Between Cats, Colors, and Connections

Hello again, how are you? I hope you’re enjoying the end of a beautiful summer, or winter, depending on where you are.

Here, social media, a.k.a. Instagram, has been giving me a lot of anxiety. I tried to only consume what felt inspiring or useful, but somehow ads, products, and random news always find their way in.

So, I started trying something new: I deleted the app from my phone. Now I only log in from my computer, just a few times a day, without endless scrolling. It’s not easy, but it’s working. The price is that I miss some things… but if you’re like me, I still want to show you what I shared last week, because maybe you didn’t see it.

Last week I joined the 5 Day Visibility Challenge from Inkygoodness on Instagram. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would make it, but it turned out to be a beautiful experience. It pushed me to reflect and share parts of my journey as an illustrator that I don’t usually talk about.

So, here is a little recap…

I was born in Buenos Aires in the 90s, growing up watching Disney movies, eating Kinder eggs, and spending summers by the sea. Before illustration, my first passion was artistic roller skating. I even won a South American championship as a teenager. That discipline taught me something I still carry: how much practice and consistency matter in creative work.

In 2020, during lockdown, I reconnected with illustration in a deeper way. Since then, I’ve illustrated many book covers and, more recently, I’ve been moving more and more into picture books.

Some time ago I felt the need to step away from digital and reconnect with traditional materials: gouache, inks, collage, brushes, things that carry texture and unpredictability.

Working this way feels important for two reasons. First, because of spontaneity: happy accidents often show us something that digital perfection hides. And second, because it feels good. It makes me feel closer to the child I once was, discovering the world with curiosity.

It’s almost like pressing play after a very long pause.

I received so much love for this post, and maybe it’s not surprising. It was about my second picture book: Karma Is Three Cats: Life According to Taylor Swift’s Kitty Best Friends

As a cat lover, spending months drawing cats was pure joy. Studying their movements, their little quirks, their personalities. And of course, these were not just any cats, but Taylor Swift’s cats.

I had to dive into Taylor’s world to make it right: reading, researching, and learning about her, so I could hide little Easter eggs in the illustrations, just as she does. True Swifties can enjoy searching for all those details.

For me, this project was more than fun. It confirmed how much I want to keep growing in picture books. They give me space to tell stories warmly and playfully, but also to bring my own voice, imagination, and way of seeing the world.

I can’t say much yet, but there’s another project connected to this one that makes me very excited. I hope I can share more soon!

Here are three small tips that always help me in my work:

1. Lettering: Draw letters stroke by stroke instead of outlining the whole shape. This keeps them balanced and consistent.

2. Illustration: Use the complementary color to darken tones instead of black. It keeps colors alive and vibrant.

3. The big one: Stop overthinking and start doing. Imagine if you had started that project one year ago. Everything takes time, so the sooner you start, the better.

The last day was about manifesting dreams and goals.

I’d love to return to editorial work for kids and young readers. When I was little, I was obsessed with a magazine in Argentina called Genios. It was full of activities, facts, and fun content. I would be so happy to contribute to something like that today.

And I also dream of longer, deeper projects like picture books, where I can bring my own voice, my own imagination, and my own world.

One of the last images I shared was a double spread painted in gouache and finished digitally. That combination made me feel free and excited again, and I want to keep exploring in that direction.

✨ Thank you for reading me here and for being part of this journey. Sharing these reflections always reminds me that we are not alone in our creative paths, we’re all figuring it out, one step (and one drawing) at a time.

• Out of the Studio: A few weeks ago we went for some days to Monterrosso al Mare. We went to the beach, to the village festival, ate (incredibly, as always), and even rented a small boat to explore the area. Such a nice trip to say goodbye to the summer.

• Seen and Felt: Dear Evan Hansen This is one of the movies that touched me the most in a loooong time. It is a musical, and I know not everyone likes musicals, but this one is really beautiful. Give it a chance.

• For the Shelf: Matilda - by Roald Dahl and Sarah Walsh I think lately I am buying at least one book per month, and this is the last one I got. Of course I already knew it, but omg, it is so beautiful in real life. I dare to say it is my favorite illustrated book, and also Matilda (heart).

• Echoes: Studiomate Steve I am sad I didn’t discover this podcast before, and also happy I didn’t. It is such a great company for us freelancers. Full of interesting info, but above all, it makes me laugh a lot!!

• P.S.: This weekend I did my homework and watched Soul again, like I said in my last newsletter. I liked it more than last time, but it still doesn’t amaze me. Here I leave proof that we watched it with Elvis.