Category Archives: cool jobs

Flower Fairies Ballet – the Latest App from Laura Tallardy

She’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Laura Tallardy, our resident app guru, is proud to announce her latest creation, “Flower Fairies Ballet.” This is her second collaboration with developer Scott Adelman, and her fifth app overall – color us impressed, this young lady is simply unstoppable. Congratulations, Laura!

Those familiar with her work are surely acquainted with how darling her illustrations can be. So when the illustrator herself says that this latest work is “probably the cutest- lots of fairies, rainbows, flowers, confetti and sparkles in this one,” you know it’s going to be extra special!

Click here for a link to download 4 puzzles for free, and you can take a look at these adorable little ladies in action by clicking here.

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Sylvie Daigneault MTA Puzzle

Some of the most exciting projects that we have had the pleasure of working on have been with the MTA, and they have given our artists some incredible visibility over the years.

So you might imagine that we were quite excited when they began to manufacture products featuring the terrific work that they have commissioned! We are in love with this beautiful, 1000-piece puzzle featuring Sylvie Daingeault’s dreamy vision of NYC. Check it out here.

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Painting Demo with Patti Mollica

Patti Mollica has been enjoying a fun gig touring the country as an official ambassador for Golden Artist Colors. And recently, principles Vicki and Gail decided on an impromptu visit with the artist to see what these engaging demonstrations and lectures are really all about.

Showcasing both her marvelous talent as a painter and the quality of Golden’s products, Patti provided an intensive seminar jam packed with information. Moving seamlessly between traditional techniques and manipulating the featured products, the event surely provided patrons at the Woodstock School of Art plenty of information that they could take home and put to use in their own work.

Those interested in the possibility of attending one of these workshops might enjoy following Patti’s beautiful and illustrative blog, which will provide future event information, along with glimpses at her fabulous work.

Here’s the lady of the hour, Patti Mollica:

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And here we see Patti (middle) with principles Gail (left), and Vicki (right):

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Rick Tulka – Totally Mad

A regular contributor to the American cult classic “Mad Magazine” for the last 24 years, Rick Tulka has been very proud to be called one of the “Usual Gang of Idiots.”

In celebration of its 60 years of hijinks, Mad Magazine linked up with Time Home Entertainment to produce the archival book “Totally Mad,” which debuted at #1  on the New York Times’ Hardcover Graphic Novel list. Understandably, Rick was incredibly excited to participate, and he has several pages included in the tome. You can learn more about this awesome compilation on Mad’s Blog.

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Mermaid Fashion Show and the Return of Laura Tallardy

After a brief hiatus to work on a new coding language and app design, we are pleased as punch to announce to return of MGI veteran, Laura Tallardy. Laura, whose vivacious and emotive tween drawings have captivated us from the start, has been working hard to develop a new stylistic direction and a new body of work in the form of the Mermaid Fashion Show, which is now available at the Apple App Store.

The entire process, from creating dozens of illustrations, learning Lua (the latest language), programming, and submitting the app for approval, took over five months from start to finish. But the final product couldn’t possibly be any more charming, and Laura is now able to focus her attention on other facets of her illustration career once again.

Blogmistress Kate was eager to be one of the first to beta test the app, and would like to introduce you to her doppelganger, Princess Kate (a very clever name, of course):

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You can click here to download the new program from the Apple Store, click here to learn more about the Mermaid Fashion show, and watch the demo video!

And welcome back, Laura!

Susan Gal’s “Day by Day” Receives a Starred Review from Kirkus

It can be a nerve wracking experience waiting for those first reviews to roll in, but what could possibly be more encouraging than a starred review from Kirkus?

Susan Gal’s “Day by Day,” which she both wrote and illustrated, is a heartwarming tale that follows an adorable pig family in their quest to build a home and become a part of the fabric of their Society. Here is what the reviewer had to say:

“Day by day, brick by brick, a community is built in this winning tribute to fellowship and family.

Across a golden prairie, a family of pigs heads west. Their small actions grow in significance as bricks become a house, beloved paraphernalia create a home, neighbors are welcomed and friendships begin. With each handsome spread, the author rephrases the proverb she was inspired by: “little by little, the bird builds its nest.” Words flow on a curvature that matches the lyrical nature of both text and artwork. Sophisticated, digital illustrations done in a pastel color palette dazzle the senses, allowing readers to feel the vastness of sky, the heat of summer; to smell the scent of flowers and fields; and to hear the slow dance-floor melody as they safely drift to sleep. Gal skillfully employs the computer to create a handmade, collage aesthetic. Through her application of textures, she creates a world that’s rich in pattern, color and, most of all, love. As pigs gather around a table, under a festive tree at twilight to enjoy the bounty they have grown, they give thanks.

A luminous celebration of family, food and home. (Picture book. 4-9)“

The lovely news was shared with us by Random House’s Nancy Siscoe, with whom Susan collaborated. She sent us an enthusiastic, “I love this book!”

We sure do, too.

Congratulations, Susan!

You can click here to see a brief presentation of this wonderful tale.  Why not see what all the fuss is about!

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The Great Googa Mooga

This past weekend saw an awesome event for New York’s foodie set. The Great Googa Mooga, a two-day festival that takes place in Prospect Park, brought together dozens of local food and drink establishments for a weekend of gluttony. Artisanal bacon, lobster rolls, pastries, and even treats from Momofuku’s infamous Milk Bar were all in attendance, and VIPs that purchased tickets to the “Extra Mooga” were also able to meet some of New York’s top chefs (Anthony Bourdain! David Chang!) while drinking champagne and having access to special lectures about varied subjects like “how to open a restaurant” and “molecular cocktails”.

Another treat for VIPs were these wonderful images created by Rick Tulka. The sophisticated and humorous illustrations, originally commissioned as small take aways for guests, were also displayed prominently as posters in the park’s lovely boathouse. Rick’s work certainly added a distinctive touch!

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The Weekly MGI News Roundup

We have some lovely goodies to share with you this week!

We were so happy to learn that Victo Ngai was asked to illustrate a full page piece for the New Yorker – possibly one of the most coveted assignments in our industry. The illustration was to accompany a wonderful piece of fiction by Peter Stamm entitled “Sweet Dreams,” and Victo was asked to create an image about the two young protagonists, a couple in Switzerland. Take a peak on her blog to see sketches and to learn more about her interesting process.

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We also received these awesome images from Carlo Stanga, who recently completed a fabulous campaign in his native Italy for the cheese manufacturer “Galbani.”  Here is a closeup of the work, which is classically Carlo:

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And here we see the image in context, used in a huge advertisement next to a glorious gothic cathedral in Milan:

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Finally, we wanted to take a moment to honor the life and work of Maurice Sendak, who sadly passed away this week. Sendak, who most famously penned the children’s classic “Where the Wild Things Are,” had an incredible influence on children’s literature, and he will be greatly missed. You can read more here.

image by Maurice Sendak:

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Patti Mollica to Teach in Italy

Patti Mollica’s vibrant, thick brushstrokes capture perfectly the energy of her environment, be it dizzying and urban or bucolic and serene. Particularly considering her talent for communicating her medium, it is not surprising that she has been invited to conduct a week-long painting workship, en plein air, in stunning Cordona, Italy. How does one say “Lucky Duck” in Italian?

On her website, Patti elaborates: “Have you always longed to create paintings quickly and confidently but got overwhelmed by the task of translating complex scenes with lots of detail? If so, this workshop is designed specifically for you…my step-by-step workshop is designed to teach you how to paint quickly and fearlessly, using bold, brillant colors, thick, juicy paint and big brushes.” Sounds heavenly.

If you are able to get away, the workshop will be taking place September 8-15, and you can learn more by clicking here.

Image by Patti Mollica:

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The MGI Weekly News Roundup

There has been an awful lot going on behind the scenes, and we have been looking forward to sharing this week’s post with you!

Victo Ngai recently traveled back to her native Hong Kong, where she was selected to receive two silver medals and one judge’s pick for the Second Greater China Illustration Awards – a competition that includes illustrators from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mainland China. She explains that this particular accomplishment means a lot to her, as it is the first time that she has won an award in her homeland. She wrote a little bit about the experience on her wonderful blog, which you can read by clicking here. And congratulations, Miss Victo!! She keeps reeling them in.

Here is Victo, third from the left, bottom row:

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The awards:

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Victo also received a wonderful acknowledgment from CommunicationArts, which featured a brief interview with the artist, along with some of her works. Take a peek here!

One of Victo Ngai’s featured pieces:

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We were also thrilled to receive some very exciting press. Recently, we announced a very high-profile collaboration between Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and our very own Raul Colon. Dr Biden’s first children’s book, “Don’t Forget, God Bless our Troops” is a touching story told through the eyes of a child dealing with a parent fighting overseas, and we were thrilled to receive an announcement from Publisher’s Weekly celebrating its release (click here). It goes without saying that we are rather confident that we’ll be hearing an awful lot about this book in the months to come.

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And finally, we would like to congratulate the MTA’s Arts for Transit program, with whom we have had the joy of collaborating on several occasions. They have just announced the release of the Arts for Transit on Meridian App, a virtual gallery of all of the mosaics, installations, paintings, posters, art cards and more that pepper the lives of New Yorkers every day. Now, wherever you are in the world, you can always enjoy a little piece of NYC. Take a moment to view a little video announcing this interesting development here.

Here is a poster that was created for the MTA by Sylvie Daigneault:

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Dave Calver created this beauty for the program:

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And a mural created by Raul Colon:

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