Jennifer Maravillas-Bell

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Architecture

Editorial

Food & Drink

Graphic

Maps

Nature

People

Colorful autumn landscape with houses, trees, and falling leaves by Jennifer Maravillas-Bell

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Illustration about democratic values for Ford Foundation

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Illustrated map of Bolivia with buildings, greenery, and red vehicle by Jennifer Maravillas-Bell

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Multicultural of all lively colors

The diversity gives her visual language the great richness.

Based in Denver, Jennifer is an experienced illustrator who has lived and worked across the US, drawing, painting and building up beautiful scenes wherever she goes. She has an MSc in Art Direction and a BA in Fine Art and Communication, while her experience as a graphic designer has given her a great eye for interesting compositions. Over the years, her work has ranged across cartography, typography, installations, murals, screen printing and textile arts, as well as traditional paints and digital media. Clients love this adaptability and her collaborative nature, and her son has inspired her with a fresh outlook, embracing the world as a place to play and create.

Approach

“Exploring materials and the physicality of making art is what drives me as an illustrator. Usually my workflow begins with hand-painted elements – watercolour, acrylics, a mix of both – then scanning and refining digitally. I use Photoshop in the same way I learned oil painting – layers and layers to create shapes and textures,” says Jennifer.

Key software

Adobe CC, Procreate, QGIS

Style

Whimsical cartography – this is how Jennifer characterises her style, with the built environment providing form, pattern and structure, while colourful organic elements frolic and thrive in between with naïve joyfulness.

Languages

English and Spanish

Impressions

Interview

Website

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Interview

What drew you to illustration/design? After growing up, I just never stopped coloring. Training at a very young age in ballet, I have been always drawn to learning new forms of expression. Illustration and design allow this curiosity.Do you have any formal design training? My undergraduate degree in Communication Art & Design is from the University of Louisville in Kentucky and my Masters in Mass Communication is from Virginia Commonwealth University. Where do you live now & what drew you there?Brooklyn, NY and San Francisco, CA. New York has the endless possibility for adventures that I crave. I was drawn to San Francisco as a legendary end of the drive west. Where is your studio and can you describe it for me? My work is done at home or typically I find a lot of inspiration working around the city in coffee shops, bars, on someone's roof, or on transit. I am that girl drawing everywhere in public. Who or What is your biggest inspiration? As a dancer, music will always be my main inspiration. To me, drawing is dancing with color on paper. Do you collect anything? I am currently working on a 10 x 10 foot map of Brooklyn made in found paper. Each block is represented by a piece of trash from wherever I found it. I collect trash. Do you keep a scrapbook?I keep a variety of sketchbooks and cigar boxes of items. My mother and grandmother make gorgeous and elaborate scrapbooks of our family's lives, so I just do my best to make the subject interesting. What are your interests outside of illustration?Meeting people, ballet, traveling, films. Tell us about a favourite project you've recently completed. I've lately been incorporating my detailed animals into cityscapes and situations around New York. I find much joy in creating the personalities of these characters. What would be your dream job/commission?I would love to create children's books with animal characters from various cultures around the world. Do you have any pets? I cat-sit for a good number of my friends when they leave town often enough to feel as though I have about 5 cats - Flora, Cigarette, Phyllis, Monster and Casper.If you could live anywhere, where would you go? I plan to live on a boat some day. Arriving by water is the best feeling I've ever experienced. If you were not an illustrator, what would you be?An archaeologist, a pilot, or a sea captain. Who would you like to have as your muse if your were painting their portrait?A nice and well-behaved giraffe or zebra.

Favourites

Cafe: Cafe du Soliel in the Lower Haight neighborhood of San Francisco Art Equipment/Tool: Lucky Strike red ball point pen Food: Avocados Drink: Water, Gin and soda Shop: James Rowland Shop Website: Open Culture