I attended Women Who Draw Event on March at 115 West 45th Street. This event was about American Female Illustrators. I found this event at meetup.com. It’s an every Saturday event. But for that Sat, they invited 4 female illustrators to talked about how they start their careers and struggles. They are Andrea Montano, Carly Larsson, Jeanine Henderson and Marie Simpson.

In fields traditionally dominated by men, many women have long earned their livelihoods creating art intended for reproduction and wide dissemination in newspapers and books. Women pursuing careers in the early days of the visual arts, as in nearly every other profession, encountered limitations in training, permitted subject matter and adequate work environments. A host of challenges and longstanding social restrictions in a traditionally male-controlled system impeded many from advancing in their chosen fields.

My favorite artist of these four female illustrators is Carly Larsson. She’s really good at watercolor painting. Her brushstrokes are smooth like water. The style of her painting is energetic and playful.  She portrayed sitter by using loose lines and a large area of color blooming.

One of her mottoes is always taking the risk. If you are facing different conditions, always choose the hard one. Because you are learning new things in the tough condition and when you achieve the success in the end, you will find yourself at another level. She told us a story about when she was in the college, a professor ‘force’ them to use the color they hate, draw the things they don’t like. She said it’s crazy what you can discover when you let go of the need to make something look attractive.

After this event, I’ve learned that always keep the faith of believing myself and be kind to ourselves because we are growing. Always be creative because creativity extends beyond the arts.