Cool Girls with Tag: graphic design

Rachel Ignotofsky

Name: Rachel Ignotofsky
Age: 30
Location: Los Angeles
Occupation: Author and Illustrator

Growing up, Rachel Ignotofsky enjoyed cartoons, comics, and TV shows about science, but she didn’t really enjoy reading. As she overcame her difficulty, she realized that illustrations and other visual aids really helped her to click with the subject material.

“When I was in elementary school I just turned every project into an art project. I built a ton of dioramas,” she remembers.

After graduating from Tyler School of Art’s graphic design program with honors, and working as an illustrator at Hallmark Greetings, she began her career translating her love of history and science into illustration.

“I wanted to create art about things I found interesting and found it really important to teach it to others. I began using my background in graphic design to create infographics and posters that teachers could use in their classrooms,” Rachel says. “I still use posters to test out ideas and figure out concepts before I begin writing a book.”

Today this New York Times-bestselling author has released a whole slew of wisdom-packed books that use infographics, gorgeous doodles, and eye-catching art that appeals to readers of all ages.

“Something magical happens when you take the time to make information look pretty. People stop because it looks cool and before you know it, they are tricked into learning. We need to encourage people to feel excited to learn about hard to talk about science topics like climate change, so we can begin to solve those problems,” Rachel continued.

Her series of books highlighting trailblazers in herstory includes Women in Science, Women in Art, and Women in Sports, all of which use her creative spark to draw attention to ladies who have done incredible things in a variety of fields, in spite of gender inequity. She also uses infographics to convey information that may seem overwhelming or inaccessible to certain people or students.

“I use my art to break down the fear of learning complicated subjects. Illustration is the most powerful tool when it comes to education,” she says.

Originally, Rachel began to notice that certain topics didn’t seem to have an adequate representation of prominent women. Her curiosity as to why led her to begin researching and discovering that, in fact, many women had done incredible things in all fields, including those of science, mathematics, and engineering–topics that a lot of people find burdensome to grasp.

“I write my books about topics that I think are important,” she explains. “Only by understanding how our world works (science), and why our world works the way it does (history), can people make informed decisions in my opinion. I also make my work with teachers in mind. I think about what can help them in their classrooms and I make my work as tools for teachers to use during lessons.”

When she’s not writing books, Rachel also speaks at a variety of venues, including museums, and even NASA. And when she goes out on a book tour, she’s able to see how her hours of night-owl productivity and research have paid off.

“The best part is hearing how the book is being used in lesson plans and in real life. Kids share their drawings with me also, which is always so awesome,” she adds.

Currently, Rachel is working on two new science books that are slated for release in 2021, while also touring to promote her latest book, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth.

And now, we’re welcoming Rachel and her art to our family of Artist Collaborations. We’ve recently launched four new styles that pay tribute to four amazing women that are highlighted in Rachel’s books. These socks feature Ada Lovelace, Elizabeth Blackwell, Rosalind Franklin, and Joan Procter.

“We need to make sure that everyone grows up knowing that they can be leaders in solving our worlds biggest problems. I hope my books about Women in Science, Sports, and Art help young girls discover new role models that inspire them to follow their passions!”

Some wise words from this graphic genius! For her art and her assistance in making various topics accessible, we think Rachel Ignotofsky is a very Cool Girl! And because we believe in Rachel’s mission so much, for every pair in her collection sold, a small donation will be made to Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that is on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does.

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Love the book? Get the matching socks! Women in Science socks are available now.

Camila Rosa

Name: Camila Rosa
Age: 30
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Occupation: Illustrator and Visual Artist

Artist Camila Rosa uses her talent to create visually stunning illustrations that are meant to inspire women and connect them across social boundaries. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bust, GQ, and on Spotify as well as in myriad other publications and advertisements. That’s not to say that this Brazilian born trailblazer has always had it all figured out.

“I went to industrial design school in my hometown, and after working for a big company designing trophies, I decided to quit and that changed my life,” Camila says. “I moved to Sao Paulo and started to work with graphic design and illustration, which was my distant dream back in 2012. It was very hard to move to a new city, a new job along with a lot of other changes at just 21 years old, but it was worth it after all.”

By then she’d been involved with Coletivo CHÁ, an artists collective she joined one month after two of her friends founded it. 

“We started with the desire to publicize our ideas, and we chose to put it on the streets. Being part of a group of five women supporting each other was the best way to believe in ourselves and in our work. I decided to be an Illustrator because of the collective,” Camila confesses. 

Between her professional endeavors as a freelancer and her desire to inspire other women, Camila has found herself on the forefront of a socially conscious design revolution. From feminist calendars to Pride Month illustrations for Refinery29 to provocative works such as her “No Human Is Illegal”, Camila’s work goes beyond the simplistic eye candy of commercial art. But, believe it or not, abundant sparks of artistic ingenuity don’t come naturally. 

“I always have a hard time trying to be creative,” Camila says. “I think we have to exercise our minds every day, and for me, it’s never an easy job. I believe that creativity is not about what you are, it’s about what you experience. It’s a moment.”

And these days, most of her workday consists of the solitary practice of being a freelance artist toiling at home. 

“Being a full-time freelance illustrator, it’s a big challenge because you have to do all the work, including the business part, planning my schedule, chatting with clients, and everything else. I’m a one-woman studio and sometimes it’s not easy to do all the work,” she says.

When she’s not illustrating, Camila is going to punk and hardcore shows, traveling, visiting museums and exhibitions, and hanging out with her pals. 

Other than gleaning inspiration from everyday experiences, Camila hopes to strike the balance between commercial success and creative expression by honing her artistic skills beyond design. That said, she recognizes the importance of keeping her illustrations out there as a professional, beyond the fact that it is her career. 

“I believe it’s important to keep doing commercial work just so I can still show my work to the world,” she says.

With her art speaking volumes, is there any message to young girls out there that Camila would like to add?

“Believe in yourself and never give up. It’s important we understand that we can do stuff, and to do that, we need to educate ourselves!”

Bold words from a brilliant artist! For her electrifying and thought-provoking artistic works, and for her perseverance when it comes to female unity, we think Camila Rosa is a very Cool Girl!

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See more of Camila’s work on her website camilarosa.net. Like her on Facebook or follow on Instagram.

We made a $200 donation to The Maria Da Penha Institute to help support women against violence and abuse. We encourage you to make a donation too! The Institute is in Brazil so you may need to use a translator and a currency converter to donate. 

Camila Rosa

Name: Camila Rosa
Age: 30
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Occupation: Illustrator and Visual Artist

Artist Camila Rosa uses her talent to create visually stunning illustrations that are meant to inspire women and connect them across social boundaries. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bust, GQ, and on Spotify as well as in myriad other publications and advertisements. That’s not to say that this Brazilian born trailblazer has always had it all figured out.

“I went to industrial design school in my hometown, and after working for a big company designing trophies, I decided to quit and that changed my life,” Camila says. “I moved to Sao Paulo and started to work with graphic design and illustration, which was my distant dream back in 2012. It was very hard to move to a new city, a new job along with a lot of other changes at just 21 years old, but it was worth it after all.”

By then she’d been involved with Coletivo CHÁ, an artists collective she joined one month after two of her friends founded it. 

“We started with the desire to publicize our ideas, and we chose to put it on the streets. Being part of a group of five women supporting each other was the best way to believe in ourselves and in our work. I decided to be an Illustrator because of the collective,” Camila confesses. 

Between her professional endeavors as a freelancer and her desire to inspire other women, Camila has found herself on the forefront of a socially conscious design revolution. From feminist calendars to Pride Month illustrations for Refinery29 to provocative works such as her “No Human Is Illegal”, Camila’s work goes beyond the simplistic eye candy of commercial art. But, believe it or not, abundant sparks of artistic ingenuity don’t come naturally. 

“I always have a hard time trying to be creative,” Camila says. “I think we have to exercise our minds every day, and for me, it’s never an easy job. I believe that creativity is not about what you are, it’s about what you experience. It’s a moment.”

And these days, most of her workday consists of the solitary practice of being a freelance artist toiling at home. 

“Being a full-time freelance illustrator, it’s a big challenge because you have to do all the work, including the business part, planning my schedule, chatting with clients, and everything else. I’m a one-woman studio and sometimes it’s not easy to do all the work,” she says.

When she’s not illustrating, Camila is going to punk and hardcore shows, traveling, visiting museums and exhibitions, and hanging out with her pals. 

Other than gleaning inspiration from everyday experiences, Camila hopes to strike the balance between commercial success and creative expression by honing her artistic skills beyond design. That said, she recognizes the importance of keeping her illustrations out there as a professional, beyond the fact that it is her career. 

“I believe it’s important to keep doing commercial work just so I can still show my work to the world,” she says.

With her art speaking volumes, is there any message to young girls out there that Camila would like to add?

“Believe in yourself and never give up. It’s important we understand that we can do stuff, and to do that, we need to educate ourselves!”

Bold words from a brilliant artist! For her electrifying and thought-provoking artistic works, and for her perseverance when it comes to female unity, we think Camila Rosa is a very Cool Girl!

—

See more of Camila’s work on her website camilarosa.net. Like her on Facebook or follow on Instagram.

Hillary Chandanais

Name: Hillary Chandanais
Age: 27
Location: South Coast, Massachusetts USA
Occupation: Graphic Designer & Reptile Keeper

Hillary Chandanais was heated about cold-blooded animals and artistic expression from a very young age. As a child, she was set on exactly what sort of occupation she wanted.

“I knew I wanted to do anything relating to art or professional bullfrog catcher, which I didn’t know wasn’t a profession at the time,” she recalls.

After taking all of the elective art classes she could take in high-school, including pottery and classical painting, Hillary knew she wanted to further pursue art in college. She began her academic studies in Fashion Design, since she was a longtime lover of sewing and cross-stitching.

“However, I learned after a year in college that I was in love with the computer application of design rather than actually putting bits of fabric together in a professional setting,” Hillary says. “I was absolutely fascinated by the tricks and tips that come with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign; that these programs can transform your world and what you see through simple adjustments. When I got my internship at a New England based record store’s home office, I finally realized that there was really a whole industry dedicated to what I enjoy doing.”

Ever since, Hillary has made her passion a career. She now works as a graphic designer for Sid Wainer & Son, a specialty food distributor, and spends her workdays making retail signs or toiling away on catalogs.

“We’ve been recently working on a label rebrand project for our retail line of our products,” she adds. “I work with a fantastic team of other graphic designers and marketing experts and we are all very supportive of one another.”

Beyond graphic design, Hillary has a pet project…literally. Considering she originally wanted to catch bullfrogs for a living, perhaps it shouldn’t come as such a surprise that she is an enthusiastic and vocal supporter of reptile preservation, education, and outreach.

“I had a turtle as a pet growing up, and I would be regularly found in my parent’s backyard catching bullfrogs and snakes from the wetlands behind our house,” she remembers. By her senior year of college, she was brought into the herpetological community via her roommate who was studying to become a veterinary technician. This roommate took Hillary to her first reptile expo.

“I was absolutely amazed by what I saw there and I immediately wanted to be more involved with what was around me and connect with this community that I never knew existed before,” she says.

Today, Hillary and her husband Nick work at a reptile specialty shop called Cold Blooded Pets. After she wraps up her day job, they head to the shop to clean enclosures and feed a ton of hungry reptiles. She also makes it a point to educate customers about the critters they have for sale.

“The issue with reptiles is that they are misunderstood and in return are seen as scary,” she says. “I never knew how much people were afraid of animals that I adore until I started working in a reptile shop. I wanted to work towards making this is a thing of the past; making reptiles more widely accepted and less feared by humans in their native ecosystem as well as in captivity.”

Beyond the store, Hillary is on the board of the New England Herpetological Society, working as secretary. NEHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to education, conservation and the advancement of herpetology, which allows her to work against the misconceptions that plague reptiles and their owners.

“There are many bills that are being pushed by animal rights groups around the country to end animal education and even reptiles being in captivity. Working with the public and allowing them to safety interact with “exotic” animals while educating them about various species encourages the respect of native wildlife,” she says.

Further combining her two causes, Hillary is currently working on t-shirts, hoodies, and bumper stickers for the New England Herpetological Society, where the proceeds go back into reptile conservation and teaching the public about them. “Every day, I want to better myself, inspire more people through design, and destroy fears surrounding reptiles,” Hillary concludes.

By adding beauty to the world through design and rebranding the perception of cold blooded creatures, we think Hillary Chandanais is a very Cool Girl!

You can check out more of Hillary’s art and reptile adventures here: New England Herpetological Society website & Facebook, Cold Blooded Pets, Hillary’s Instagram, and Hillary’s portfolio.