Q: Tell us about yourself:

A: I am a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and cartoonist. I approach my art with respect, honor, and grace. I respect the artists that came before me. I honor my skills by practicing every day and have the grace to know there is always more to learn.

In college, I majored in Linguistics but spent much of my free time doodling, a continuation of a childhood pastime. The doodles in the margins of my notebooks led to original cartoons and comic strips. In the fall of 2017, with a new sketchbook in hand, I challenged myself to create 10 original characters. This quickly turned into a collection of 100. When my new goal of 500 was in sight, I aimed for more. 1000 characters sounded cooler anyway. In 2019, I published my first book featuring illustrations from this project. They have also appeared on jigsaw puzzles, enamel pins, and clothing designs.

My home is on Long Island and my art studio is in Manhattan. I attended school in upstate New York but received my real art education in the museums, galleries, and theaters of New York City. Being around other professional artists encouraged me to dream bigger. I found my professional community within The National Cartoonists Society. I am a member of their National Board as well as the President of the Manhattan Chapter. One of my favorite activities is tabling at New York Comic Con and selling my merchandise.

My artwork has been displayed in several galleries. I’ve continued to teach cartooning classes online and at local libraries.

Q: What inspires you:

A: My passion for the arts is deeply rooted in my family’s love of handmade crafts. My grandparents owned a knitting and needlepoint store in Brooklyn. My mom taught me these skills along with quilting. My dad shared his love of humor and creative writing with me. I put all of this to good use in making my designs. As a lifelong Girl Scout, I’ve been taught to be bold, creative, an innovator, and a risk-taker.

Being in the city affords me opportunities to be surrounded by unlimited sources of inspiration. I have found that my best ideas come to me while sitting and drawing in a park or coffee shop. Petey, my pet dragon, is my constant companion.

Designing for fabric is different from drawing art. You have to take into consideration trending quilting themes, image size, and current color palettes.

Q: Tell us about your fabric:

A: My art lends itself to designing novelty fabric collections. Blank Quilting Co. has released the following lines. Stay tuned for upcoming collections!

Q. What advice do you have for a new maker?

A: Surround yourself with others who share similar passions. Curate your own professional community. In everything you do, take space for yourself and make space for others. Draw what you want to see and write what you want to read. It’s not drawing outside of the lines; it’s creating your own lines. Draw every day.

Q: What is your belief?

A: I’m always open to what’s next in my career as an artist. You never know what each project brings. Sometimes the concept begins in your head, sometimes through your hand and sometimes from your heart. The sweet spot is when all these ideas mesh. In order to achieve this, I must draw, write, and develop ideas on a continuous basis. One of the ways I practice every day is with my character Bean Boy on Tiktok. Consistency leads into creating tangible projects like my books, fabric collections, and jigsaw puzzles.

Contact me at elainewolfagency@gmail.com