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Produced by Jennifer Cushman •
Photography by Borella and Company
 ARTIST'S PROFILE
Professional designer, illustrator, and artist Linda
Solovic is a storyteller at heart. “Clarity is crucial as an illustrator,” she
says. “People need to get your message in a snap.” Fortunately, storytelling,
color, composition, and collage come naturally to the St. Louis-based artist,
whose work has appeared in various children’s publications and greeting card
lines. Her newest venture: licensing her mixed-media images for home décor
items. She also teaches illustration at Washington University School of Art. To
learn more, visit lindasolovic.com.
Jubilant junking
Linda feels a passionate need to go junking. Discovering treasures for
art projects brings her immense joy. (a) Heavyweight
chipboard covered in scrapbook paper creates a sturdy base
for an accordion
album. source Patterned papers, Basic Grey, basicgrey.com.
(b) Tiny toys, like a tin doll and plastic
“winking eye” duck, are
garage-sale finds. Buttons are another obsession and fit
nicely with
the hand stitching she incorporates into her work.
Loved Ones
A Valentine’s Day book about her favorite things
wouldn’t be complete without photos of her daughter, husband, and other loved
ones, including cherished pets. (c) Black-and-white photos pop against a
pastel palette. (d) Paper piecing is Linda’s trademark style. Here, she
creates whimsical bird figures with a good pair of scissors, an eye for detail,
and a dash of humor. More stitching and buttons complete the canvas. source
Transparent heart, Heidi Grace Designs, heidigrace.com.
LINDA’S TOP TIPS
Create your own hand-lettering style by doodling on paper
whenever you talk on the phone. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to
fine-tune your handwriting.
When adding handwriting to a project, never
write directly on your piece of art. Too many times people feel like they’ve
done all this work, only to mess it up in the end. Write on scraps of paper and
glue your best one to the piece.
Never put type on patterns. It’s too
difficult to read.
Make simple rubber stamp shapes, like leaves, by cutting
or carving cheap erasers.
Sewing or hand stitching onto paper is one of the
quickest ways to add texture to your project.
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