Rhiannon Cunag - Freelance Illustrator, Designer, & Entrepreneur

Most artists start off by saying that they were always passionate about art, ever since they were a wee lad or lass! I can't say that I am any different, I have been drawing since I could pick up a pencil. Though, I hadn't always wanted to be an Illustrator. For a good chunk of my formative school years, I believed I would go into the medical field, despite the fact that I apparently had a knack for the arts. Upon going to college, I did set off with a different major. And then someone, I don't even remember who it was, made a speech about pursuing your passion. And I thought, I AM interested in science, but I am PASSIONATE about art. So I switched!

I attended University of Arizona for my first two years of college, studying Illustration, and then I transferred to Ringling College of Art and Design. I graduated in 2005 with a BFA and started work at Lisa Frank. I can honestly say that I did not enjoy this line of work very much. I know a big part of it was that the work environment wasn't particularly friendly, but I also had a strong desire to pursue freelance - to be my own boss, to be able to work in my own style. At this point in time, I actually got my first big time freelance job with Simon and Schuster, doing a book cover illustration, and I was super excited! It came out really cute, then the bad news, they decided to go in a different direction ... DUN DUN DUN! Lol, well, I didn't take it too personally, since what it meant was they wanted to aim it towards a different market, but still ... the overall experience was great, and yes, I still got paid!

Fast forward a little, and after a brief, BRIEF stint at American Greetings - which I realllly disliked, but I won't get into - I landed some more freelance opportunities, my biggest and proudest one being with Scholastic, illustrating the book covers for their How I Survived Middle School series, written by Nancy Krulik! I absolute enjoy this teenie series, and illustrating them has been a sheer joy! And to add to my client list, I am very happy to illustrate on a monthly and bi-monthly basis for Bop and Girl's Life magazines, as well as some occasional work for Discovery Girls magazine! I am also doing work for various other companies all from different backgrounds, such as Maru and Friends, and Little Passports.

Overall, it's been a fun journey into the freelance world. It's been a bumpy ride, and I'm sure it's not going to get any smoother. Though all of life is filled with uncertainty, we often find ourselves choosing the "safer" route - for security and comfort, among other reasons. And even though sometimes I wish for those same things, it's really amazing to me to be able to say, this is what I do, it is my passion and dream, and I am living it out!

Presidential Service Awards
- A poster encouraging teens to do more for their community and earn the Presidential Service Award. It was a really fun project, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

How I Survivied Middle School
- A pre-teen series of books by Nancy Krulik that focus on the trials and tribulations of middle schooler, Jenny McAfee. I illustrate the book covers for the series!

Maru and Friends
- A series of dolls and children's books created by Maritza Gutierrez. It is an absolutely adorable line of dolls, beautifully crafted. There are currently three in the line, Maru, Jamie, and Tanya, and they all come with unique life stories. I've currently illustrated one book, Maru's book, and it was sooo much fun! It was different from the teen stuff I'm use to, since it was for a younger market, I needed to adapt my style.

Little Passports
- Little Passports is an educational tool created by two women who wanted to create a fun and interactive way for young children to learn about other cultures. Parents register to receive monthly packets in the mail; each moth a different packet pertaining to a different country and culture is sent and is filled with a variety of activities and keepsakes! I illustrated the main characters, Sam and Sofia, and illustrate and layout the activities, as well as some other elements!

Scott Davenport, Duke Davenport, Warren Buffet, Jean Pierre Jeunet, Alfons Mucha, Hayao Miyazaki, Martha Stewart, Michael Whelan, Walt Disney, Jack Canfield, and plenty more - as you can see I have a mix of various artists and entrepreneurs. I am inspired by individuals who know what they want, know their passion, and are driven to achieve, no matter what field they've chosen. All of them in their own way inspire many others, sharing their experiences with the world, and that's what I would love to do!