Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Clow.
Hi Lisa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am the daughter of a children’s illustrator. My bedroom was also my dad’s studio so as a very young child I would fall asleep to him working by lamplight. My grandfather was a literature professor, so I guess you could say language and the arts are in my blood. Growing up in Nashville, I was around much music and started writing performing my own songs as a teenager.
Later in college, after much floundering, I decided on a graphic design degree and have been working as a freelance illustrator, designer, writer, and performer for the last twelve years or so. In 2017, I decided to go full-time freelance, and begin selling my illustrations and products at Nourish Knoxville’s Market Square Farmers’ Market and that was the turning point for my art and design endeavors.
I sold my goods there up until Covid began. While selling goods locally and on Instagram, I was also taking commissions, painting murals, and selling my designs to manufacturers as a surface designer. You can find my goods in various retailers and boutiques across the country.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The journey has been a bumpy ride, a good one, but there have and still can be struggles along the way. Every artist and designer, at some point, has this thorn in their side: getting paid what they are worth. Starting out it was a bit of a game of ping pong as I signed contracts, answered quotes, or spoke to a future client’s confusion on why a product or design may cost a certain amount.
At times, I would get excited about an upcoming project only to find that they had decided to go with someone different for less money. Any type of artistic or creative vocation seems to have the stigma that because it looks fun must mean it did not take very long, involve hard work, or be worth much. So, it took me a while to find a “steady” client base, which especially in the beginning, could be discouraging, but now I know to think of it as I would the weather. Clients come and go, sometimes they return years later, and that’s okay, and if I do not believe in my own value, who will?
On a more personal note, I work from home with three young kids, (with paints and inks no less), which means work can get messy, destroyed, and torn up. I love it but I’ve got a lot tugging at me during the day so I work at all hours. Most days, I am painting or writing while making macaroni and cheese changing diapers, or bouncing the baby.
Finding a rhythm with each turn of a new season can be difficult, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, I’m very blessed to be at home with my children while they are little and while I work surrounded by their smiles and tears, I know it will not always be this way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Whether I am creating a fabric collection, designs for home goods like pillows, mugs, or tableware, a stationery line, or even Christmas ornaments, I almost always start with Chinese inks and watercolors, I strive to create a lot of life in my brushstrokes, so whether it’s butterflies or flowers, a landscape, or puppies running in the snow, I make sure there is a sense of motion and surprising colors.
I want clients to come to me because they can’t find what they want anywhere else. Much of what I do is painted digitally, but I almost always start with traditional media. I think I am most known for my children’s illustrations. Over the years, I have blended my artwork with my original poems and sold them as individual prints. I didn’t realize how well they would sell. And I would say that is what makes my heartbeat. I’m very passionate about children and providing them with beautiful artwork. They deserve to be inspired and cared for in a creative way. I have a couple of children’s murals in Knoxville and I would say I am most proud of those out of anything I’ve done and would love to do more for my community.
If anything sets me apart, I believe it is the fact that I fought hard not to let myself be pigeon-holed as an artist. I’m a professional and published poet, songwriter, vocalist, designer, painter, and illustrator. In a world that says, “Pick one degree! Pick one job!” I’ve picked many creative roads and found that I am warmly welcomed into each. I think my clients and customers know that I cannot help but share my imagination, my love for whimsy, and my desire for light to shine in all that I write and create. This year, I am carving out time to write children’s books and pursue publishing; it’s both scary and exciting.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I have collected vintage children’s books since I was young. I return to them daily and thumb through their pages for inspiration. They are my greatest source of ideas and encouragement. A blog that I very much enjoy is called The Rabbit Room. It focuses on art, music, poetry, and film, I find it inspiring.
The Illustration Department Podcast is full of interviews and conversations with illustrators, art directors, authors, publishers; it’s great for getting geeky information on behind the scenes of publishing. Another really, really fun blog is called Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. It’s a blog about books, children’s books, and their illustrators. The creator and guru are Julie Danielson, who happens to be a University of Tennessee Alum!
Lastly, one of my most helpful resources is the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. It is a guild that provides workshops, conferences, friendly critiques, and professional advice on your career as a children’s illustrator or author.
Contact Info:
- Email: lisaclowstudio@gmail.com
- Website: www.lisaclow.com
- Instagram: @lisaclowstudio and @lisaclowmusic
- Facebook: @lisaclowstudio
- Twitter: @lisacclow
Image Credits
Jenn Japp
