emily balsley illustration

welcome

 Emily Balsley is an artist who spends her days and nights passionately
hustling from project to project in her colorful studio in Madison, Wisconsin.

 

Illustration

If her piles of sketchbooks are any indication, Emily loves to draw. Heavily inspired by the world around her, she goes through life thinking, “Now, how could I draw this?”. From brainstorming client work to documenting her life…it all begins in a sketchbook.

Emily is comfortable working both analog and digitally. Her favorite traditional mediums include gouache, pen and ink, and Posca® markers. Her extensive illustration portfolio includes books for kids of all ages, magazines, posters, apparel, maps, puzzles and games.

Select clients include: Dial Books for Young Readers, American Girl, Bravery Magazine, Mudpuppy, Usborne Publishing, Marin Magazine, Knopf, Storey Publishing, Fair Indigo, Portland Design Works, Highlights Magazine, Penguin Books, and Rocky Pond Books.


BooksMagazinesOther Illustrated Goodness

 

Murals

From sketchbooks…to wall-sized — Emily’s art has gone BIG. If you think her drawings are fun, wait until you see them painted on a wall! Her quirky characters, yummy color palettes and eye-catching patterns transform a space from “meh” to “marvelous”!

Painting murals for over five years, Emily has experience painting both inside and out, on a variety of substrates, and in some challenging environments. Her mural work often features whimsical creatures, hand-lettering, animals and flowers. And she doesn’t stop there. In addition to walls, she paints window splashes and custom signs, too!

Some of Emily’s public-facing murals can be found at the UW-Madison Memorial Union, multiple Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream locations, St. Mary’s School in Janesville, Lake City Books, Monroe Street Arts Center, and multiple Public Libraries throughout Wisconsin.

Murals + Signs

 

Community

Emily believes in the power of art. Art tells stories. It heals. Art inspires conversation. It stimulates emotion. One important aspect of Emily’s creative practice is finding opportunities to bring people together through art.

Emily is active in the creative community, participating in arts events, gallery shows, and panel discussions. She has sat on multiple Madison-based arts boards, and has organized several community art projects, including collaborative murals and family-friendly art activities. As an artist-in-residence at the Madison Public Library, she hosted workshops for all ages, open studios and artist meet-ups. Emily loves visiting schools, chatting with the neighbors as she paints murals, and teaching occasional art classes.