LA is represented by Gillian MacKenzie for book illustrations and is currently working on her first graphic novel and children’s picture book.

Contact Gillian for books-related requests at gmackenzie[at]gmalit[dot]com. 

If you are a student looking for portfolio reviews, interviews, or general feedback, I will try to get back to you in a timely manner. But first please refer to this lovely interview conducted by Liv Bailey, a SCAD student at the time, as it may answer some of your questions!

1). How would you describe yourself and your art?

- I am a feminist, socialist, a mother, a tree-hugger, scientist, journalist, and a rabble-rouser. I strive to shed light on the truth. My art reflects these values. 

2)  When did you know that you wanted to pursue illustration as a career

- I don’t think I knew until I was in my 20s. I was also very interested in ecology/biology/conservation and was a musician and actress. I had many interests and didn’t know how it would all pan out. Now that I’m older, I realize I use all these skills and my interests guide my art. 

3)  You're a SCAD alum, how would you say SCAD helped you to where you are today, was there a specific professor that was your biggest mentor?

- SCAD helped me value myself as an artist and taught me to respect my work. Also, being such a famous school has truly helped me get tough interviews. The name SCAD is an art-school pedigree that will help you no matter where you end up. Julie Lieberman was my biggest Illustration mentor and pushed me to always do my best, fight for what I love, and always ask questions. 

4). I love your work with its bright colors, textures and how you illustrate people, are there any certain artists that you take inspiration from? Anything from your day-to-day life that also inspires you?

- I am inspired by being out in the woods, in nature, in the water, in the dirt, riding my bike, doing yoga, and deeply inspired by music. I am inspired by big thinkers like Elizabeth Gilbert (watch her talk on creativity), comedians like John Cleese (watch his talk on creativity), ecologists like Robin Wall Kimmerer (read Braiding Sweetgrass), anthropologists like Robert Ardrey (read The Territorial Imperative), more amazing authors and thinkers like Lewis Hyde’s The Gift, Benjamin Hoff’s Tao of Pooh, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of TIme, Donald Norman (read the Design of Everyday Things), musicians like Thelonious Monk, David Byrne, LCD Soundsystem and Wye Oak, old artists like Louise Bourgeouis, Henri Matisse, and Van Gogh, comics by Joe Sacco, Jill and Lauren Tamaki, Guy Delise, Charles Burns, Roz Chast, Lynda Barry, Marjani Satrapi, Art Spiegelman, Sarah Glidden, the March series by John Lewis/Aydin/Powell, Marbles, Lucy Knisley … and sometimes just pulling Runes …  I’ll stop there for now ;D 

5) What was it like when you started putting your art out to potential clients? What was the biggest struggle in doing so?

- Oh, it was so scary! I had such a big fear of rejection that I almost gave up. Thankfully, I got over myself and just kept on working towards my dreams. Reading stories of other artists’ paths helped me stay focused and positive. (Read “On Writing” by Stephen King).

6). is there a piece today that you feel that you're most proud of, or a project that you feel the most accomplished of and why? 

- I am most proud of my non-fiction comics which tell other people’s stories. All I’ve ever wanted to do as an artist and storyteller is amplify other people’s voices. To use my art for noble purposes. 

7) I remember in your talk you had explained that you mainly worked in traditional mediums before switching to digital, what was that like? what was the biggest struggle doing that?

- The learning curve and price for access were two hurdles for me. I took one computer design class at SCAD. We had access to all the best tech, but when I graduated, I didn’t have anything like that at home. There were also no good digital brushes when I started learning (back in 2011). And illustrator was a painfully slow program—always taking forever to render because of the slow processing power of computers back then. Home scanners weren’t great either, which is how I would scan my pen and ink drawings to color digitally, and I just didn’t have any money (making $10-$15/hr) to buy nice tech for myself. I’d stay late at work to work on personal projects after-hours. Without access to a computer and all the programs at my day job at a design studio, I wouldn’t have been able to learn digital skills. 

8). if you could, what would be something you'd tell your younger self before you gained success in your art?

- Slow down, take a deep breath. You aren’t going to change the world over night. Buckle in for the long haul. It’s going to be a wild ride!

9)  You've not only done art for NPR but art direction as well, what is the biggest difference between the two, what's the biggest thing you've learned as an art director? 

- Like I mentioned in my talks at SCAD, the biggest perceivable difference between art direction and making illustrations is the ability to be vocal about your work. Art directors need to be able to talk in front of the company heads. They go to work 9-5. They put on a suit occasionally. They smile and say please and thank you and write sold email correspondence. They are organized and efficient. Great illustrators are also all of these things, but it’s not a given. 

10) As someone like myself who also wants to go into editorial and publication, what's the biggest advice you have for someone like myself?

- In editorial illustration, your message needs to be clear. If you need to explain it to your viewer, then you didn’t quite hit the mark. The image should be readable completely on its own. It should be bold and quick to read. That doesn’t mean it needs to be simple. Take, for instance the art of Meredith Miotke. Incredibly detailed, but instantly readable. 

11). in your talk you showed us your work from doing live journalism, going to protests, and interviewing people, then documenting the event through illustration, what is the most rewarding aspect of doing this? 

- I think the most rewarding aspect of this work is the feeling I get when people tell me thank you for listening. Most people just want to be heard, to be remembered. My work helps their lives reach out beyond their circle. It’s selfishly rewarding work, as I get a dopamine boost when I feel like I’m helping someone with my art. 

12) Any closing thoughts or additional advice you'd like to share? 

- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: don’t assume you know where your live will take you. Take chances. Say yes, and. Over-communicate. Use grammar.ly. And always get paid for your work.

Please refer to the archives of my old tumblr: nprillustration.tumblr.com for reference, artist interviews, behind the scenes, and helpful advice.