Carving stamps and cutting stencils to produce interesting shapes, unique textures and unpredictable marks is incredibly satisfying.
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| © Abigail Rae |
What projects are you working on now?
I have complete manuscripts, dummy books and am looking to inquire for agent representation. Along with a stream of brewing picture books, I am working on creating an illustrated collection of global recipes. My hope for this illustrated cookbook is that it brings people together by welcoming all ages, languages and abilities (currently, I am exploring raised illustrations for people who are blind or have vision impairment). The illustrations are a blend of Tom Hovey’s drawings from The Great British Bake Off and the sweet watercolor creations from Zumbo’s Just Desserts! I’m still marinating about the title—could it be wordless as well? Perhaps a simple illustration of a fork, knife, spoon, chopstick and a basket of naan? I bet many of you have brilliant ideas! I’d love to hear them!
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| © Abigail Rae |
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
Before getting married and having kids, I lived in a converted school bus with my dog. It’s amazing how much life can be lived in such a small space. Even just the thought of raindrops on a metal roof helps me focus and can soothe me to sleep. In small ways, I try to share with others the bounty that living simply has to offer.
Where can people find you online?
You can find me at my website at abigailrae.com or connect with me through email at abbyraedj@gmail.com.
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| © Abigail Rae |
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| © Abigail Rae |
Abigail Rae, originally from a small town in Minnesota, studied linguistics and graphic design. After receiving her masters in education, she taught high school English, literature and writing. In 2019, with family by her side and a pile of animals at her feet, she opened Wildwood Studio, an in-house graphic design and illustration business. Abigail continues to share her passion for storytelling and illustrating from her homespun studio, local coffeehouse or a friendly stump in the woods.
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