Illustrator Elizabeth Person's New Children's Book Drops

Spoiler alert: life on an island is different and often more exciting than life on the mainland.

For one thing, there are waaaay more orca sightings.

Island life also offers paddle-boarding, seaplanes, tidepools and unexpected power outages.

The thrill and romance of a self-contained, semi-maritime lifestyle is captured in the new book, To Live on an Island, written by Emma Bland Smith and illustrated by Everett visual artist Elizabeth Person.

The hardbound book is published by Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Seattle-based publisher Sasquatch Books.

To Live on an Island will be released on May 14 and will be accompanied by local events where readers can see Elizabeth, hear about her creative process and purchase signed copies of the book.

The Book

The illustration work for To Live on an Island was created in a three-month winter interval that Elizabeth describes as “lonely studio time.” In January, February and March of 2018 she worked full-time on the book, producing one complete illustration per day. That’s pretty remarkable, given the level of detail in her work.

To research the book, Elizabeth spent time on Orcas Island in the San Juans, photographing specific details that ended up in her illustrations: driftwood forts, madrone trees, roadside egg stands and Washington State Ferries.

(My personal favorite illustration is a pod of cosmic dream orcas… see illustration below.)

The book is awesome. You can preorder a copy (or copies!) at IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

“[A map] is a symbol that condenses a ton of information. It can show history, weather, geology, and sociology.”

— Elizabeth Person

Maps

Elizabeth Person is perhaps most famous for her maps.

She started in the map game by illustrating places she’s traveled to. But increasingly, she’s making maps of other places—some of them commissioned, some based on popular demand.

She explains that maps are appealing and relevant across demographics, beloved by millennials, seniors and kids alike. “[A map] is a symbol that condenses a ton of information. It can show history, weather, geology and sociology. That’s pretty compelling!”

Plus, she reckons, map-lookers can travel to a novel place by proxy.

Vignettes in progress // Courtesy Elizabeth Person

Advice for Creatives

I wanted to ask Elizabeth Person about how she does what she does—full-time work as a creative in Everett, Washington.

Here are some of her tips for breaking into part- or full-time creative work.

Get better and get work out there. Start by focusing on exposure. Elizabeth was commissioned to illustrate To Live on an Island by a publisher who had seen her art at a festival.
Try different things. Diversify. Elizabeth started illustrating mostly maps. Today she does character illustration, Sketchy Everett pieces, book illustration, sells art at festivals, shows prints in galleries and sells wholesale products via local retailers.
Find a balance between commercial and artistic work. Elizabeth says she remains open to taking on work that isn’t necessarily her “cup of tea.” As a freelancer, it helps to be able to make cold calls, find work, or accept a commissioned piece.
Talk to people. Know your fanbase. Elizabeth chats up attendees to her summer booths. What do people like? What’s in demand? What do fans want to see more of?

A page from To Live on an Island // Courtesy Elizabeth Person

Everett’s Art

Elizabeth’s illustrations are one part of a large arts scene right here in our former mill town. We have musicians, textile artists, painters and sculptors a’plenty. The diversity of the arts scene here is one of our city’s strengths.

Get involved and make your own thing. Good things happen here.

Congrats on the publication, Elizabeth! Here’s to seeing what you make next.