It’s August already! In between all the summer escapes and festivities, we’ve worked on some exciting projects that we can’t wait to share — some of which might inspire your next day trip or summer read.
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Welcome, Suzu Takeshi
Suzu Takeshi is a Japanese illustrator currently based in Hokkaido whose eclectic range of inspirations include Brazilian comics, American cartoons, Japanese manga, and European surrealism. Suzu channels his love for nonsense art and surrealism into minimalist illustrations that are both playful and profound. Suzu calls himself the “most unknown illustrator in the world”, a tongue-in-cheek motto that reflects both his humility and his singular voice in the art world.
Explore Suzu’s illustration world here.
Illustrating for the Maritime Aquarium
Heather Gatley was commissioned by the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT to create three gorgeous watercolor illustrations of sea creatures. With the Aquarium just around the corner from Mendola HQ, we had the rare opportunity to see the work in person, which was reproduced at a large scale to decorate their elevator doors and interiors. The art helps to reimagine the Aquarium experience and supports their mission to inspire conservation efforts. See the walkthrough of the space here!
Summer Editorial Highlights
The Wall Street Journal’s Summer Books issue was especially exciting thanks to illustrations by James Weston Lewis. From Old West gunslingers to submarine voyages, these summer reads are packed with adventure.
Stephanie Singleton illustrated the June cover for Madison Magazine celebrating the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth, highlighting the resilience and unwavering pride of a Black community still rising.
Annick Poirier’s new painterly illustration style is gaining popularity for its beautiful idealized scenes, and these recent covers she illustrated capture Summer bliss: D Magazine’s guide to Summer getaways, and a glimpse of Summer in Hyde Park for the University of Chicago Magazine.
Sunnu Rebecca Choi contributed a series of illustrations for neuroscience publication The Transmitter, applying intriguing conceptual visuals to recent news and analysis in the field of neuroscience.
Ryan Olbrysh photo-illustrated the cover story for the Summer issue of Virginia Magazine: Créme de la Cavs: The (arguable) list of The University of Virginia’s top athletes of all time. See Ryan’s range of work for university magazines in this post.
Recent Packaging Projects
Luis Pinto collaborated again with 10 Barrel Brewing Co to redesign the packaging for two of their classic canned cocktails: Moscow Mule and Grey Hound. The designs elevate the juiciness of these fruit-inspired flavors.
Jude Buffum worked with Hasbro to create packaging illustrations in his signature pixel art style for Marvel Legends Series action figures. Jude’s pixel art pays tribute to the retro gaming roots of the series, depicting the Sentinels from the 1992 X-Men arcade game, and Wolverine and Silver Samurai from Marvel vs. Capcom.
Maria Francesca Melis was commissioned by Hasbro to illustrate the zodiac signs for the redesigned second edition of Sun Moon Rising, a beautiful, astrology-themed card game that explores identity through the lens of the zodiac. Her illustrations are used on the box, chips, and cards that start conversations inspired by the constellations. It’s utterly magical!
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Libra
Sagittarius
Scorpio
